Elqui Valley Wine Region Guide

Geography and terroir

In the Elqui Valley, 500 kilometers north of Santiago, quality-focused vintners harness high altitude and coastal influences. The conventional heartland of premium Chilean wine lies in the Central Valley; however, both large companies and artisan growers have prioritized the development of cooler sites in the 21st century. This has dramatically benefited once-marginalized regions in Chile, where bulk winegrowing dominated the regional economy for many decades.

Yet Chile’s forefathers would scarcely recognize the viticultural landscape today. The steep-sided Elqui Valley still reveals table grape plantations. However, 280 hectares of quality vineyards are now in the zone, cultivated by the Italian-owned Vina Falernia and other pioneers. They have demonstrated that Elqui can produce truly exceptional wine of all three colors; red and white grape varieties can thrive in regions north of Santiago. Indeed, there is much favorable to viticulture: pure, clean air, endless warm sunshine, and a distinct lack of fungal diseases. One could almost describe Elqui as a grower’s paradise on Earth.

And yet, despite its agricultural advantages, Elqui does not make life easy for farmers and producers. Situated east of Coquimbo city, the name translates as “narrow valley” in the local Quechua language. These resourceful South Americans used irrigation channels to grow crops long before European settlers arrived in the 16th century. The Quichua, like today’s winemakers, understood that they could transfer meltwater from the Andes to the valley floor, allowing plants to survive Elqui’s desert climate.

Indeed, very low average rainfall levels (less than 100mm per annum) would lead to chronic hydric stress without human intervention.   Thankfully, sophisticated drip irrigation systems can deliver just enough moisture to keep the vine’s metabolism active while avoiding the excesses of flood irrigation.

Altitude and Viticulture

The other vital part of the equation is altitude. Despite Elqui’s proximity to the equator, growers take advantage of the cool nights that naturally occur at these towering elevations. They plant many vineyards at 2,000 meters above sea level, which helps keep alcohol levels in check. The results are wines of mesmerizing fruit flavors and piercing acidity, encouraged by the intensity of UV light that South Americans take for granted.

Then, there is the glorious diversity of grape varieties. Syrah has proven to be especially suited to the thin, granite soils of Elqui, planted in a series of river valleys that transport life-giving meltwater to the vines. Mountains surround the region, and the soil contains good levels of permeable chalk. Growers generally find the finest terroirs further inland. Here, the signature red grape of Hermitage delivers very complex wine, noted for its fine tannins and intense flavor. Carmenere is also impressive, as is the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Meanwhile, as you move westwards, you’ll encounter clay/silt terroirs that, found at lower elevations, benefit from oceanic currents and cooling breezes. The Chardonnay is usually very good; however, Sauvignon Blanc can be even better, with a more restrained, European style than some overtly tropical-scented versions.

Winemaking and regional classifications

Though it produces a relatively small volume of wine, Elqui is increasingly one of Chile’s most exciting regions. White grapes, especially Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, already have good reputations among wine critics and buyers—Coquimbo whites are renowned for their concentration and finely tuned precision. Yet there is one variety that truly surpasses expectation in Elqui: it is the noble and still under-appreciated Syrah.

Mastering Syrah

Without hyperbole, Elqui is one of the few Chilean vineyards that can rival Syrah’s textural elegance and soaring complexity grown in the northern Rhone. Elqui’s winemakers have made Syrah their own, largely leaving the production of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon to the vignerons of Maipo.

Today, it is by far the most important red grape variety, producing wines that merge the finesse of Côte-Rôtie with the exhilarating force of Hermitage – a real showstopper. The climate plays a key role: growers harvest an overwhelming proportion of Elqui’s grapes, including Syrah, in perfect condition. But winemaking plays a key role, too, and producers such as Viñedosde Alcohuaz have embraced modern vinification techniques to the benefit of all.

The jewel in the bodega’s crown is Tococo, a single-vineyard Syrah made from vines planted at over 1700 meters above sea level. In the cellars of the Rhone Valley, it is not uncommon to include a percentage of whole clusters in the vat; Guigal traditionally used destemmed (but not crushed fruit), while Jaboulet always favored a mixture of crushed berries and whole bunches in the tank.

Yet standard practice in Elqui involves crushing and destemming the fruit and fermenting the juice in stainless steel. The central argument for this approach is that healthy berries, which have achieved a high level of physiological ripeness, do not require the addition of stem tannins. In the case of Tococo, the oenologist works with hand-harvested and destemmed berries, vinifying the must in stone lagars using natural yeast.

Innovative Vinification

This approach is somewhat heterodox: although Chile’s A-List are champions of wild yeast strains, many wineries use stainless steel vats to ferment their wines, either punching down on the floating cap to extract flavor and color or pumping juice drawn from the bottom of the vat over the cap – thus achieving the same effect. Meanwhile, In Australia, it was traditional for certain producers to press all or part of the Syrah must before fermentation was complete, finishing the process in barrels.

But Viñedos de Alcohuaz has reached into the past, crushing and macerating the berries by foot. This was the norm in the 1800s when technological advances had not yet reached the world’s wine cellars.

Meanwhile, (almost) all superb Syrahs made in France, the US, and Australia are matured in wood, typically French or American. Viñedos de Alcohuaz prefers to use Stockinger foudres – described as “the winemaker’s Stradivarius” by UK wine merchant Swig. Matured for 23 months in this superior wooden vat (normally a mix of German, Austrian, and Romanian oak), it is sensitively made and perfectly balanced. A certain portion of the wine may also be aged in concrete eggs, which helps to encourage the development of supple tannins and a soft mouthfeel. The result is a textbook cool-climate style, redolent of pepper, spice, minerals, and cold granite. The palate is focused, energetic, precise, and thrilling. It is Elqui in a microcosm.

Of course, Syrah is not the only star attraction here. For example, look out for some deliciously spicy Garnacha (Grenache) and Carmenere, the latter enjoying a revival after growers ripped out inferior clones and replaced them with superior fruit. Some very promising Pinots and even Sangiovese are also on the horizon, made by a younger generation with limitless ambition. In Elqui, boundaries are there to be broken.

Elqui gastronomy

Although it lacks Valparaiso’s sheen and international fame, Coquimbo offers a hugely varied culinary scene encompassing piping hot street food, gourmet selections, and everything in between. For a local flavor, try the ubiquitous cheese and shrimp empanadas and cazveca – this beef stew incorporates local ingredients like corn and potatoes to create a delicious effect. On the quayside, you can feast on freshly caught crab, grilled snapper, and sea urchin to your heart’s content. When in Coquimbo!