Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Maria Luz Marin and her son Felipe specialize in sauvignon blanc at their family estate in the remote coastal village of Lo Abarca. Cipreses is a steep hillside of granite and limestone facing directly west, exposed to the winds off the Pacific less than three miles away. The wine is infused with oceanic flavors, the saltiness of the air and the spiky green-herb scents of the surrounding coastal scrub. But mostly, there’s fruit: bold tropical lime and cherimoya layered in ripeness and textural complexity. Pour it with roasted razor clams, or bring a bottle to the beach, for lobsters roasted with corn and potatoes in a sand pit this summer.
-
James Suckling
This is a sauvignon blanc with weight and character with loads of gunpowder and flint undertones. Full body, velvety texture and a long and flavorful finish. Love the mouthfeel to this.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Its rolling, coastal hills encouraged great investment in the 1990s from those in search of a cooler grape growing environment compared to those found in Chile’s Central Valley. All of the vineyards of the San Antonio Valley, which runs north to south and parallel to the coast, experience the cooling effect of the ocean and are made of vine-loving clay and granitic soils. While Sauvignon Blanc put this valley on the Chilean wine map, high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are emerging and some producers are starting to experiment with sparkling wine.