Ritual Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
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James Suckling
A fresh and balanced white with sliced pineapple, apple and papaya. Full body, wonderful fruit and a clean finish. This was fermented in cement eggs and old barrels. Stayed five to six months in eggs until bottling. Subtle Chilean style. Screw cap.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Ritual is sourced from a plot called La Gloria that is situated next to a forest, which is like a natural air conditioning, on granite, mica and quartz soils. It aims at being aromatic but it's also a wine with volume and texture. After pressing the full clusters, the juice fermented in egg-shaped concrete vats, stainless steel tanks and well seasoned barriques to provide more complexity and dimension. The nose is subtle and shows incipient complexity, bay leaf, gooseberries and some herbal notes. The focus here was on adding texture -- it's not only acidity; it has certain volume, and the flavors are focused and precise. The model is Sancerre rather than New Zealand.
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Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
A region that has become synonymous with some of the best whites of Chile, the Casablanca Valley is full of dozens of bodegas who either grow fruit here or come from outside to source from local growers for their own white wine programs. The valley runs from east to west, which means that its westernmost vineyards receive the most cooling influence from the reliable afternoon sea breezes. The soils also tend to be heavier in clay in the west, whereas the eastern end of the valley is warmer and its soils are predominantly granitic. Sauvignon blanc thrives here, Chardonnay does well and Pinot noir is not uncommon.