Castillo de Molina (Chile) Sauvignon Blanc 2007
There are new names appearing on Chilean labels all the time, including this one, the ‘Elqui Valley’, as vines are planted in new regions to the far north and south of the traditional central valleys, usually in an attempt to harness naturally cool conditions. The large Vina San Pedro winery is behind this Elqui wine that fairly zings along on the nose with aromas of fresh pea pods, asparagus and a slightly flinty note. There’s good, zesty lemon fruit too. On the palate that flinty, lightly smoky quality persists, as does that blast of verdant leafiness. There’s a juicy, mouth-watering minerality here too, with cool, refined fruit flavours that stop short of out and out tropicality, hinting more at fresh-squeezed lime. Balanced and very long, this may cost as much as a decent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but I say why not on this evidence. Delicious stuff. £7.99, Majestic.