Yali (Chile) Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Yali is a label of the large Vina Ventisquero winery, and like all the wines in the range, the bottle carries a ‘Climate Care’ stamp, proving that CO2 emissions from its transportation have been offset. The stuff in the bottle is interesting too, in that some of the fruit has been sourced from Lolol, one of Chile’s newly established regions that benefits from the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a style of Sauvignon that, whilst fresh, is very different from the herbaceous fireworks that characterise regions like Marlborough in New Zealand. The wine was aged – in steel tanks – on its lees, which were stirred regularly to give it extra body and richness. The nose has just a faint grassiness, with plum and peach aromas and a twist of lemon. On the palate it is quite weighty, with lime and crunchy apple rather than anything overtly tropical, and a nice balance of acidity keeping it fresh and food-friendly. This is an intelligent, tasteful Sauvignon, highlighted as Wine of the Week because the price drops from £5.99 to just £4.79 in Majestic’s 20% off Chile promotion