Elki Pedro Ximenez Blanco

Falernia winery under the hand of two Italian cousins from the Trentino region, businessman Aldo Olivier and winemaker Giorgio Flessati, is responsible for starting the fine wine revolution in Elqui Valley. Aldo invested in the northern valley in Chile in 1998 spotting a unique potential for wine, when everyone else was still just growing avocados, fruit and grapes for pisco production. Vina Falernia has been one of the landmark, and is still the biggest, winery in the valley. The winery is open for visits (including their observatory) and tasting highlights in the portfolio include opulent Sauvignon Blanc and tropical Pedro Ximenez, and meaty Syrah, which work best in the semi-arid climate of Elqui.

Falernia winery is located near to one of the oldest Chilean towns, La Serena, 320 miles North of Santiago and it is at the present, Chile's Northern most wine estate. It is a cool climate and semiarid region, with a dramatic contrast between day and night time temperature.

Vineyards

Vina Falernia now has a total of 320 hectares of vineyards spread across the valley, each with its own climate characteristics.

Vinification

The grapes have been hand picked into small bins and immediately pressed. The juice has been clarified by natural sedimentations and fermented in stainless steel tanks at 14-16º C with selected yeasts. At the end of the fermentation the wine has been racked and aged in stainless steel tanks at low temperature. No malolactic fermentation. Cold tartaric stabilisation at -4ºC before bottling.

Tasting Notes

This Pedro-Ximenez exhibits a delicious balance of peachy lusciousness with crispness and length, which allows this wine to be enjoyed with a variety of foods or on its own.