Chile’s Coastal Sauvignon Blancs
Chile’s Sauvignon Blancs are notably diverse, with the finest identified with the country’s coastal and cool-climate regions.
These are not standard supermarket Sauvignon Blancs by any measure, but wines of personality and nuance. More reasons to take a new look at Chilean Sauvignon Blanc include the rapid advances in the country’s winemaking culture during the past decade, and expansion into a growing number of new regions and terroirs.
Here are four more excellent examples of Chile’s coastal Sauvignon Blancs:
2020 Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc ($18)
La Cantera is from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. The grapes come from “La Cantera” or “The Quarry” on an east-facing hillside with plenty of exposure to the sun and the marine breezes that characterizes the Casablanca Valley. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts. It was then left for a few weeks on its gross lees (without stirring) before being blended, clarified and filtered. This wine is straw in color with aromas of citrus, green apple and grass. On the palate it has bright flavors of pineapple and citrus with good acidity.
2020 Viña Garcés Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc ($25)
This wine is from the Leyda Valley which is just 8.6 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It was fermented for 10 to 15 days in stainless steel and kept on lees for six months. It is straw in color with very light citrus and herbal aromas. On the palate it is bright with grapefruit flavor and subtle herbal notes and finishes with a very slight hint of salinity. The six months on lees makes for a smooth mouthfeel and additional richness.
2021 Viña Koyle Costa La Flor Sauvignon Blanc ($18)
This Koyle Costa La Flor is from the Leyda Valley of Chile from slopes located just 5.6 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The winemaker finds these slopes uniquely situated to catch all the saltiness from the sea and unique minerals from the ancient coastal soils. It is straw in color with delicate aromas of pear and green vegetables. On the palate it has pear, pineapple and citrus notes and a bright acidic finish.
2021 Viña Tabalí Talinay Sauvignon Blanc ($24)
This wine from the Limarí Valley just 7.5 miles from the coast next to the Fray Jorge National Park which is an area that UNESCO has declared a World Biosphere Reserve. It was fermented in stainless steel then subjected to daily stirring to bring out the full character of the wine. It is straw in color with delicate aromas of pear and green vegetables. It has bright acidity, subtle notes of citrus and a hint of tartness.
These are all wonderful Sauvignon Blanc wines from the coast of Chile as were those featured in Part 1. Look for these and other super Sauvignon Blanc wines widely available from Chile’s coastal region. Cheers!
Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Samples Provided by the Wines of Chile (WOC) -- Vinos de Chile -- a non-profit, private organization of Chilean wine producers and the noted wineries of Chile via Creative Palate Communications