BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
loads up on apple and citrusy orange-like flavors.
Shows good length and clarity on the finish, and
overall it outperforms the winery’s so-called
“reserva” Chard from the same year. Imported
by Kysela Père et Fils. Best Buy. —M.S.
86
Viña Requingua 2009 Puerto Viejo
Chardonnay (Curicó Valley); $10.
Neutral and almondy, with hints of baked apple,
toast and butter. The palate is soft and cushioned
with melon and banana flavors. Finishes round,
smooth but short on pulse, with weight but no
oxidation. The time is now to drink this valuepriced
Chilean Chard. Imported by Puerto Viejo
Wines. Best Buy. —M.S.
85
Montes 2009 Classic Series
Chardonnay (Curicó Valley); $12.
Salinic on the nose, like a swimming pool, with
nutty hints of apple, pear and butter. The wine
tastes resiny and toasty, and also a little manufactured,
with sweet apple and melon flavors mixed
with toast and sugar. Chunky, decent and pedestrian,
even by Chilean standards. Imported by
T.G.I.C. Importers. —M.S.
85
Viña el Aromo 2008 Barrel Selection
Chardonnay (Maule Valley);
$19. Big, oaky and toasty on the nose, and then
zesty and pithy in the mouth, with citrus, tangerine,
lemon and not much else. Call it a one-trick
pony and get ready for citrusy flavors and little
variation on that theme. The good thing is, for a
Maule Chard it plays its hand right. Imported by
Simone International. —M.S.
84
Casa Lapostolle 2009 Casa
Chardonnay (Casablanca Valley);
$13. Toasty, oak-based spice and baked-apple
aromas are sweet and woody, while the rest of the
wine is resiny, with flavors of cinnamon, spiced
applesauce and banana. Finishes with little fruit
and a lot of faux oak flavor. Sticky as well.
Imported by Moët Hennessy USA. —M.S.
84
San Elias 2009 Chardonnay (Central
Valley); $9. Early aromas of apple
and pear show no oak, but with time more pungent
notes of juniper and herbs enter the fray.
Juicy in the mouth, with no weight issues, but
modest in its delivery of true Chardonnay character.
Clean white wine but it doesn’t taste like
much. Imported by Kysela Père et Fils. —M.S.
84
Santa Rita 2009 120 Chardonnay
(Central Valley); $8. Lemony and a
touch chemical, but for $8 it’s more right than
wrong. The flavors are citrusy and austere, much
like white grapefruit and gooseberry. But the
palate has some plumpness, and the finish, while
pithy, is honest. Imported by Palm Bay International.
Best Buy. —M.S.
84
William Cole 2009 Albamar
Chardonnay (Casablanca Valley);
$11. A little mealy on the nose, with apple and
melon aromas poking through. The palate is both
pithy and sharp, with citric acids providing the
basis for grapefruit and orange flavors. Pithy on
the finish, with passionfruit notes. Imported by
Global Vineyard Importers. —M.S.
83
Santa Carolina 2008 Reserva de
Familia Chardonnay (Casablanca
Valley); $20. Not much in the way of aromas
except for flatness and apple juice. This wine is a
cipher for the most part; it has flat apple and
lemon flavors and then a maderized finish that is
wheaty and suggests vanilla. Not fully vital; could
already be past its prime. Imported by QW Wine
Experts. —M.S.
82
Crucero 2009 Reserva Chardonnay
(Colchagua Valley); $13. If you’re
buying Crucero 2009 Chardonnay, stick with the
Best Buy regular bottling; this Reserva is
overoaked, high on acid and doesn’t really come
together that well. The bouquet is all resin and
toast, while the high-acid palate is searing and
sour, with tart lemon flavors. Imported by Kysela
Père et Fils. —M.S.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
89
Santa Rita 2009 Medalla Real Single
Estate Sauvignon Blanc (Leyda
Valley); $20. Pithy and peachy on the nose, and
not nearly as zesty smelling as it is in the mouth,
where angular, crisp acids push flavors of citrus
and passionfruit. Zesty with a ton of kick, and
very much in the Leyda mold of being oceanic
and full of passionfruit. Mature but not fading;
drink before summer 2011. Imported by The
Thomas Collective. —M.S.
88
Arboleda 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(Leyda Valley); $17. Lively and a
touch prickly, with strong aromas and flavors
that properly reflect its Leyda roots. The nose is
oceanic and sharp, while the palate is forward
and tastes of lime and grapefruit. On the finish,
7 4 | W I N E E N T H U S I A S T | D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 0
notes of passionfruit and lychee are introduced.
Tropical but true SB to drink as soon as possible.
Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons,
Ltd. —M.S.
87
Montes 2009 Classic Series Sauvignon
Blanc (Casablanca Valley);
$12. Clean and ripe, with apple, pear and zesty
citrus aromas. The palate runs more round and
candied than linear and sharp, with sweet, welcoming
flavors of white peach and dried citrus
fruits. Fuller-bodied and inviting, but still fresh.
Drink immediately. Imported by T.G.I.C.
Importers. Best Buy. —M.S.
86
Espiritu de Chile 2009 Sauvignon
Blanc (Central Valley); $9. Tropical
and also citric, and holding steady as the 2010s hit
the market. The palate here is familiar, tangy and
well constructed, with sweet melon and zesty citrus
flavors offsetting one another. The finish is
easy and overall this is a fresh, clean, modest wine
that should be drunk right away. Imported by
Cecchetti Racke. Best Buy. —M.S.
86
Kingston Family 2009 Cariblanco
Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley);
$16. Tropical and more blunt and citric
than previous vintages. At first blush, it’s borderline
sheering and sharp, but with time it mellows
and settles on pungent grapefruit and citrus flavors.
Predominantly it’s about zest and power; not
as balanced as prior bottlings. Imported by
Kingston Family Vineyards. —M.S.
86
Ventisquero 2009 Queulat Sauvignon
Blanc (Casablanca Valley);
$17. Flowery and powdery on the nose, and then
pillowy on the palate. Yes, there’s enough acidity
here to keep it vital, while the flavors lean toward
sweet, ripe passion fruit and pink grapefruit. Very
easygoing and at peak maturity; drink now.
Imported by The Thomas Collective. —M.S.
85
Santa Carolina 2009 Ocean Side
Specialties Sauvignon Blanc (San
Antonio); $15. Over-the-top, starting with the
aromas of nettle, sweat and grapefruit. With
Sauvignon Blanc there’s citric and then there’s
citric, and this SB forgoes elegance and finesse
and instead pushes wild grapefruit, passionfruit
and green citrus. It’s extreme and highly aggressive.
Needs refining. Imported by QW Wine
Experts. —M.S.