A tour around the chilean wines at La Grande Degustation de Montreal

By Marina La Forgia

Chile has been one of the celebrated countries along with Argentina in this last edition of La Grande Degustation de Montreal. It has been a pleasure to me to walk through the Chilean pavilion, to have the opportunity to taste a lot of wines and to deepen my knowledge on them. The Chilean wines are wines with personality and they continue positioning themselves strongly among the preferences of the Quebec consumers. From chardonnay to sauvignon blanc, from syrah to cabernet sauvignon, the diversity the offer is one of the Chilean hallmarks, that makes possible to satisfy with different options this demanding market.
Here are my favorites, all very particular wines that I invite you to discover. In my opinion, there are two varieties to follow closely if Chile is concerned: sauvignon blanc and syrah. It is in this South American country that these two varieties seem to have found one of their ideal terroirs... Cheers!

Viejas tinajas Muscat 2015 from De Martino
From the Itata Valley and made with a little-known variety in Chile, this white wine has captured my attention. The nose is very fragrant, with floral notes such as jasmine and very refreshing citrus. In the mouth, it is a very delicate and fresh wine. Very balanced and elegant.



Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc 2015 from Montes Wines
Coming from DO Zapllar, a wine region which I didn’t have a great knowledge, this sauvignon blanc is a true delight and a clear proof that Chile, with this variety, has still too much to give. This relatively new wine region has Viña Montes as an ambassador and it seems to have been very well appreciated in Quebec. This Sauvignon Blanc has a very enveloping nose, with notes of lemon, herbaceous and menthol. In the mouth, it is unctuous, very refreshing and with great personality. The typicality is 100%. Highly recommended.

Crucero Collection Chardonnay 2016 from Viña Siegel
From Valle de Colchagua, one of the most prestigious Chilean wine regions, comes this elegant chardonnay with very present aromas of fruits such as peach, pear and mango. In the mouth, it is very refreshing, which makes it a young and very fruity wine particularly different. I liked it because it has a fresh character that is not usual to find in the chardonnays.

Santa Ema Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting a sauvignon blanc reserve is an experience I recommend you to see how this variety changes in its typical notes. Its citrus character is no longer preponderant. On the nose, this wine from the Leyda Valley has seduced me with its notes of exotic fruits and some very enveloping smoky notes. In the mouth, we can feel a more mature fruit, although it is still refreshing by nature. A very interesting wine, of great elegance and quality. 

Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2015
The Errazuriz wines are all high-quality wines and they always manage to amaze me! Today, it is the Pinot Noir from the prestigious Aconcagua Coast area that I would like to highlight. A red wine of great elegance with very subtle aromas of ripe red fruit, leather and cinnamon. In the mouth, it is delicate, although enveloping and with a well marked mineral character.  A Pinot Noir of the New World that I invite you to taste with absolute conviction ...


Tabali Pedregoso Syrah Gran Reserva 2014
A syrah with a great body to remember us that in Chile the wines have a strong personality. This wine has been very interesting to me with its notes of violets, black fruits and spices. In the mouth, it has an intense attack and the ripe fruit persists in an unctuous and corpulent way. A wine that I liked especially for its price-quality ratio. 

Antu Syrah 2014 Viña Montgras
Montgras has a strong presence in the Quebec market. Offering wines of excellent price-quality ratio, the winery has managed to conquer the local consumer. This time, I wanted to discover their wines of the midium range, and I particularly liked two of them. One is this Syrah of the Colchagua valley, exuberant and powerful. On the nose, its intense notes of black and smoked fruits are well mixed with the oak aromas, such as vanilla, with great elegance. In the mouth, it is a wine that overflows with fruit and body. We can say that this syrah is a wine to "bite" and not drink!

Intriga Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Viña Montgras
This wine is an example of the particularity of Chilean cabernet sauvignon. The famous "menthol and eucalyptus" notes is felt in this great Maipo Valley wine with extreme elegance. On the nose, its ripe cherry aromas give a fruity character, and despite being a wine with great body and structure, it gives us a very pleasant freshness that makes of it a very delicate cabernet. 

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