Varietal: Â Sauvignon Blanc; Chardonnay; Gewurztraminer
Region: Â Casablanca Valley, Chile
Cost: Â $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Â This dazzling lemon-yellow proprietary blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer from Chile’s Casablanca Valley is youthful, seductive, and fresh, fresh, fresh from start to finish. Light yet luscious, the wine entices with aromas and flavors of pineapple, citrus, peach and a hint of honeysuckle.
My Review: Well, after a brief hiatus to decompress (and move to another state), I’m back to sharing my thoughts on wines, and I kick off 2015 with a white wine from one of my favorite white wine countries – Chile.
I’ve had wine from Concha y Toro several times, and, depending on the wine, it’s been a mixed bag for me, so I was interested when I was approached about a new line they were launching under their Casillero del Diablo name – the Devil’s Collection.
I started out with the 2013 White, which was a light yellow in the glass, and showed aromas and flavors of pineapple and peach to me, with some honeysuckle coming through as the wine opened up. Of the three grapes in the wine, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Gewurztraminer definitely shined through for me, and to be honest, if not for having tasting notes claiming there was Chardonnay in there, I don’t know that I would have picked it out. Without having the actual percentages of each grape used it’s hard to know if that is intentional, or if I just didn’t pick it out from the more acidic grapes.
My wife and I paired the wine with a dinner of breaded tilapia and pesto risotto, with the crispness of the wine doing a nice job of balancing the breading and the creaminess of the risotto.
For $15 I’d definitely grab another bottle of this wine again – it’s a nice, approachable white that I think would be more than serviceable as a selection for parties since I think the flavors will appeal to a fairly wide range of white wine drinkers – pretty much anybody other than those looking for a creamy, oaked Chardonnay to be honest.
One I’d recommend to a friend, and certainly one I’ll keep in mind as the weather turns warm and I begin my annual stock-up of crisp whites to enjoy in the heat.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
