A Pair of Organic Wines From Chile

Veramonte Winery is located in Chile's Casablanca Valley, but over the years they have expanded with vineyards also in the Colchagua Valley.  Casablanca is a great locale for white wines and cool-climate reds, while the Colchagua Valley is warmer.  The winery follows organic practices and has a certification stating so.  Their importer, Gonzalez Byass, says Veramonte's farming is free of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizer.  The feeling among the Veramonte staff is that living, balanced soil makes quality grapes.

Veramonte Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2020 

This organic wine was made from Casablanca Valley grapes.  They were pressed into steel tanks where vinification took place.  The juice was separated from the lees during this process.  The vintage wasn’t easy, owing to a hot summer and a dry winter.  It is all Sauvignon Blanc, with a 13.5% abv alcohol level and a retail price of $12.

This wine has a New World feel to it, to be sure.  The nose is a little bit herbal, a little bit floral and a little bit grapefruity.  On the palate, the citrus aspect takes center stage, with a spicy element and a racy acidity.  Grapefruit lingers on the finish.  Pairing this wine with salads and shellfish is a natural, but it could certainly stand up to a piece of baked chicken.

Veramonte Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2018,

The winery says that the 2018 vintage in the Colchagua Valley was "exceptional," with a rainy winter and a moderate summer.  The 2018 Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% varietal wine.  It was vinified in steel tanks, then aged for eight months in neutral oak barrels.  Alcohol content is 14% abv and the retail price is only $12, a steal for a wine this fresh and juicy.

This wine is ripe and beautiful - dark, with a nose of blackberries, cassis and violets.  There is a hint of tobacco and spice there as well, a tribute to the perfectly finessed aging.  The palate explodes on the tongue with dark fruit, vanilla and herbs.  The fruit is the story, but don't sell complexity short.  It offers a lot to ruminate on while you sip.  

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter