£16–£17.45, Street Wines, Vinvm, N D John, Just in Cases
If you wonder why I’m recommending a Sauvignon Blanc just as autumn is starting to bite, I can explain. This is a wonderfully expressive, distinctive wine with a depth of flavour to keep up the interest in any season. It’s as refreshing as any Sauvignon, but it’s so much more than that.
On one side, it has umami notes of seaweed, smoke and oyster shell, on the other, riveting lime, elderflower and green pepper, and they’re all wound seamlessly together by a rich, texture and a long, saline, mineral finish.
Ventisquero's Grey Sauvignon really is one of a kind: a blend of separately vinified parcels from a single block in Chile’s most northerly commercial vineyard, in the world’s driest desert, the Atacama.
Lying 22km from the sea, in old, calcareous, saline soils on the first terrace of the southern banks of the Huasco river, the Longomilla vineyard is cooled and lightly moistened by coastal breezes and dense morning fogs. The climate keeps yields low and ensures there is almost no vintage variation.
The grapes are hand picked in February, in the early hours, and are cold-macerated before a slow, low-temperature fermentation. Maturation is in 2,500-l foudres (wooden casks) for 10 months, with bâtonnage (lees stirring to enhance texture).
It makes a very good aperitif but it’s also a dry white made for seafood, including shellfish, lightly oily fish like sea bass, fish such as sea bream, cod, halibut and skate, fritto misto, fish and chips with tartar sauce, crab cakes and Thai fish cakes. Beyond seafood, it takes in Thai green curry, feta, green vegetables such as asparagus, peas, beans and green peppers, dishes with fresh tomato, and flavourings like lemon, lime, capers and green olives. 13%. Empty bottle weight: 550g
Ventisquero Grey Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Valle de Atacama, Chile
£16–£17.45, Street Wines, Vinvm, N D John, Just in Cases, Reserve Wines
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