18 Sep 2024
Posted at 16:10
in Wine Times
Since its founding in 1998, Ventisquero Wine Estates has been a leader in Chilean winemaking, embracing a philosophy of “going a step beyond”.
This dedication to excellence and innovation shines through in every bottle they produce.
Ventisquero’s wines are crafted with a profound respect for the environment, ensuring sustainable practices at every stage of production.
Ventisquero’s vineyards are located in some of Chile’s most prestigious wine regions, including Maipo Costa, Casablanca, Colchagua, Leyda, and Huasco valleys. Each region offers unique terroirs that contribute to the distinct character of their wines.
The winery’s commitment to exploring and understanding these terroirs has resulted in the creation of modern, avant-garde wines that are both high-quality and expressive.
The Grey range exemplifies this innovative spirit. By conducting extensive soil mapping and vinifying each parcel separately, Ventisquero produces single block wines that truly reflect their origins.
This meticulous approach ensures that each wine is a genuine expression of its terroir, offering exceptional value for money.
“I really want these single block wines to be the true expression of their origin,” explains Ventisquero’s head winemaker Felipe Tosso, referring to the winery’s Grey range which is named after the 18,000 year old landmark Grey Glacier in Chile’s Patagonia.
“When we came up with the Grey concept in 2008, we went right back to the beginning, undertook extensive soil mapping of each of the single blocks in our different vineyards, and divided them into small parcels depending on soil type.
“We now vinify each parcel separately, then blend them all back together to create these single block wines – great value for money at their price points!” he added.
Felipe Tosso. head winemaker and Alejandro Galaz, senior winemaker.
Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Vinum RRP £16.50; ND John Wines RRP £17.45; Reserve Wines RRP £19.00)
The Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is crafted from grapes grown in Chile’s most northerly commercial vineyard, located in the world’s driest desert – the Atacama. Ventisquero’s
vineyards lie just 22 km from the coast on the southern banks of the Huasco River. This region experiences a cool, dry desert climate with cold nights and mornings blanketed by the ‘Camanchaca’, or coastal fog, providing brief respite to the sun-baked landscapes. The combination of this climate and the extreme salinity of the soil and irrigation water creates a challenging environment for vine growth, resulting in wines with a very distinct flavours profile.
The fruit for Grey Carmenère 2020 is sourced from Block 5 in the winery’s Trinidad Vineyard in coastal Maipo Valley. These are Ventisquero’s oldest vineyards, planted in 1998. The loamy clay soils with high permeability are ideal for Carmenère, enhancing the characteristics of Chile’s flagship varietal and lending an elegant expression.
“I’ve tried to make this wine the most faithful and honest reflection possible of this wonderful terroir – the Atacama Desert. The aridity of the place and its calcareous and saline soils. I love having this wine with oysters!” says senior winemaker Alejandro Galaz.
Ventisquero’s Longomilla Atacama vineyard features old, stony river soils with a mix of clay and calcareous matter – lime and calcium carbonate. Located on the first terrace of the Huasco River, the vineyard benefits from a significant maritime influence. The cool to moderate temperatures, coastal breezes, and morning fog regulate the climate and ensure optimal humidity levels. With little to no vintage variation in northern Chile, 2021 produced the usual low yields with concentrated grapes, and there was no rain during the ripening period, as it hasn’t rained in this location for 50 years. Grape clusters were hand-harvested early on February 19th and carefully sorted. The must underwent cold maceration for 6-8 hours, followed by a slow fermentation at a low temperature of 12-15°C to maximize varietal aromas and expression of the northern Chile desert. The wine was then aged on its lees for 10 months, with regular battonage to enhance texture.
The Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2021 offers citrus aromas with notes of green pepper. It is fresh and structured on the palate, with a mineral and saline character – trademarks of Ventisquero’s Atacama wines.
Viña Ventisquero Grey Carmenère 2020 (ND John Wines RRP £17.45; Cellier RRP £14.99)
“With this wine, I want to show the majesty of Chile. Carmenère is our recognized variety and with Grey, I wanted to reflect the authenticity of a Single Block, block number 5 in Maipo Valley. Lamb or spicy foods are my go-to for this wine. Perfect with BBQ’d red meats as well,” says Felipe Tosso, head winemaker.
The 100% Carmenère grapes for this wine come from Block 5, characterized by its atypical sandy-clay soil and five separate soil profiles at different depths. The grape bunches were manually harvested, with only 50% being crushed. A pre-fermentative maceration was carried out, and pump-over started as the temperature increased. After 32 days in the tank, the wine was decanted into oak barrels where malolactic fermentation took place. This process is key to achieving harmony between the fruit and oak. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (1/3 first use) before a further 8 months’ aging in the bottle.
The Grey Carmenère 2020 exhibits black fruit, cherries, and spice on the nose. It is fresh and vibrant on the palate, with firm, velvety tannins and a fresh acidity that provides a long finish.
Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Vinum RRP £16.50; ND John Wines RRP £17.45; Reserve
Wines RRP £19.00)
