Goutte d’Argent, a refined encounter of 3 civilisations: France, Japan and Chile. Created by Pascal Marty, French winemaker settled in Chile, it is the example of when cultures meet and match.
France-Chile
After winemaking studies in Bordeaux, Pascal started straight off at the top: 1982 at Mouton Rothschild.
After winemaking studies in Bordeaux, Pascal started straight off at the top: 1982 at Mouton Rothschild. In 1996, the Baroness sent him to Chile to manage the new Joint Venture with Concha y Toro. The ambition was clear: to create a wine as great as Opus 1.
And that is what he did. He was winemaker and co-Managing Director of what was to become one of Chile’s now iconic domaines in Puerto Alto: Viña Almaviva.
On the road back to Chile
After 20 years in the group, in 2003, Pascal felt the urge to move on to a next step. He left and travelled around the wine world, as an international consultant. He met a great number of people of all paths interested in getting into the wine business.
His Chilean venture, Viña Marty has brought together nearly 20 such people. Pascal holds the roles of founder and main owner, as well as winemaker, but not of majority stakeholder.
Created in 2008, with first sales in 2009, Viña Marty started off with one line of wines (Love). Presented by one of the French partners to Carrefour Belgium, this range was immediately taken on in Europe.
From this began the construction of an offer of wines that made sense for the markets as they open up – from Brazil to Japan, by way of Europe and China.
Thus arose from the lands Clos de Fa, the iconic plot, Ser, single vineyards of single varietals, the Kalak and Corazon del Indio blends, and the Pillpintu, Pacha and Chaka ranges of varietal wines.
All wines encompass French winemaking know-how applied to the complexity of each Chilean valley.
And then came Goutte d’Argent…
Many travels to Japan, where Clos de Fa was particularly well received, opened up yet another opportunity to associate influences. A – five-year – long discussion with Sake producer association enabled Pascal Marty to have access to Sake yeast to elaborate wines.
In 2018, with a small batch of Sauvignon Blanc, expectations were not met but totally surpassed. Having imagined a super powered varietal wine, Goutte d’Argent revealed itself surprisingly more elegant, more harmonious and more floral than expected.
The Kibayashi brother and sister duo behind Drops of God in which they had featured Clos de Fa, agreed to help with the design of the Goutte d’Argent (Drop of Silver) label. Inspired by a Japanese poem on the tasting note (pure as crystal, pure and round as a flow of silver) they suggested the silver drop (with Japanese kanji spelling out drop) and the profile of the Chilean Andes on the top of the label.
And thus, Goutte d’Argent came to be, in Sauvignon Blanc in 2018, Chardonnay in 2019 and Pinot Noir in 2020.
By fear of saying the obvious, one would avoid using the umami word in relation to Japan. However, in this case, it cannot be avoided. That’s what this wine is all about. And one définitely wants more.
Goutte d’Argent Sauvignon Blanc 2022
An astonishing wine that breaks away from the varietal canons of the grape variety. Fresh and pure on the palate, with fine citrus notes and a slightly minty finish. We want more!
91/100. GP.
