Many wineries around the world make Sauvignon Blanc. But Casas del Bosque, a family-owned and managed winery, less than an hour from Chile’s capital city of Santiago, is recognized as a Sauvignon Blanc specialist.
Casas del Bosque makes fresh, lively, modern styles of Sauvignon Blanc wine and most—more than 80%—of their production is exported.
The winemaking team led by Kiwi Grant Phelps takes the variety very seriously, working with a trio of clones — Nos. 1, 107 and 242 — small quantities and ancient traditions to maintain the practices necessary to produce the very best quality. According to Phelps, the trio of clones contibutes unique qualities to the finished wine. He also believes a variety of soil types in the vineyards (clay loam, sandy loam and black clay of volcanic origin) add further complexity.
Casas del Bosque makes three levels of Sauvignon Blanc and all three will be featured at the annual Monmouth University Alumni Wine Tasting to be held on Saturday, March 9, 2013. If you are lucky enough to attend you will be able to sample the following Sauvignon Blancs:
Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Reserva. Complex is a good way to describe this Reserva with its bright fruit and mild earth notes. This is a Sauvignon Banc lover's Sauvignon Blanc: elegant, intense, and crispy with balanced acidity. It's oceanic and mildly green on the nose, with pungent grassy notes, appealing citrusy scents, lime gooseberry and a hint of asparagus. The palate is juicy, crisp and zesty, with flavors of fresh grapefruit, lettuce, lime, green apple, green herbs and white pepper. It's dry and racy with a firm and long juicy, persistent finish. This is a more akin to a New Zealand version of the grape, than a French version. This is a must-have during the hot summer months. Around $9.99.
Next, Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva. The Gran Reserva has received some oak treatment and comes across as very “Bordelais” in style – not as concentrated on the nose as the Reserva but a classic expression of fresh-cut grass, green asparagus and a few creamy tropical notes of passion fruit and grapefruit. This wine is medium-bodied, and much more structured than the Reserva. One sip offers a deliciously, succulent mouthful of guava, peach, grapefruit and cut grass with a top note of oak followed by just a hint of tarragon. It’s both forward and elegant brimming with layered minerality, saline and scallion. Well-balanced, multi-dimensional and complex, Gran Reserva has a long, intense tongue-tingling, mineral-edged finish. About $12.99
Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Pequenas Producciones. This small production Pequeñas is a mixture of 80% of the grapes fermented in stainless steel tanks and 20% fermented in oak barrels. The result of this process is a very elegant wine that is complex and aromatic. Floral scents and citrus notes appear with greater intensity, even though the nose has typical dominant notes of grapefruit, white pepper and a touh of ginger, followed by guava and grassy notes. On the palate, there is that lovely mouth feel, fresh flavors of quince, peach, green plum and guava are backed up by smoky notes and well-integrated oak. The acidity is not exaggerated, but soft and balanced and leads to a flinty, mineral finish with just a hint of green jalapeño chilli. About $15.99
All three versions of Sauvignon Blanc are refreshing and crisp and make for excellent pairings with goat cheese, asparagus, seafood, clams, oysters, prawns, crab and lobster or Asian piquant cousine.
Casas del Bosque shows that when great care is taken with a grape variety in the vineyard, memorable, world-class wines can emerge from the cellar.
For more information on purchasuing tickets for the wine tasting, contact Monmouth University. If you can’t wait for the wine tasting, Cass del Bosque wines can also be found at Monmouth Bottle Shop located at 201 Monmouth Road in Oakhurst. Phone 732-531-3080.
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