Description
For many years, the central vineyards of the Loire Valley and New Zealand's Marlborough region have had the monopoly on fine Sauvignon Blanc. Now Chile has muscled-in on the scene and is proving itself very capable of producing some super-zippy, grassy-fresh, elegant whites from the same grape. You just need to try this wine for size. Las Casas Sauvignon is from the Maule Valley which, as Matthew Jukes from The Daily Express commented "Given the correct vineyard sitings e.g the cooler climate of the Maule Valley, Chilean Sauvignon can be an exceptionally racy and thirst-quenching choice of wine." It's from the Casa Donoso cellar, one of the oldest wineries in the region and one which recently celebrated 100 years of winemaking. It lies in Talca which, incidentally, was where the Act of Independence was signed in 1810, giving Chile its freedom from Spain.

Winemaker at the property is Alvaro Arriagada, who can always be spotted in the vineyard wearing his old, leather cowboy hat - in Winter it keeps in the heat and in Summer it protects him from the relentless sunshine.

To harness all the vibrant, herbaceous fruit and freshness in this wine, Alvaro insists all the grapes are harvested at night, transported rapidly to the winery and fermented at a low temperature in stainless steel.

The Express 26th April 08 2008, United Kingdom

Las Casas Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is available in the following cases: