Miguel Torres Ándica Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Chile) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is this lovely, organic, and vegan-friendly Sauvignon Blanc from the Curicó Valley in Chile. It's a fairly new wine that made it's debut at the LCBO last weekend as part of the September 24 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Backed by a long history rooted in winemaking in Spain, Miguel Torres Chile arrived in the Curicó Valley in 1979 in the search for a new project. Miguel Torres Chile was the first foreign wine producer to establish themselves in Chile and chose the Curicó Valley for its excellent conditions to further develop the wine industry. As an innovator, Miguel Torres Chile introduced many new technologies and winemaking techniques to Chile, including the first use of fermentation in stainless steel tanks and ageing in French oak barrels in 1979, while also helping grow the Chilean wine industry.

The Torres family acquired their first 100 hectares of land and exported their first wines from Chile in 1981. Over the years, the company acquired more land and currently has approximately 350 hectares of vineyards planted on eight estates, each with different climate characteristics, enabling them to grow a diverse range of varieties to produce wines of intense varietal character. Today, Miguel Torres Chile maintains its cornerstone concepts of innovation, organic vine-growing, and Fair Trade certification, while also becoming more sustainable. With a global presence, Miguel Torres Chile family winery has established itself one of the main producers of high-quality wines through its products' identity, respect for the environment, and social responsibility. In 2010, the fifth generation of the Torres Family took over as Miguel Torres Maczassek became President of the family business in Chile.

Miguel Torres Chile has several ranges of wines and this Sauvignon Blanc is from their newest label - Miguel Torres Ándica. Wines from the Ándica label are made under the vision of honouring the natural expression and biodiversity of the country that welcomed them over 40 years ago. All wines under the Ándica label are 100% certified organic and crafted with the utmost respect for the Chilean ecosystems where the grapes are grown, from the north to Patagonia, with a sustainable approach to agriculture and awareness of climate change. This particular Sauvignon Blanc was organically grown in the Curicó Valley. It was de-stemmed and macerated for 3 hours at low temperatures. After a 16-day fermentation, the wine was aged without the use of any oak. Let's see how this 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Chile is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MIGUEL TORRES ÁNDICA RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Vegan, Valle de Curicó, Chile (#25641) (XD) - $16.95
Organic and vegan. Screw cap. Fresh, fragrant, and highly aromatic with pungent aromas of gooseberry, grassy, guava, tropical fruit, lemongrass, and herbs with earthy-smoky undertones. It's medium+ bodied and dry with fresh, lively, and juicy acidity lifting the citrusy, grapefruit, gooseberry, grassy, guava, tropical fruit, and lemongrass flavours. Really well-balanced and succulent with a subtle chalky textured mouthfeel on the mid-palate. Leesy minerals join the citrus, gooseberry, grassy, and tropical fruit replays on the long, juicy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Several lovely wines by Miguel Torres are available not only at the LCBO, but also through their Agent - Dandurand.

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St. Stephen Oda al Vino Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2017 and Am Malbec Reserva 2016 (Chile) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of nice organic red wines by St. Stephen Organic Vineyards from Chile. Both are currently only available via their Agent - Don Ackerman's Wines & Spirits, and may potentially appear in LCBO VINTAGES some time next year.

St. Stephen Organic Vineyards is a family-owned and -operated winery located in the Colchagua Valley at the base of the Andes Mountains. The primary focus is on creating flavourful wines that begin with the sun, soil, temperature, and water. There is little-to-no rainfall during the fruit-bearing months, and because they are situated at the base of the Andes, this provides a plentiful supply of pure snowmelt water. The rich, volcanic soils located in this area are particularly well-suited for winegrowing, especially Cabernets.

The grapes are grown 100% organically using sustainable agricultural methods, and without the use of any preservatives, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or other toxicant. All of the grapes at St. Stephen are grown and harvested by hand to reduce bruising and preserve the sugar and flavours of the grapes, followed by rigorous sorting and quality control through to the use of the finest quality French oak barrels to ensure that the final wine is of high quality.

The winemaking process is artisanal, deliberate and flexible. With no two vintages ever the same, the winemaking team is constantly evaluating and adapting to ensure they are able craft the best possible quality of wine. The goal is to create delicious, consistent, unique, and memorable wines.

With a strong commitment to organic agriculture, sustainability, and the general welfare of the planet, a portion of the proceeds from each bottle of St. Stephen wine purchased benefits environmental organizations committed to protecting our planet, expanding national parks and wildlife refuges, reducing pollution, defending our oceans, moving beyond fossil fuels, reducing plastic consumption, and slowing climate change. In recognition of their efforts, St. Stephen Organic Vineyards was invited to address the United Nations Climate Change Division's Annual Conference (COP25) in Madrid in December 2019, joining other speakers such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Environmental Activist Greta Thunberg.

Tasting Notes:

ST. STEPHEN ODA AL VINO CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA 2017 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (XD) - $30.80
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from dark, rich, volcanic soils that are composed of red granite, andesite,
basalt, and rhyolite. An Ode to Wine, the medium+ intensity nose offers red berry, raspberry, currant, and strawberry aromas with wood spice notes that nicely accent the fruit. It's medium-full bodied on the palate with slightly tart red fruit flavours joined by savoury oak, cocoa notes. It has fresh acidity, while the dry tannins are quite grippy and chalky. Savoury, earthy, and cocoa flavours with a touch of smoke linger on the long, dry finish. Score: 89 pts

ST. STEPHEN AM MALBEC RESERVA 2016 - Curicó Valley, Chile (XD) - $29.10
"Am" means "soul" or "spirit" in the Mapuche language. 100% Malbec grown on dark, rich, volcanic soils. The nose is quite intense with bretty, barnyard, and savoury tones with some dark berry notes adding some fruit characters. It's medium-bodied on the palate with dark berry, boysenberry, and raspberry flavours surrounded by savoury, earthy notes. Acids are fresh and well-balanced while the soft, rounded tannins have a slight textural grip. There's some warmth on the mid-palate. while savoury-earthy tones continue through to the finish, with very good length. Score: 88 pts

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