Summer is over, and for us Canadians the cold hard truth of winter is settling in. Thankfully 2014 is coming to a much softer and gentler end than 2013 did. Despite mother nature taking her usual turn for the worst, there is no need to shelve your more traditional summer white wines just yet. Remember, with another monstrous turkey dinner staring most people in the eyes in 3 weeks, nothing says pairing like crisp white wine and roasted bird! This sauvignon blanc from Chile was recently consumed with a roasted chicken so some of the comparisons will be relevant. Emiliana vineyards is a midsize producer that produces wines from five different vineyards in Chile. This white comes from a valley called Casablanca which resides close to the Pacific ocean directly west of the capital of Santiago. So what do we have in this inexpensive, ocean wind swept, white wine? Read on.
Sauvignon blanc and grass notes are synonymous and this pale straw coloured wine plays to that norm. The nose is distinctive of the varietal with hints of Florida fruit (think oranges, grapefruits) hiding in the grass. The first few sips show a wine that hits the front of the mouth instantly and keeps the grass and citrus fruit notes present. The more you get into this wine the more it changes from the abrupt start of the first few sips. It does not truly soften, but remains crisp and a tad acidic while mellowing throughout a good glass or two. The balance is there, it just takes a bit to show itself. This is a decisive white wine for $13.05, not a pure home run but definitely a good solid double to the gap (baseball term there for our foreign readers) and the value is tremendous. If you are looking for a good clean white wine, the price point and quality merits a purchase.
The CWG Subjective Rating is 86 out of 100.
Note: For those that wish to read the winemakers notes, link is here.
2013 Emiliana Adobe Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
