SOUTH AMERICAN DESSERT WINES
We don't see very many sweet wines from Chile or
Argentina at this point.
We expect this is a category which will grow over the coming years as wineries
become more established and winemakers seek to emulate wines from places that
are famous for sweet wines.
SANTA JULIA
2004 "TARDIO" $11.99 (500ml)
Argentina
produces a lovely and aromatic white wine called Torrontes.
This is a grape which is said to have come to Argentina by way of Spain.
The Santa Julia people have produced a couple of vintages of a wonderful
late-picked dessert wine, blending Torrontes with a percentage of another
aromatic white, Viognier.
The resulting wine is outstanding!
It's got a fabulous fragrance, hinting at peach, nectarine, candied citrus along
with some floral notes. The wine is not sticky sweet, nor is it heavy and
cloying.
We discovered this after a tasting of French white Burgundies and every one of
the tasters was impressed by this.
ERRAZURIZ
Here's
a delightful sweet Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.
They employ several interesting techniques in producing this wine. Some of
the fruit for the 2005 vintage was dehydrated on the vine and picked late.
One portion of the juice was frozen and they discarded much of the water,
retaining the "essence" of the Sauvignon Blanc. Some of the wine
was vinified in French oak, while some was fermented in stainless steel
tanks.
The resulting wine is wonderfully balanced between sweetness and crisp
acidity. The flavors are reminiscent of sweet pears and ripe
apricots.
This wine is served aboard some cruise lines and we routinely get calls for this
from people who've returned home from a lovely vacation having had a sip (or
more!) of this aboard the ship.
If that's you, welcome aboard!
Currently in stock: 2005 ERRAZURIZ Late Harvest
SAUVIGNON BLANC $10.99 (375ml)
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