Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A bright and stoney chardonnay with clarity and beauty. Full body, bright and tangy acidity with lime and green pineapple character. Vertical tension to this. Long and flavorful finish. Drink now. Screw cap.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
When you think of Chardonnay, do you ever consider Chile? Over the past decade or so a really cool thing has been happening throughout this country. Many vintners have begun to explore new and better quality regions for wine grape growing, including the cool growing area of the Casablanca Valley. This area has become a real player in producing some of the world's top efforts. The 2015 Ritual Chardonnay is loaded with fruit, supple on the palate and frisky in the finish. This wine is a delicious treat! Yes, Chile's time with Chardonnay is now and I recommend that you put this one on your radar screen. Medium straw color, beautiful, ripe core fruit aromas, medium bodied, supple, layered and lively on the palate; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; enticing flavors of ripe apple and peach, a touch of minerality and sweet citrus in the flavors; smooth aftertaste. (Tasted: February 26, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A region that has become synonymous with some of the best whites of Chile, the Casablanca Valley is full of dozens of bodegas who either grow fruit here or come from outside to source from local growers for their own white wine programs. The valley runs from east to west, which means that its westernmost vineyards receive the most cooling influence from the reliable afternoon sea breezes. The soils also tend to be heavier in clay in the west, whereas the eastern end of the valley is warmer and its soils are predominantly granitic. Sauvignon blanc thrives here, Chardonnay does well and Pinot noir is not uncommon.