Queulat Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Ventisquero Gran Reserva 2012

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of dining and winetasting with one of Chile's wonderful winemakers, Felipe Tosso along with his North & South American Sales Director Juan Ignacio Zuniga at Capital Grille in NYC. Felipe is the Head Winemaker at Ventisquero Vineyards.

The first wine tasted was this lovely Sauvignon Blanc, Queulat, which is named for Chile's hanging Glacier and produced by Sergio Hormazabal.

An initial 12 hour soaking occurs before a slow, cold (53 degrees) fermentation period, followed by 4 months on the lees (yeast residue).

Pale green colors, with fresh floral blossoms and aromas of summer fruits and green grass, combining with citrus veering towards ripe lime and notes of grapefruit. While on the palate more tropical nuances of pineapple, grapefruit, apple and a zesty minerality. I know this wasn't aged in oak, but to me there was a slight smokiness on the finish that was quite attractive.

The nice acidity helped pair this perfectly with a seafood appetizer of mixed shellfish. I will be reviewing the reds next so stay tuned.