(2024) Morandé appears to be a wine company taking its environmental responsibilities seriously, this already certified sustainable, but they have announced a new initiative in partnership with a Swiss company that will capture 10% (2.6 tons) of historical CO₂ emissions and bury these safely underground, rather than emitting them as greenhouse gases. The wine comes from a single vineyard in the original cool-climate Casablanca Valley. It's a Sauvignon for fans of the distinctly elderflower and nettle style, passion fruit and lime added to the mix. In the mouth it has plenty of grapefruity cut that slices through the mid-palate richness, leaving this textured wine dry in the finish. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2023) What a very nicely perfumed Pinot from cool climate, coastal vineyards in the Casablanca Valley. Fifteen percent of the wine was aged in French oak for eight months. Moderately pale but bright ruby in colour, the aromatics really do sing: the oak adds a gentle chocolaty toast, but heady violet and rose scents, and bright kirsch-like cherry and raspberry lead the way. There's a sweet character on the palate, I suspect a little touch of residual sugar, but that makes it creamily easy to drink. The buoyant fruit quality is backed up by some toast and juicy orange acidity. A carefully constructed Pinot that, at its price, delivers a nicely rounded package. Watch the video for more information.
(2023) From leading organic producer in Chile, Emiliana, this is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley. It was fermented in concrete tanks with punch downs, then aged in concrete eggs for five months with the skins. A very pleasing nose here. Arguably not as 'wild' as some orange wine examples, a clear and juicy orange and peach, just a little purple fig character and nuttiness too. In the mouth it once again walks a line between classic Sauvignon Blanc and something more unusual. Bittersweet Seville orange and fig again, the tannins adding a little grip and the acid tangy adding a lemon pith bite to the finish. Watch the video for more information.
(2022) Made from old vines in the cool and foggy, coastal Casablanca Valley, this has an expressive nose of lychee and rose petals, very aromatic and floral, there's a geranium leaf nuance too. In the mouth, the wine is just off-dry, but it is textured and spicy, exotic and smoky, a terrific rendition of Gewurz that finishes with intense orange peel acidity and zest. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas. £7.99 in Scotland and on Majestic's 'mixed six' deal.
(2022) Sauvignon from the cool and often foggy Casablanca Valley, made by Concha y Toro's head winemaker in stainless steel. Intense aroma, but not too herbaceous, not too many fireworks, then the palate shows a similar level of intensity, so much shimmering lime and lemon acidity to cut through the slightly riper fruit of the mid-palate.
(2022) 100% Pinot Noir from mature vineyards in Casablanca, a pretty cherry cola-touched nose with some rose-hip and floral highlights to red and black summer berries. In the mouth it is so pure and elegantly framed, the supple fruit and juicy acids very pleasing into the finish, tannins almost imperceptable, but then they do subtly support the long finish.
(2022) Merlot matured in used barrels for 10 months to round the wine, without imparting significant oak flavour. Quite plummy, vinous and dark with a hint of violet. The palate has a buoyant and joyous raft of blackcurrant fruit, touched with softening chocolate tones, yet the brisk cherry acidity skips along on the finish. There is spice, and the acid could even be slightly prominent for some, but a mouth-watering style to finish.
(2021) From Casablanca, Chile's original 'cool climate' coastal valley, this is a relatively reserved, suitably cool style, nothing too shouty aromatically, the palate also more European in style for me, with a bit of weight and fruit concentration, but in the citrus and stone fruit spectrum rather than anything more tropical, or indeed green, and finishes very dry and a touch saline.
(2021) Casa del Bosque is something of a Sauvignon specialist, and winemaker Meinard Bloem says the change over the years has been to let the wines be more 'natural' and not try to force particular aromatics. From a vineyard very close to the coast on sandy soils. Very nice, gentle herbal character, more tomato leaf than green bean, with a fine citrus freshness, joined by a touch of tropical character on the palate, plenty of acidity to counteract just a hint of sweetness.
(2021) A very different style from the Tayu 1865, with 14% alcohol as opposed to 12.5%, and more obvious barrel ageing - 14 months in barriques. Winemaker Matias Rios says that they are seeking delicacy more and more in their Pinot, helped by the cooling Humbolt current, though the climate of the Casablanca also allows roundness of tannins. Certainly more luscious and darker aromatically, dense sweet fruit, vanilla and chocolate a little floral lift. Fuller, rounder palate, again that sweet fleshy cherry fruit, smooth and silky to the finish with some spice and good cherry acidity.
