+ News and Press
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Angelic Wines for all to enjoy
"The Cayman Islands Journal", October 2007
Douglas Murray is the cofounder of the well-known and
popular Chilean winemaker Montes, and he visited Cayman recently,
presiding over a dinner held at Ristorante Papagallo which
featured six of his highly rated wines. Business Editor, Lindsey
Turnbull enjoyed an exclusive interview with the expert winemaker.
Please tell me about the values and ethos that drive
Montes.
Aurelio Montes and I were, indeed, driven men (and the two
original partners) in our belief that Chile’s potential
for real quality wines was being ignored by the traditional
wineries, bent on doing purely supermarket wines. We both
had ample experience in our fields (Aurelio as winemaker and
I, in sales and marketing of wine) and decided to prove our
beliefs by starting our own winery, purely dedicated to super
wines.
That was in 1987…fast forward to 2007, we believe
we have made our mark in the world with the Montes Alpha range
and three icon wines (M, Folly and Purple Angel) and having
received recognitions and awards from all continents, as well
as from the Chilean Government ( Most Innovative Company)
and from University of Bordeaux, U.C. Davis, Southern Adelaide
U., who, together, named us Mentors of their world-famous
Wine MBA (previous Mentors: Robert Mondavi, Baroness Philippine
de Rothschild). Twenty years later we are still as driven,
as our team is, and present in 83 countries ( including all
the wine producing ones) and with a winery also in Argentina
(Kaiken that recently received five stars out of five and
“ Best Argentinean Malbec” from U. K.’s
Decanter magazine) and having had our first harvest (2006)
in Napa Valley (USA) for future Montes wines there.
What are some of the particular aspects of the terroir
that either hinder or enhance the winemaking capabilities
at Montes?
Aurelio is very keen on finding the right terroir
for the right variety and if we do not have it, we go where
the best terroir is. We want to work with the soil, with nature,
not against it.
In Colchagua Valley we find ideal conditions for Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Merlot and
Carmenere. In Leyda Valley we have the best for Sauvignon
Blanc and for Pinot Noir. In Casablanca we also source great
grapes for Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, from growers we supervise
throughout the growing season.
As we are well organized, it would be hard to find hindrances
to mention. Nothing is ever perfect so to call rain or hail
a hindrance is not correct as it is part of the game. We feel
truly blessed to work in a wine paradise such as Chile, where
the climate seems to be always at your side. Again, we search
for the proper terroirs, we do not “challenge”
them.
How do you overcome any difficulties in terms of
terroir?
We don’t appear to have many. In order to prevent problems
we have ample access to the best meteorological reports, subscribe
to satellite service which gives us detailed data of any weaknesses
in our vineyards, from way above, and are constantly experimenting
with new varieties (Mouvedre, the latest) and soils. The Napa
of Chile, the now famous Apalta Valley, was discovered by
Aurelio Montes (Casa Lapostolle is now also there, at our
invitation).
What sets the Montes wines apart from its competitors?
Montes has received, widely, credit for having placed premium
and super-premium Chilean wines in the world map. We were
the first really premium wines to come out of Chile (Montes
Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon was the pioneer) and now set the
standard, are the benchmark for all other wineries (you can
ask other wineries). Despite the fact that Mondavi, the two
Rothschild houses and Grand Marnier (Lapostolle) were already
in Chile, Montes was the first to offer an icon wine (Montes
Alpha M) and the only to follow with two more (Montes Folly,
a 100 per cent Syrah, now a cult wine, and Purple Angel, (a
super Carmenere).
Montes also leads in number of wines which have received
90 points or more from Wine Spectator and other magazines
all over the world.
To sum it up: Montes reputation for quality is what sets
it apart. That and its mad partners.
Why the great focus on exports? How did this focus
come about in the first place and how did it evolve?
Chile in 1987 seemed to have little room for real quality
wines. It was dominated by tradition, all whites were oxidised
(except Miguel Torres) and distribution was very difficult
for newcomers. Hence, our decision not to sell in Chile initially
(it took us about four years for our wines to start, after
insistent phone call from local wine lovers) and to export
100 per cent of our wines.
In 2007, we sell about 6 per cent of our production in Chile,
most to the on trade (Montes Alpha is number one in the 200
best restaurants at its high level) and a few stores and to
many wine lovers.
Chileans have gradually understood quality in wines, breaking
away from tradition and that has been a matter of pride for
us. Montes Alpha Cabernet, for instance, was voted the preferred
wine of the business community.
We were aware that wine writers were the key to recognising
(or not…) the quality we offered, so our focus was initially
directed to the USA and the UK. Our destiny was sealed in
the UK when Oz Clarke wrote a full article on Montes entitled:
“ Finally, a Concentrated Wine Coming from Chile”
and, in the USA, when Wine Spectator said Montes was the best
“all around winery in South America”.
Many years later we were selected as “best New World
Winery”, over Penfolds. The evolution has been rapid
and smooth. Our focus remains unaltered and in 2006 we were
the number two Chilean winery in the USA, after Concha y Toro,
solely because the ranking is based on the FOB exports in
US$ and we have, because of the quality, one of the highest
prices from Chile, more than twice the Chilean average.
How do you balance quality versus quantity?
Quantity is the result of quality and not the other
way around. It has always been our number one consideration
and we actually practically froze our exports for several
years thinking (erroneously, as it appears) that if we surpassed
a certain volume, we would not be considered a boutique winery
anymore. Our importers finally prevailed and convinced us
that as long as we kept and/or improved our quality no one
really cared about our volume and that has, really, been the
case.
Aurelio and I are still at the wheel and we are not going
to risk our dream for short term gains. Quality and over-
delivery are imprinted in our brains and drives our Montes
teams.
Please tell me more about the new technological
aspects of the winery.
We have two wineries, one in Curicó Valley
which is stateof-the-art, where our whites, our Classic
line and Cherub rosé plus our Limited Selection line
are born, and our “beyond state-ofthe- art”
“Ferrari” winery at our Apalta Valley Estate.
The latter is only three years old and is “allgravity-flow”:
Grapes are lifted to the roof, selected one-by-one and fall
directly into each (small) stainless steel tank or wooden
(French) 10,000 litre barrel.
No pumps equal no contamination equal no loss of aroma
or fruitiness. Everything here is the latest in Chile and
the world. Here is where our Alpha reds and the icon wines
see the light. All oak barrels are French. All new for the
three icons and new +1 year +2 years for the Alphas, principally
Seguin-Moreau, Taransaud and Saury, medium toast.
How and why did you employ the Feng Shui concept
in the design of the winery?
When you seek the best in everything, every step to making
wonderful wines is closely studied and the best alternatives
chosen. Once you have done all that you humanly can you search
for heavenly support and - as you can see by our labels
we love and believe in angels, they have helped us take the
right path when in doubt.
As a long-time Asian traveler, Feng Shui was a practice I
frequently came upon and gradually became convinced of its
virtuosity. As you know, Feng Shui consists of creating balance
and harmony in your work place, at home, etc. so we did just
that. Our wineries, our offices and my home are all Feng Shui.
The Feng Shui expert (a lady) worked hand-in-hand with the
architect and visitors always comment that, when visiting
our winery, they feel a wonderful sense of peace and we believe
that our wines feel it, too.
At the icon wines cellar (800 all-new French oak barrels)
we also have Gregorian music 24 hours a day, also believing
that this will help the wines, as it helps babies relax. An
expert in sound from the U. C. at Davis ( a Doctor, also a
lady professor) who saw and heard was incredibly impressed
and said we were absolutely correct and that it has been proven
to be beneficial.
Has this made a difference?
We like to think so!
