Wine & Spirits - August 2020 - 46

YEAR'S BEST CHILEAN
NORTH COAST SAUVIGNON BLANCS
Sauvignon blanc, at its best, is a coastal phenomenon-even in Sancerre, where the land amounts to the remnants of an inland sea. When it
comes to coastal assets, few countries have the riches of Chile, where cold Pacific currents meet granite hills, a few schist embankments, even
some parcels of pure white chalk. These are some of the most accommodating conditions for sauvignon blanc and as Chileans learn to tone
down the green aggression of the grape, they are creating some remarkably refreshing juice at prices that could make producers in France and
New Zealand nervous. Any of these young wines will show best if you splash it into a decanter and let it mellow out for an hour or two. -J.G.
Our blind panels tasted 27 sauvignon blancs from Chile's north coast over the past 12 months. Joshua Greene, our critic for Chilean
wine, rated 10 as exceptional (90+) and 6 as Best Buys. Subscribers can find a complete list of wines tasted, and all reviews, at
wineandspiritsmagazine.com.
125602

94 | Tabalí

$22

2019 Limarí Valley Talinay Sauvignon
Blanc ^ This is a wine that's completely
of itself-of a parcel of sauvignon vines
planted on a hillside of pure white chalk at
the inland base of a mountain, the other side
of which descends directly into the Pacific.
The ocean-facing side of the mountain is a
rain forest created by the collision of tropical and Antarctic currents; the leeward side
is desert, with viticulture only possible by
piping water in from the Limarí River. The
Talinay vineyard grows interesting chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah, but from the
beginning, the distinctive talents of this place
have been clearly expressed through sauvignon blanc. This vintage is tense and floral,
with creamy-fresh green-pear scents and a
cozy feel to the acidity as it weaves through
the wine. The flavor intensity builds through
the finish, smoky and oceanic, bold enough
to match with geoduck clam sashimi with
wasabi. § Biagio Cru and Estates Wines, New
Hyde Park, NY
125607

93 | Viña Casablanca

$25

2019 Casablanca Nimbus Sauvignon
Blanc ^ Santa Carolina established this project
in 1991, hiring Ignacio Recabarren back from
a stint in New Zealand. He planted Sancerre
clones on a hillside in western Casablanca,
at a cut in the coastal range where cold air
enters the valley. At the time, most all of the
new plant material replacing Chile's sauvignonasse was Davis Clone 1 from California.
This wine shows the assets of the plant material and the site if you give it some air. While
it starts out with floral scents, green-peppercorn spice and some tangy aggression to the
acidity, it calms down over time, yielding a
supple, succulent white with apple-like fresh46

WINE & SPIRITS

AUGUST 2020

ness. The edge of coastal minerality adds to
the bright, sunny character of the wine. Distinctive and complex. § Carolina Wine Brands
USA, Charleston, SC
125605

92 | De Martino

$13

92 | Montes

$13

2019 Casablanca Estate Sauvignon Blanc
(Best Buy) ^ This wine's passion fruit and
lime flavors take it in more of a New Zealand direction than a minerally Sancerre
style. What grounds it in Chile is the spicy
acidity, along with a rich huitlacoche complexity to the smoky finish. Touches of mint
show the underlying pyrazines, a highlight
that refreshes the wine. Chill it for a riff on
pastel de choclo, making the corn pie with
spiced chicken rather than beef. § Broadbent
Selections, Richmond, VA
125615
2019 Aconcagua Coast Classic Sauvignon
Blanc (Best Buy) ^ Aurelio Montes has been
exploring the coast of Chile as far north as
Zapallar (for his Outer Limits sauvignon
blanc); this wine includes fruit from that
vineyard, as well as from estate parcels in
Casablanca and the coastal hills north of that
region, in Aconcagua. It's a long line-drive
of Asian pear flavor, brisk and juicy, markedly mineral in its smoke-tinged acidity. It
reminded one taster of fresh salt air, "like
being out on a boat." § Kobrand, Purchase, NY
125608

92 | Santa Carolina

$12

2019 Leyda Valley Carolina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) ^ Luscious and oceanic, this wine offers complexity in briny
notes of kelp and tart flavors of star fruit
and grapefruit. It's a savory sauvignon with
breadth and depth, the generous, juicy texture coming to a tense, firm close. At $12 for

the bottle, you may have enough left in your
wallet for a dozen wood-roasted oysters, or a
grilled branzino stuffed with lime and thyme. §
Carolina Wine Brands USA, Charleston, SC
125604

91 | Prisma

$12

91 | Undurraga

$22

90 | Concha y Toro

$26

2019 Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc
(Best Buy) ^ Ricardo Baettig makes this wine
from two estate vineyards in Lo Ovalle, a
valley in the coastal range of northwestern
Casablanca. It's pungent with passion fruit
and green lime flavors, plump and silken in
texture, smoky in the end. Whitney Asher of
Brava in Lenox, Massachusetts, compared
it to underripe pineapple-"It doesn't taste
sweet, but you know there's sweetness there."
Then he suggested the almond-skin savor in
the finish would work with fish in a nut crust. §
Brazos Wine Imports, Brooklyn, NY
125621
2019 Leyda T.H. Sauvignon Blanc ^ This
starts out as a complex plaid of persimmon,
smoky pork broth and fruit acidities. Then
it slowly calms down over the course of 24
hours, still intense, but more about fresh
green lime and mouthwatering refreshment-a juicy, summery white for any fresh
catch. § Freedom Wine Co., Greensboro, NC
125273
2019 Valle de Casablanca Terrunyo Los
Boldos Sauvignon Blanc ^ A tense, floral
sauvignon with light and ethereal flavors of
grapefruit, this opens with air to richer passion-fruit tones. Some coastal salinity keeps
it dry, and makes it a refreshing match for
oysters. (W&S 6/20) §(*W&S†6/20) Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland, CA
125614

http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

Wine & Spirits - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - August 2020