Review: 8 Coastal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc Wines, 2022 Releases
Chile has produced solid Sauvignon Blanc wines for many years, but they often seem to be overshadowed by expressions from New Zealand, France, and California. Today we are reviewing 8 Chilean sauvignon blancs, all from the country’s Pacific coast, each with a distinctive character that deserves serious attention.
2020 Matetic Vineyards EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc – This Casablanca Valley wine shows bright notes of peach along with lemon and grapefruit on the nose and palate with all of the flavors playing together well for a rounded experience. The wine also has nice acidity, but the finish is a bit shorter than I would like. Give it a try: This is going to be a crowd pleaser. B+ / $20
2021 Montes Wines Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc – Produced in the Leyda Valley, this wine has a rather unique, bold nose of asparagus. The palate also has an herbaceous note of asparagus, joined by lemon and gooseberry. The wine shows medium acidity as well. This isn’t a wine for everyone, but I enjoyed it. B+ / $15
2021 Viña Tabalí Talinay Sauvignon Blanc – This wine from the Limarí Valley hits first with strong lemon citrus on both the nose and palate. As it warms up a bit, the lemon is joined by lovely pineapple, a vegetal note, and nice minerality. The wine is fruity but quite dry and light bodied with good acidity and a crisp, medium length finish. This is an excellent example of the general Chilean style of sauvignon blanc. B+ / $24
2020 Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc – Minerality and light green apple can be found on the nose of this wine from La Cantera in the Casablanca Valley. The palate shows flinty minerality along with lemon and medium to high acidity. This is an unusual Chilean sauvignon blanc and will connect with those who appreciate its high minerality. B- / $18
2020 Viña Garcés Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc – Bright acidity is the dominant feature of this wine from the Leyda Valley. Limes show up lightly on the nose and boldly on the palate where they are joined by passionfruit, along with light salinity and minerality. The acidity eclipsed some of the other notes in the fines, but with the right food pairing (perhaps with curry), it would be excellent. B / $25
2020 Viña Morandé Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc – Made with grapes grown in the Casablanca Valley, this wine spends some time in oak but remains vibrant and fruity. On the nose and palate, it fairly bursts with gooseberry, pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, and honeydew. I only barely detect the wood influence in the creamy mouthfeel. Medium to high acidity and minerality add complexity to this bold but rounded sauvignon blanc. Without knowing it was from Chile, I would have guessed it was an excellent example of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. A- / $20
2019 Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Sauvignon Blanc – This Atacama Valley wine is rather unusual for Chilean sauvignon blanc. There is some fruit on the nose and palate, including honeydew and lemon, but it is eclipsed by strong minerality as well as some salinity. The wine shows medium to high acidity and a long finish. Not everyone is going to like this wine, but for those looking for a complex, less fruity sauvignon blanc, this is worth trying. B / $25
2021 Viña Koyle Costa La Flor Sauvignon Blanc – On the nose and palate, this zingy wine from San Antonio shows bright lemon and grapefruit citrus, honeydew, as well as granny smith apple tartness. High acidity, light minerality, and a touch of salinity add to the complexity. This is a distinctive wine, and while I like it, I expect that some people will love it. B+ / $18
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