Chardonnay from the Central Valley of Chile, made by Colina and bottled in 2021. A warm, dry stretch of country between the Andes and the coast, where the grape ripens fully and keeps its shape. The result is a white with weight behind it, not a lean one.
- Chardonnay, 100% of the blend.
- Central Valley, Chile — the country's largest wine region.
- 2021 vintage, 13% ABV.
- Dry, medium body, medium acidity.
- 750ml bottle.
How it is made
Chardonnay is the most adaptable white grape there is, which is why it grows from Chablis to the Maipo. In a warm inland valley like this one, it ripens fast and builds sugar quickly, and the winemaking leans into that: the variety is one of the few whites that takes well to oak and to lees contact, the spent yeast left in the tank to stir body and cream into the wine. That is where the vanilla and the buttery edge come from, not from the fruit itself.
How it tastes
Green apple and citrus at the front, then the tropical side arrives — pineapple, ripe stone fruit — with vanilla and a soft buttery texture running underneath. Medium in body, dry, with enough acidity to keep the weight from going flat. A touch of minerality on the finish.
Where it comes from
The Central Valley runs roughly 1,000 kilometres north to south, and it is where the bulk of Chile's wine is grown. The Andes sit to the east, the Pacific to the west, and the two together do most of the work: cold air off the ocean at night, hot sun in the day. That swing is what keeps Chardonnay from turning flabby here.
Good to know
Chile is one of the few major wine countries that has never had phylloxera, the root louse that wiped out European vineyards in the 1800s. Much of the country's vine stock still grows on its own roots, not grafted onto American rootstock like almost everywhere else.
Contains alcohol.
