Viña Aquitania Sol de Sol Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Sauvignon blanc was the last variety to be planted in Aquitania’s vineyard in Traiguén in southern Chile. This wine comes from those 11-year-old vineyards with clay and granitic soils and clonal material (clone 1) that was among the first to arrive in Chile in the early 1990s. But while that clone normally produces austere wines with severe acidity, in Malleco it seems to deliver a completely different style. Even in a year as cold as 2019 was in Traiguén, it offers notes of tropical fruits and is exuberant in its aromas and flavors. The acidity is significant, and so is the body. It’s all about generosity and exuberance. It also has a sweetness that’s slight but intentional. Felipe de Solminihac left the wine with four grams of sugar in an attempt to balance the severe acidity of the grapes – and his experiment was successful. Score – 96. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2021)