Chilean cabernets were in the spotlight here a few months ago. The headline was that if you had $20 to aim at any section of the wine shelves, Chile would be at the top of the disappointment-free/low-risk list. Now it's sauvignon blanc's turn. Over the coming days, we'll put another handful of wines through the wringer and see if they hold us as well as the cabernets. The bottlings are from coastal vineyards, but given how long and narrow a country it is, many diverse microclimates share the coastal ranges, so expect significant stylistic differences among these wines.
The first of these, selected at random, is reviewed below. If it's any kind of a leading indicator, I'm looking forward to further experimentation.
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| Photos credit: Jody Horton |
2020 Viña Garcés Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley $25
Well made and precise, if on the pricey side, this platinum blonde wine has a steely nose accented by light touches of green vegetable. The mouth is fresh, zesty, and energetic, framed by lip-smacking acidity. Flavors of fresh grass, lime, and herbaceousness make for a varietally-correct and tasty treat. There's vigor and tension here without being overt. 88 points