Tabalí Barranco Viognier

This is a mountain Viognier, unique in its kind. Tabalí Barranco Viognier’s nose is very elegant and subtly scented with floral notes, dry white fruits and spices, and has a slightly mineral note in the background. It is very elegant in the mouth, creamy but very fresh at the same time. An exquisite acidity is induced by the cold nightly mountain breezes. This wine was produced exclusively with grapes from the Río Hurtado vineyard, which is in the Limarí Valley right in the Andes mountains, just 45km from Argentina. At an altitude of 1,600 metres above sea level, this singular mountain vineyard is one of the three highest in Chile. The soil where this vineyard is planted is special since it is located just where the alluvial soil meets a colluvial profile. The alluvial soil is formed by material dragged by the Hurtado River, whereas the colluvial soil is formed by landslides of rocks from higher mountain ranges. In both cases, the rock is of volcanic origin. The harvest began in the first week of March, when the grapes reached their optimum phenolic ripeness. The clusters of the grapes were manually selected and then pressed with full bunch, and only juice of superior quality was used in this wine. Fermentation took place in small stainless steel tanks with strict temperature control to preserve all the fruitiness and freshness of the grape. The wine aged in stainless steel tanks with a weekly pump-over to achieve greater aromatic complexity and more structure in the mouth. Country: ChileRegion: Limari ValleyGrapes: Viognier 100�V: 13.5%Volume: 75clVintage: 2020Suitable for Vegetarians: YesSuitable for Vegans: Yes Tabalí Barranco Viognier, 2018: “I wouldn’t normally recommend a Viognier with a few years of bottle age – it’s a grape best consumed in its blossomy, intensely perfumed youth – but this unoaked example comes from a very special site in the Chilean Andes, located at 1,600 metres, and has improved over the last 12 months. There are still plenty of creamy ginger spice and apricot flavours on offer, but they’re balanced by stony freshness and minerality. Delicious.” Wine of the Week 20/08/2021 TimAtkin.com