Our Summer of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc continues with the Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2019. Once again, we randomly selected this bottle from the remaining samples and chilled it down nicely. It was another NorCal scorcher, so we wanted something cool and refreshing. The Grey Sauvignon Blanc did the trick!
More mature than most Sauvignon Blancs, at three years old, the Grey Sauvignon Blanc was still fresh and crisp, with zesty acidity and great flavor. Ventisquero Wine Estates has been producing wine since 1998, so they have some experience and expertise to produce such finely structured wines.
The Ventisquero Wine Estates winery is located in the coastal part of the Maipo Valley. The name, Ventisquero, translates roughly to “snowdrift”, and was chosen as homage to the region’s glaciers. The first vintage was released was 2001, and quickly gained global notoriety. Since that “dawn of the millennium” beginning, Ventisquero has continued to grow, purchasing more land for vineyards, and expanding operations. Today, they export 1.5 million cases of wine to countries all around the world.
100% of Ventisquero Wine Estates’ vineyards are certified “Sustainable Wine of Chile”, having undergone careful quality control to comply with strict environmental protection standards. Ventisquero Wine Estates was the first winery in Chile to achieve this 100% compliance for their vineyards. In addition to environmental concerns in the vineyard, the Sustainable Wine of Chile program evaluates the winery facility, and corporate social responsibility. Ventisquero’s certification confirms that they meet or exceed these standards as well.
Ventisquero Wine Estates produces wines under eight different labels. The flagship and namesake line, Ventisquero, includes the Grey Collection, which represents wines made from single vineyard blocks. This heightens the expression of the terroir from the individual vineyard, and demonstrates the skill of the winemaking team. In addition to the magnificent Sauvignon Blanc we describe below, the Ventisquero Grey Collection includes a number of wines from other grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a red blend called “GCM”, composed of Garnacha, Carinena (Carignane), and Mataro (Mourvedre). Each of the wines retails for a very affordable $25.
Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Pale golden color. On the nose, notes of pineapple, lemon, and a wisp of cat pee. On the palate, tart green apple, pineapple, lemon-lime, white grapefruit, and straw, with hints of jalapeno pepper and saline. Bold, bright acidity leads to a crisp, refreshing finish.
We hope you have the opportunity to try this, or any of the other the Ventisquero Wine Estates wines. If you do, let us know in the comments how you like them!
Cheers!
- By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
- Photo by Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
Appetite for Wine 