WHAT I’VE LEARNED | Eduardo Chadwick
Eduardo Chadwick is the fourth generation to lead Viñedos Familia Chadwick, comprising such brands as Errazuriz, Chadwick and Seña. His unwavering belief in Chile’s potential to produce world-class wines bore fruit in 2004, when his Berlin Tasting saw Viñedo Chadwick and Seña triumph when tasted blind alongside Bordeaux first growths and SuperTuscans. In London as part of a global tour to mark the 20th anniversary of the tasting, we caught up with him at the Club.
‘When I started working with my father in the 1980s, Chile was dominated by volume-led wines, not terroir wines. We made significant strides in quality from the 1980s to 2000, but it was difficult to get recognition because very few critics came to Chile. It was frustrating for a small, family winery. I’d go around the world, and people liked the wines, but then they’d ask, “What’s your Parker rating?” And we didn’t have one.’
‘The Berlin Tasting was born of that frustration. I was scared to death to do it, and we never expected such results, but in a single moment, the perception of Chilean wine changed forever.’
‘The 20th anniversary is an opportunity to bring back the memories and show the evolution of the wines in the key markets. So we’re doing a global tour – Berlin, London, Brazil, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, New York and Canada. Originally, in the 1990s, the UK was our biggest market. Then it became the US, and then China. Now it’s Brazil.’
‘Chile only started exporting in 1990 [after the demise of military dictator General Pinochet] and the most expensive Chilean wine in the UK back then was around £5. I tried to get into [Bordeaux distribution network] La Place but it was not so friendly and I wasn’t received very enthusiastically. So I had to go under the barbed wire for many years.’
‘For the first 20 years of my career, it was about creating a wine of great quality. Then it was about convincing the audience of that quality, getting recognition, and building the distribution. That took at least ten years too.’
‘Robert Mondavi visited Chile in 1991, and I was his chauffeur, showing him around. I was in my early 30s, and he was in his 80s, already a legend. It was just the beginning of Chile’s development and we were tiny – Mondavi was by then a half-a-billion-dollars corporation, while the whole of Chile together was exporting less than half that. It was a big moment for him to recognise us by coming to visit.’
‘After the trip, he started to think about doing a wine [the wine that would become Seña] with a similar model to Opus One that he’d done as a joint venture with Baron Philippe de Rothschild. He said the potential we had in 1990 was the same as he saw in Napa in 1960. His life’s work was putting Napa on the world wine map, and Opus One was instrumental in this, so he had this template in mind for Chile. Doing something together seemed a distant dream – we had just 20 hectares – but luckily, destiny had put me in the right spot.’
‘Bob opened my eyes to how to do things. We were too humble and closed in Chile; we needed to get out into the world, to raise our reputation.’
‘He had tremendous charisma and drive. He was in love with fine wine and was determined to prove that California could compete with the best in the world – and he had the vision and persistence to make it happen. He never kept secrets – he always shared knowledge, to help Napa Valley as a whole. Chile is more collaborative than it used to be, but there’s still room for improvement.’
‘Today, Chilean fine wine is an established category that is growing every year. But I wish more producers were dedicated to fine wine. We’ve proved we have the quality, now the challenge is for producers to pursue quality rather than everyday wines. Consumption of entry-level wines is flat around the world; for me, Chile’s future lies in premium wines.’
‘Cabernet is Chile’s history and the reality is that Cabernet blends are the most relevant category for fine wine, through Colchagua, Aconcagua and Maipo. But Chile has more to offer than just Cabernet. A few years ago we launched a range of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Aconcagua Costa called Las Pizarras. The vineyards are around 10-12km from the coast, cool-climate, and show real minerality and intensity – an alternative to the rich, riper styles. Planting vineyards in the south and the coast, for example in Bio Bio, is very interesting for the future.’
‘I was in Patagonia recently – not for wine, but for hiking. It felt like another world. I was in the Tompkins National Park, with my new partner. I’m trying to keep up with her. She’s very tough and strong. We’ve been together for a year now – we met at a Christie’s charity wine auction. She’s climbed Everest. I’ve climbed Ojos del Salado, which is the highest inactive volcano in the world, in the north of Chile. I did it with two Masters of Wine – Patrick McGrath [head of Chadwick’s UK importer, Hatch Mansfield] and Jean-Michel Valette [chairman of Napa’s Huneeus Vintners]. But she’s the expert, and she’s taken me up another level. I would like to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, but I need to do a lot of training. We’ll see if I can cope.’
‘I’m 65 and I’m trying to keep fit. It gets more difficult every day, but the hiking helps. It’s about your mind too. I love nature – the tranquility, the wildlife. It refreshes your spirit.’
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TWO
MINUTES
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Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, Laurent-Perrier
UNDER
THE
SURFACE
Harlan Estate
ON
THE
LIST
Elvio Sgaria