Ritual Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir 2008
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"2008 Ritual opens with striking aromas of black cherries, raspberry and plum. The mid palate is round, soft and elegant with black currant and blueberry notes mingling with hints of cola. Its rich, yet restrained tannins provide depth and lead to a luxurious finish."
Paul Hobbs, Consulting Winemaker
Ritual is the result of Veramonte's decade-long quest to make delicious and affordable Pinot Noir from Chile's Casablanca Valley. Agustin Huneeus partnered with American winemaker Paul Hobbs to produce a small bottling of a super premium Pinot Noir from the renowned Casablanca Valley. From planting each vine at our Casablanca Valley estate to hand harvesting in small batches, we apply the same time-honored methods to our Pinot Noir in the vineyard and winery as the great wines of Burgundy. Consulting Winemaker Paul Hobbs harvests at first light in the cool morning fog, introduce native yeast fermentations to bring out the vineyard's expression and use only gentle gravity handling to produce Ritual, a Pinot Noir characterized by elegance and grace.
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Wine Spectator
This is mouthfilling, but stylish and focused, offering lush cherry and raspberry fruit that's layered with additional spice and sweet tobacco notes. Nicely integrated toast frames the finish. Drink now.
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The expansion of viable Chilean wine regions in recent decades has revealed several suitable appellations (In Chile the term is denominacion de origen, or DO) for Pinot Noir. This finicky grape requires a cool climate along with good air flow to minimize disease pressure; Chile’s unique geography delivers both in a number of spots. Here’s a quick look at the most notable DO’s, moving from north to south.
In the Coquimbo region, both the Elqui and Limarí Valleys enjoy lots of sunlight throughout the year, which promotes consistent ripening. Of equal importance, their proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt Current that flows just offshore provides the necessary cooling influence that yields good balancing acidity.
Due west of the country’s capital, Santiago, are the Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys. The former runs east-west and therefore sees cool, foggy conditions many mornings. The latter runs north-south but is close enough to the ocean to benefit from cool breezes. Very promising Chilean Pinot Noirs can be found from both DO’s.
Chile’s southern region includes two more Pinot-friendly appellations, Bio-Bio and Malleco. These and the other DO’s mentioned above have seen a growing number of producers delivering crisp, fresh versions. Pinot Noir from Chile typically offers the varietal’s trademark elegance and fine drinkability, complete with ripe red fruit, earthy tones and food-friendly acidity. Try Chilean Pinot Noir wines from producers like Viña Leyda, Santa Carolina, Casas del Bosque and Hacienda Araucano.