I had the good fortune to participate in last Wednesday night’s Wines of Chile #SBChile online tasting, along with 50 other wine bloggers. The event brought together eight examples of 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from eight Chilean wineries. The host, Fred Dexheimer (@FredDexMS), led the tasting via video conference with the eight winemakers also on video. I liked this format, as it was nice to get to see and hear from the winemakers about their wines and have questions answered, though occasional technical difficulties meant I only heard about half of it.
What about the wine? I was very excited to be able to taste eight different bottles from the same grape variety and same region. And, as you’ll see, I came away pretty impressed with what Chile can do with Sauvignon Blanc.
(Note: all wines were provided as samples by Wines of Chile)
Below are my thoughts on each wine:
Wine #1: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2009 Casablanca Valley ($10.99)
This reasonably priced and widely available bottle is crisp and fresh with a citrusy nose, and palate to match. A touch of minerality, too. C+
Free association:
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Wine #2: Ventisquero Queulat Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Casablanca Valley ($17.00)
This wine serves up the greener side of Sauvignon Blanc on the nose, with vegetal and grassy aromas, while the palate is very mineral-driven and steely. Very lean (read: little fruit). C
Free association:
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Wine #3: Underraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($15.99 – $16.99)
The T.H. stands for Terroir Hunter, so I love it already. There is an enjoyable green pepper and fresh-cut jalapeno note on the nose of this wine. Then the palate delivers a rounder mouthfeel (perhaps from it’s battonage regime) and a fruitier flavor profile than the first two, with melon predominating. B
Free association:
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Wine #4: Valdivieso Single Vineyard Wild Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($21.99)
There was something amiss with this bottle. Oxidized aromas and flavors. I assumed I got a bad bottle, but most of the other bloggers had similar reactions. After the session, I got a note from the organizers saying there may have been some issues with bottle variation and another bottle would be sent to me. So I will wait until I get a chance to taste that before posting more on this bottle.
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Wine #5: Santa Rita Medalla Real Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($19.99)
A fellow blogger (whose name I have lost) nailed the nose on this bottle as tomato vine. Once he/she made that comment, that’s all I could smell. In the mouth the wine is aggressive with grapefruit flavors and a tart/bitter finish. There’s something a little “beer-y” about it too. B/B-
Free association:
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Wine #6: Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2009 San Antonio Valley ($13.00)
After a very closed nose, the Cono Sur attacks your mouth with a laserbeam of limeade and a hint of residual sugar. It feels like it explodes in the mouth. In my notes I wrote, “It’s aliiiiiive!” The slightly bitter backend actually helps resolve the explosive palate presence. Definitely a wine I could see serving at a party. B
Free association:
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Wine #7: Haras de Pirque ‘Haras Estate’ Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Maipo Valley ($12.00)
My first thought on the nose was herb-roasted chicken skin – and not as a pairing. The subtle, savory nose makes way for a lively palate with tart citrus notes and white peach. A slightly chalky finish. The most Loire-like bottle of the evening and, for me, the best value. Good luck finding an SB with this balance and, dare I say, elegance at $12 from California or France. B/B+
Free association:
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Wine #8: Casa Silva Cool Coast Paredones Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Colchagua Valley ($22.99)
This wine offers an inviting tart pineapple nose then smashes you over the head with a tangy, zingy tropical palate. Truly vibrant, the fruit is underscored by a rocky minerality that I love. My favorite of the night. B+
Free Association:
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Overall, I’d buy 4 out of 8 of these wines (and 1 was probably a bad bottle, so 4 out of 7). That’s a damn good ratio, in my book. I don’t know that I could peg a specific style that captures all these wines. Some were closer to the New Zealand style while others were more French or Californian. Either way, I will definitely be paying more attention to Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in the future.
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Other blogger posts about this event are below. (If I missed yours let me know and I’ll add it.)
DrinkNectar
Under the Grape Tree
WineMcGee
Bottle Report (lots of detail on the wines here)
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Image credits:
(1) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakka/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
(3) http://www.flickr.com/photos/25904307@N08/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
(5) http://www.flickr.com/photos/dixieroadrash/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
