Chile’s Exceptional Sauvignon Blanc Wines
Chile’s Exceptional Sauvignon Blanc Wines
We Rated Chile’s Premier White Wine
Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are enjoying a fresh wave interest in the U.S., due in part to supply issues affecting Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, France, and the West Coast. Chile’s Sauvignon Blancs are notably diverse, with the finest identified with the country’s coastal and cool-climate regions--notably the Leyda Valley, Casablanca, and San Antonio regions. Join us as we taste some of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines of Chile. See Results Below.
Chile’s coastal and cold-climate DO’s account for around 13,590 acres (5,500 ha) under vine. This means that Chile can match any other cool climate producer on the planet when it comes to producing Sauvignon Blancs with an herbal, citrussy character; striking acidity; stony taste; and a fuller mouthfeel.
Fun Facts about Chile and Wine-growing
• Chili spans more latitudes than any other from 17° south to Cape Horn at 56°.
• Sauvignon Blancs (SB) are notably diverse and identified with the country’s coastal and cool-climate regions.
• The Humboldt Current in the Pacific Ocean influences the cold climate regions of Chile.
• SB is Chile’s second most planted grape variety (next to Cabernet Sauvignon).
• The Casablanca region alone produces more SB than France’s Sancerre.
• SB Nature: herbal, citrussy like grapefruit; tropical fruit-like pineapple; striking acidity; fatty mouthfeel; some stony and smoky notes occasionally.
• SB were originally planted in the 1980’s.
The History of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile
Sauvignon Blanc’s modern-day story in Chile begins in the early 1980s when a handful of producers began to explore the coastal regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, and O’Higgins. One notable pioneer was Pablo Morandé who in 1982 planted the first vines in the Casablanca region, believing that the coastal location would bring greater freshness to the grapes. He was influenced by what he had observed in Carneros, California, in the 1970s, a cool-climate location influenced by its proximity to the San Francisco Bay. After casting around for a similar location, Morandé chose a valley in the Province of Valparaíso: there, he suspected that the cool Humboldt Current would ensure that the climatic conditions would be exactly what the variety required. And having been proved right, it wasn’t long before others followed suit. By the 1990s, Casablanca, formerly focused on dairy and livestock farming, was becoming one of Chile’s most prominent Sauvignon Blanc terroirs.
Best of Tasting – Sauvignon Blanc of Chile
Matetic Vineyards EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Casablanca, Chile / SRP $20
Robert Parker, 92 Points
Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Casablanca Valley, Chile / SRP $18
James Suckling, 90 Points
Viña Garcés Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc 2020 / $25 – A Favorite
Tim Atkin, 91 Points
Viña Morandé Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Casablanca Valley, Chile / $20
Wine Enthusiast, 90 Points
Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Atacama, Chile / $25 – A Favorite
Natalie Maclean, 92 Points
Our tasting panel ranked these as best of tasting. I hope you discover a favorite and try a Sauvignon Blanc from one of the world’s most affordable wine regions.
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