Well it’s that time of year again. Time for another Wines of Chile Virtual Blogger Tasting. I really do look forward to these in the Spring and Fall as they’re a great way to not only experience new wines, but to interact with my fellow wine bloggers on a grand scale while we all try wines and share our thoughts with each other, the winemakers, and Twitter. This time the tasting was a selection of 8 Coastal Whites (5 Sauvignon Blanc and 3 Chardonnay). Before I go into some detail about each wine I do want to say that this was easily one of my favorite tastings and that there wasn’t a single wine that I categorically disliked the entire night. These wines were all great values and I’ll definitely be on the look-out for several of them at my local wine shops. So, what did we taste?
2011 Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc – Colchagua Valley ($25)
A light yellow color in the glass with citrus, pineapple, and a grassy/bramble note on the nose. Very tart with flavors of citrus, especially lime. Very crisp with a touch of petrol and grass in the mouth and a ton of acid on the finish. This was one of two wines that I’ll be interested to see if the acid mellows in a day or two when I finish the bottles.
2011 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley ($14)
Light yellow in the glass with aromas of lemon, grass and acid on the nose. In the mouth the wine was “green” with a touch of pepper, lemon, and an acid finish. Crisp and clean with lots of citrus fruit, it would make a good deck wine. This was the other wine that I look forward to revisiting in a few days to see what happens to the heavy acid on it.
2011 Cono Sur Vision Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley ($15)
Nearly clear in the glass with aromas of peach, flowers, and apple. In the mouth the wine had a softer acid than the previous two with apple, grapefruit, lime, and a hint of minerality. This was a great wine, and Cono Sur has become a favorite throughout the various Wines of Chile tastings that I’ve done. This was my wife and my favorite Sauvignon Blanc of the evening.
2011 Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley ($13)
Nearly clear in the glass with peach and a subtle lemon on the nose. In the mouth the wine showed pithy citrus, lemon, minerality, and herbs with a kind of creaminess and dryness on the finish that I actually enjoyed. This would be a great deck/patio wine during the humid summers we get here in Virginia with its crisp, dry finish.
2011 Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley ($18)
Light golden in color with aromas of pineapple, passion fruit, and a creaminess at the tail end of the nose. In the mouth the wine had light acidity with green apple, lemon, and tropical notes with just a touch of vanilla at the finish. This was a very subtle wine, with all of the flavors being evident, but none of them really jumping up to smack you in the face.
2010 Santa Rita Medalla Real Chardonnay – Leyda Valley ($18)
Yellow with hints of green, the wine showed aromas of nectarine and floral notes with a nuttiness. In the mouth the wine showed pineapple, vanilla, and a subtle creaminess that when combined with a touch of acid and the vanilla made me think of lemon chiffon. This was a unique Chardonnay to me with lots of tropical notes.
2010 De Martino Legado Reserva Chardonnay – Limari Valley ($16)
Light gold in color with a creamy, vanilla and nut nose. A very subtle acid that tempered notes of pineapple, vanilla, and a nuttiness that I quite enjoyed. Having spent some time in oak I wasn’t sure if my wife would like this Chardonnay, but there’s just enough acid and the finish is more nutty than buttery so she was quite open to it.
2009 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay – Limari Valley ($19)
Golden in color with creamy aromas of pineapple, vanilla, and hazelnut. In the mouth I got green apple, hazelnut, vanilla, and some minerality. This wine was light enough to enjoy by itself, but would be great with some food. This wine spent 12 months in oak and much like the De Martino, my wife found herself enjoying it thanks to the nuttiness as opposed to a buttery note. I see myself revisiting both this wine and the De Martino repeatedly in the days to come.
This was another great tasting, and presented some great wines. My thanks to the winemakers in Chile for taking time out of their busy schedules to discuss their wines with myself and the other bloggers, and thanks to The Thomas Collective for putting together another great Wines of Chile tasting. I can’t wait for the next one.
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