I recently had the chance to check out some Chilean wines at a dinner at Wildfire Steak House downtown. The highlight of the evening was getting a chance to experience a detailed tour of the terroir found in the Amaral vineyards. I had the opportunity to taste the Sauvignon Blanc final product which is made up from a large vineyard with some unique soil characteristics. Parts of the Vineyard feature alluvial soil while other blocks are made up of Limestone. The Sauvignon was paired with Ceviche. The bright crisp acidity of this wine paired perfectly with the fish… this is a match I highly recommend. Here is a rundown of what was tasted.
2013 – This is the finished wine that is currently available in the LCBO. Be mindful of your serving temperature with this wine as it took a few minutes to really open up in the glass as it was poured at fridge temperature. The nose and flavours are lime and lemon dominated with very subtle bell pepper coming up on the finish. Right on the back of your tongue there is a slight grass and herbacious note.
2014 – Bright crisp and acidic but the flavour profile moves away from just citrus and also has some pear and fuzzy peach candy on the palate. The nose also has the pressence of fuzzy peach. Even though this wine smells like candy it is bone dry and well balanced. I had the opportunity to taste the parts of this wine before the finished product is blended together. Block 7 is from Alluvial soil and this is where the Peach and Pear notes come from both in aroma and flavour. Block 34 is from Limestone soil and there is almost a smokiness to this individual section that disappears in the final blend.
Amaral Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (switching to 2014) – LCBO 267292 – $13.95 – A slam dunk to pair with fish cooked any way, or shellfish.
