Cools fast at night up here ... to just right for dining outside. They took down the lamb carcasses which had been stretched out on iron frames high above a big fire since midday. It’s a Patagonian thing apparently. Just lovely with their Cabernet Sauvignon; a rich, voluptuous, dark beauty.
Slept blissfully, woke in dark ... takes time for it to get light in Chile; the Andes are in the way. In the cool morning we had a look round their poor battered cellars. Builders crawling all over... as the grapes arrive.
Can you imagine coming here after the earthquake? Half your stock of old bottles smashed, barrels crushed, steel tanks ripped open. Only the concrete tanks survived. But no-one died.
Then Felipé comes to collect us. Luis Felipé Edwardes, that is, tall slim and charm itself.
We are going to a working lunch with him and his father - also Luis Felipé Edwardes, the founder, - the one we call Don Cayetano - his baptismal name - who now lives on a golf course in the hills above Santiago. His house on their estate fell down in the earthquake.
Chile is a paradise - apart from being on a fault line. Gorgeous apartment exquisitely furnished and immaculately run by Bernada Edwardes. I always get wound up in such houses. Feel all clumpy; knock over something priceless.
The new Don Cayetano Chardonnay with a perfect sea bass - corvina - it being a holy day, so no meat - fine by us after after last night's carnivorous cornucopia.
Try their new 'DC 900' from new and extremely high (900 metres) vineyards. Easy to taste the extra 'fruit' you get from those cold, suffering vines.
Afternoon getting scorchio; the sun burnt away the cloud as Cristobal comes to take us in his pick-up to Villa Real where we are to meet one of our early Flying Winemakers.
I haven't seen Andreas for ages, which is shame because he's a lovely man. Quiet and shy but now with a very big job in charge of the winemaking for a group of four wineries. Brian Croser is now their consultant. Which completes a neat circle.
When in '91 we took our great plunge into Chile and sent Brian Croser's right-hand man at Petaluma; Martin Shaw (Shaw+ Smith) to make a whole range of wines for us at a winery called Canepa, Andreas worked alongside him. Did so well Martin invited him back to Bordeaux to work a vintage or two for us.
The family behind Canepa sadly fell out with each other and the Company disappeared. But Andreas has gone on to great things. He makes our new wine 'Patriots' Merlot. Plus a lot of other delights. So, good tasting. We make a date to meet at Le Chai in June.
Great place; Villa Real, across the park from the winery. A grand old hacienda of huge rooms, great high windows and vast long corridors and terraces, that's a hotel except they don't advertise. But if you fancy living like the Marques de Villa Real, a Chilean grandee of the old Spanish days, drop me a line ... any friend of mine is welcome, they said.
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