Mediocre Chilean Sauvignon Blancs

Since moving back down to Brazil two years ago, I've been trying to find Chilean and Argentinean substitutes for some of the everyday drinking wines that are no longer easily available to me.

As substitutes for New Zealand sauvignon blancs, I like those made by Cono Sur and Nimbus. Spurred by favorable reports in the Brazilian press about other Chilean sauvignons, two months ago I and went on a hunt for other, reasonably priced alternatives.

It was a bust. I tried nine and none fit the bill. Since Jenise’s post elicited a fair amount of comments on Chile, I thought I’d post my extremely cursory (and dismal) notes on them, if nothing more to serve as a warning of sorts.

2007 Misiones de Rengo Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley
Very citric nose, simple lemon or grapefruit taste. Slightly bitter and frizzy. C

2006 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Reserva
Citric nose, whiff of oak. Confirmed by taste. Better, but no cigar. C+

2007 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc
Grapefruit nose and taste, with the barest hint of passion fruit. Balanced, good body, but slightly too much alcohol. Closer to Loire than NZ. B-

2007 Emiliana Sauvignon Blanc
Grapefruit nose, tart grapefruit taste. Crisp, light, decent QPR. C+

2007 Villard Expression Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley
Citrus and peach nose. Pleasant taste, but excessive alcohol (14.5%). C

2005 Viña Mar Sauvignon Blanc Reserva
Strange nose of grapefruit and a whiff of rotten eggs. More acid than fruit, but otherwise not unpleasant taste. C

2006 Viña Carmen Sauvignon Blanc Central Valley
Citrus and vanilla nose. Grapfruit, high acid, low fruit. C

2006 Viu Manent Sauvignon Blanc Colchagua Valley
Citrus and vanilla bean nose. Extremely acid and tart, almost undrinkable. D

2006 Casillera del Diable Sauvignon Blanc Reserva
Citrus and the barest hint of passion fruit. Citric taste, too much acidity. C-

I have yet to try the Veramonte and the Haras de Pirque, that Jenise commented favorably on, and a few others, such as the Ventisquero reserve, Casa Lapostolle, Amayna, Viña Carmen Reserva, and the Montes Alpha. At some point I’ll get to them, and will be more careful with my notes.

Well, that does sound disappointing. I've liked the Lapostolle as well, though it's not really NZ in style. Hope you do better in the future.

Walt

Just for record keeping, over the weekend I tried some additional southern cone sauvignon blancs:

2005 Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Casablanca Valley
Florid and fresh, very pleasant by the poolside. But if I had tasted it blind, I would have guessed pinot grigio because of the peach flavors and total absence of sauvignon tipicity - no grass, mineral, or grapefruit or any other citric notes.

2007 Cattamayor Sauvignon Blanc (Uruguay)
Nothing particularly wrong except for the absence of anything particularly right. To quote Mary Poppins not, practically unexceptional in every way. Forgettable anywhere other than a place where expectations are lowest, like an airplane.

have yet to try the Veramonte and the Haras de Pirque, that Jenise commented favorably on, and a few others, such as the Ventisquero reserve, Casa Lapostolle, Amayna, Viña Carmen Reserva, and the Montes Alpha. At some point I’ll get to them, and will be more careful with my notes.

Oswaldo, have tasted the Amayna before. Current vintage awaits, hope it is as good as the `04/`05. Montes is turning out some fine SB but various different labels here naturally.

Oswaldo,
It's been several years since I've had a Verramonte SB, but the one I had I thought was quite appealing, especially at the price at the time ($5-6). It was cut from the same cloth as many NZ SBs, with fresh, grapefruity flavors. I've read good things about them more recently, but can't cite any firsthand experience.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Oswaldo, we poured the 07 Los Vascos SB yesterday as a lunch wine since we had it on hand--I'd purchased it before you could warn me away. Definitely more Loire than NZ in style, good call, but so wan and dilute as to not deserve the comparison. Fresh and drinkable, but that's about it--easily the most uninteresting Chilean SB of those we tried recently.

I like those made by Cono Sur

Agreed! That's some decent and CHEAP Sauvignon.

[Jenise]

Forgettable anywhere other than a place where expectations are lowest, like an airplane.

You are expert at damning with the faintest praise. This made me laugh out loud with delight.

Forgettable anywhere other than a place where expectations are lowest, like an airplane.

You are expert at damning with the faintest praise. This made me laugh out loud with delight.

Thank you, humor has made me survive many a wine! I had lots of fun describing the Castilla y Leon wine dinner I went to the other day.

[Jenise]

Forgettable anywhere other than a place where expectations are lowest, like an airplane.

You are expert at damning with the faintest praise. This made me laugh out loud with delight.

Thank you, humor has made me survive many a wine! I had lots of fun describing the Castilla y Leon wine dinner I went to the other day.

That was a memorable tale that also made me, and I'm sure many others, laugh out loud. You, slightly inebriated, facing that "phalanx" of bored winemakers. We could all imagine ourselves in your place.