Casas del Toqui Coastal Mist Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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Pairs well with goat cheese, fish and oysters.
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Wine & Spirits
From the far-coast district of Paredones, this is tight, intense and oceanic sauvignon blanc. It delivers its juiciness out of salty mineral spice, blooming into beach rose, pear and mango before drawing back into a savory, fresh impression that lasts. Use it to amplify any shellfish fresh from the sea.
Many modern wine drinkers have passed Chilean wine by, but one group that hasn’t is the French—more specifically, many of the great châteaux of Bordeaux, who’ve shown unwavering belief in the quality of Chile’s terroirs. There was a time, not long ago, when Chilean (and Argentine) wine was the height of fashion, but these days, people many times forgets. One group that never gave up on Chile was the French, and more specifically, some of the greatest winemakers and châteaux of Bordeaux, who seized upon opportunities in the 1990s (as Chile re-emerged as a democracy after the Pinochet dictatorship) and haven’t looked back.
Of course, the other group that didn’t give up on Chile was the Chileans: Casas del Toqui was originally founded in 1994 by Bordeaux’s Château Larose-Trintaudon, which partnered with a group of local growers in the Cachapoal Valley, the northern sub-section of the Rapel Valley south of Santiago. The Court family of Chile has since acquired the estate, and has undertaken the hard work of producing the best wines in Chile.
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.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.