Charosa Vineyards

THE FACTS

Location: Charosa village, Dindori sub-region, Nashik
State: Maharashtra
Founded: 2008
Major shareholders: Ajit Gulabchand
Total area: 230 acres
Area under vine: 81 acres
Production: 500,000 litres
Google map: click here

THE STORY

Charosa is a hugely impressive undertaking by Ajit Gulabchand, a major shareholder of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd, which built the Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge, a marvellous piece of civil engineering that connects the vibrant, contemporary and bohemian north and the leisurely, colonial south in Mumbai. The winery has been named after the village where the vineyards are located, in a tribal area close to the Gujarat border.

 

The first vines were planted in 2008 and in 2011 grapes were crushed for the first time. The first vintage was released in 2013, making Charosa one of the newest kids on the block. The journey thus far has been incredibly inspiring, with the wine-producing potential of the surrounding hills as yet barely tapped.

 

The ready cash did not go amiss for taming the rolling hills by planting vines, nor did the construction of a 1,500,000-litre capacity, gravity-flow winery require less than firm financial foundations. Credit is due to those who made it all happen with their expertise and their commitment to crafting outstanding wines. Ashok Patil, the chief winemaker, trained at Blenheim, New Zealand, before a short spell in South Australia and a five-year stint with Chateau Indage.

 

The winery building is in appearance as far from a conventional temple to winemaking as possible. A concrete structure, it gradually moulds itself into the canyon of the steep hillside, and is home to a rare endeavour in the contemporary wine-production scene of India. Ashok does the job of conductor, though pretends to be only the humblest string player in this colossal orchestra.

 

Charosa drew my attention first when I tasted their Tempranillo and Viognier in Mumbai. What sustained my interest, however, was the vertical tasting of their 2012, ’13 and ’14 Cabernet Sauvignon, which showed a new dimension of this classic variety – one that is genuinely Indian. As businesses can face uncertainties in India, there is always the concern that the future may take an unexpected trajectory, but I hope it takes Charosa on a course that surpasses all expectations in terms of the quality delivered by Indian terroir.


THE ESTATE

Apart from the terrible roughness of the road, the journey into the heart of rural, tribal India was spectacular. Ad hoc settlements of concrete were replaced by reed-and-thatch huts as the car approached the Charosa vineyards. Only a third of the estate is under vine and there are four varieties grown: Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The Viognier plantation is on neighbouring plots, which are on long-term lease.

 

The bedrock is murrum, the black rock characteristic of the Western Ghats, and covered with a layer of mineral-rich orange and red topsoil. Most apparent are the tiny basalt pearls atop the hilly outcrops that make Charosa reminiscent of volcanic vineyards. Blocks of white grapes are planted in the lower valleys, where there are patches of clay and limestone. Based on measurements and the variety planted in a given block, the nutrient content of the soil is adjusted for nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium.

 

All the vines are spur pruned, with 10–14 shoots per arm, and VSP trained. The Charosa team believes this helps prevent excessive cropping whilst maintaining better air circulation in the canopy. The result is an average yield of four tons per acre, healthier fruit and improved quality.

 

With the annual precipitation reaching 1,500 millimetres, the rains can be fairly destructive and are an enormous challenge to vineyard owners. The greatest risk from downy mildew is in the first 45 days after the pre-growing-season pruning towards the end of September. There is thus a great emphasis on the removal of the summer season’s spurs from the vineyards to prevent re-infection. All spraying is performed in compliance with the requirements of GlobalGAP, an international certification system.

 

Constructed into the hillside, the winery takes advantage of the natural incline to organise the work process into a gravity-flow system that ensures gentle handling of fruit. There are two remarkable aspects in the Charosa winemaking process. One is the use of open-top fermenters, which facilitates the punching down of the cap during maceration, or pigeage. This method is considered risky in subtropical climates from a microbiological perspective, but it does allow for a much gentler tannin extraction. The other is the experimental use of wild ferments. In 2014 the initial fermentation was begun as a result of the ambient yeasts naturally present in the winery and on the grapes. The ferments were then inoculated with commercial yeasts to ensure that they finished properly. Chief winemaker Patil claims wild ferments contribute to shaping the structure of the wine.

 

All the wines, regardless of quality level or market destination, are sealed with a screw cap.

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THE WINES

The purity of fruits is Charosa’s hallmark across all three levels of quality. For one entry-level label, a non-vintage red wine blended from Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the winemaker mellows the structure by using a proportion of Cabernet aged in a stainless-steel tank for a year. The structure can initially be rougher due to the use of grapes from higher cropping vineyard blocks.

 

The two whites are highly aromatic, fresh and zesty. The Sauvignon Blanc comes in unoaked style with a herbaceous character reminiscent of New Zealand, whilst the fruits are fully ripe. The Viognier is fragrant, mineral and offers a touch of creaminess as a result of some barrel ageing on fine lees.

 

Of the three reds, the Shiraz is made into a mid-range soft, velvety, easy-to-approach but generously rich, mellow red wine with some added complexity from six months of barrel ageing in French oak. The other two varieties are pitched to be the top wines of Charosa. The Tempranillo shows attractive red fruits, a mix of spices from both French and American oak, but retains a silky softness, almost like a modern Rioja reserva.

 

The vertical tasting of three Cabernets, each vintage aged in barrique for a year, has revealed that it is indeed the top variety of the Charosa vineyards. Additionally, it shows that vintage variation exists even in India. All three Cabernets were crafted to be big, complex and seriously structured wines, which will benefit from further bottle ageing and need decanting before consumption.


THE LABELS

Each of the three labels represents a quality level.

Charosa Pleasure: simple, straightforward, mellow red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with a touch of Tempranillo; a non-vintage product


Charosa Selection

  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Viognier
  • Shiraz


Charosa Reserve

  • Tempranillo
  • Cabernet Sauvignon


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