There is no doubt that when the weather heats up, Robin & I reach for white wine more frequently than red. As luck would have it, the PR folks of Wine Of Chile sent me some samples of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wines to try and talk about. This week we got to try the 2008 Undurraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc from San Antonio, Chile.
Production of this white wine is limited to 1,380 cases, and is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the Leyda Vineyards. Undurraga’s Leyda Vineyards are located in the San Antonio Valley of Central Chile, approximately 9 miles from the Pacific ocean. Research suggested that this area would be suitable for cool-weather varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Given the proximity to the ocean, the South Pacific breezes and coastal summer fog lasting until midday, the climate in the Leyda Vineyards means longer ripening periods and crisper acidity for leaner, more food-friendly wines.
The color of the T.H Sauvignon blanc was a typical pale yellow. More yellow than straw, but less than a sun gold Chardonnay, for example. On the nose, there was nice citrus with a hint of green, such as grass. There was definitely some grapefruit on the nose, and it gave off a nice, crisp bouquet. After some time, perhaps during the 2nd glass, the nose developed a bit of a melon note. I tasted this wine well over a week ago, and in the midst of posting this review, I went to the winery’s website for more detail. Interestingly, they describe the nose as “Enticingly fragrant, with aromas of ripe grapefruit, white peaches, fennel and blackcurrant leaves, sprinkled with subtle notes of green chili pepper”. While I didn’t find the peaches, fennel or black currant leaves, I most certainly found the grapefruit and the green chili pepper.
Undurraga TH Sauvignon Blanc 2008
On the palate, this crisp white wine had a very heavy mouth feel, and was quite fruit forward. The mid palate was a bit uninspiring, and it lead to quite a tart finish. The acidity really wasn’t racy on the finish, and it seemed mostly round citrus fruit, finishing with a super-tart granny smith apple. With time, as the above mentioned melon comes out on the nose, the tart aspects of this Sauvignon Blanc really takes center state. I see this wine as a summer sipper, especially if you’re a fan of citrus fruit and tart green apples. It’s quite fruit driven, and not a lot of acid.
While it’s definitely a different style of some other Chilean Sauvignon Blancs I’ve recently written about, I think it’s fairly nice. I believe I saw it retail online for $10-12, and at that price, it’s worth a try. If you like grapefruit and tart granny smith apples, this wine is right up your alley. And if you just like crisp, citrus fruit driven Sauvignon Blancs, then see if you can give a bottle of Undurraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc a try.
As an aside, I know that I normally do vlog wine reviews, but this is going to be the start of a few regular wine blog posts. I’ve been swamped lately, and just haven’t been able to pull the camera out before I break into the vino! I must have tasted about 25 wines in the past 3 weeks, and written down a bevy of notes. Once things calm down, between work and getting Robin’s wine business off the ground, I’ll get back to making fun wine video reviews for you to enjoy.