Falernia Reserva Viognier 2021
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Brilliant yellow with green reflections. The bouquet has notes of tropical fruit and honey. Medium-bodied with nice complexity.
In 1951 Aldo Olivier Granola’s family moved to Chile and in 1971 he started planting grapevines for Pisco production. Around that time Aldo became convinced of the potential for producing superb wines in this semiarid valley. The Falernia project was born after he and his cousin Giorgio Flessati, famed Italian oenologist, joined forces. Falernia is an innovative venture given that it is Chile’s most northerly wine estate, a considerable distance from the country’s main winegrowing areas. The driving force has been a passion for the wine and the challenge of transforming a tract of desert into a green vineyard with enormous potential for producing premium wines. They use the latest technology and have the support of agronomists from Chile’s top universities and worldrenowned oenologists.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
Part of the Coquimbo region, also with the Limari Valley, Elqui Valley is one of the northern wine producing regions of Chile, which historically focused on table grapes and pisco production. Intense sunlight and cooling effects of the ocean, together with rocky, clay soil make this one of Chile’s up-and-coming wine regions.