Montes Outer Limits Zapallar Sauvignon Blanc

Montes was established in 1988 by Aurelio Montes, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, with the aim of producing the best wines in Chile from the best regions. The Montes wines are consistently good because they are meticulous throughout the entire production process. The Outer Limits wines were born out of Aurelio Montes' desire to push Chilean viticulture in a new direction. The 45 hectare Zapallar Vineyard in the Aconcagua Valley was Montes' first venture into the 'outer limits'. Due to the balance and concentration in the Outer Limits wines, they can be enjoyed now or allowed to age for a few years, rewarding with a wonderfully complex bouquet.

Sauvignon Blanc,

The grapes come from a single vineyard in the Zapallar region of Aconcagua, seven kilometres from the coast. Montes is the first producer to plant vines and make wines here. Due to the cool climate, and proximity to the ocean, the wines have racy acidity, minerality, elegance and distinct aromatics. The grapes are all hand-harvested each year in the middle of April, later than other areas, owing to the cool climate.

Grapes were cold soaked for four hours to extract aromas and flavour and then fermented very slowly in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for 30 days. The wine was kept in contact with its lees for six to eight months to add roundness to the palate.

This wine is a bright straw yellow in colour. The nose shows varied aromas with notes of fresh grapefruit, passionfruit and white guava, as well as fresh green chilli and tomato leaves. The aromas translate on the palate and are accompanied by a fresh crunchiness and elegant body.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the White Wines of the America’s Blog

Originating in the Loire Valley in Western France, Sauvignon Blanc is now planted all over the world and has become by far, one of the most popular grapes in the world too. So ubiquitous is Sauvignon Blanc, that it is almost the stereotypical white wine style now, high acidity and highly aromatic and exceptionally refreshing. The key strength of Sauvignon Blanc is in how straightforward it is as a varietal. Stick your nose in a glass and it is very obviously Sauvignon, the aromas are all very clear with the perceived flavours and their descriptors having a very close correlation, not just being reminiscent of a suggested flavour. For this reason, Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect grape to start a wine tasting journey off, particularly for beginners who can gain confidence by recognising the flavours straight away.

Sauvignon Blancs flavours range from a grassiness - represented by nettles and asparagus detectable in the grapes homeland of the Loire Valley - to more expressive passionfruit, mango and grapefruit found in wines from New World countries such as New Zealand and South Africa. In Chile, where Montes are based, Sauvignon Blanc is the most widely planted white grape and the flavours can range anywhere within a spectrum of these styles depending on where in the 3 distinct zones, (running from East to West - Pacific/Coastal Zone, Central Zone, Andean Zone), the grapes are grown.

Aurelio Montes set up Montes Wines at the tail end of the 1980’s with the aim to be fully sustainable from day one. The idea was to change the direction of Chilean wine from producing bulk production for the masses, to having Chile seen as a quality focused, serious wine producing country in it’s own right. Montes' flagship wines, such as the frankly awesome Purple Angel are a testament to Aurelio’s success in that regard. As delicious as the flagship wines are, perhaps the most interesting range of wines produced by Montes are the Outer Limits range, of which the Sauvignon Blanc was the first. The idea was to push the limits of where vines were grown in the country to encompass coasts and peaks.

This 45 hectare Zapallar Vineyard in the coastal zone of the Aconcagua Valley, is where the Sauvignon Blanc grapes come from for this beauty of a wine. Only seven kilometres from the coast, Montes is the first producer to plant vines and make wines here. Due to the cool climate and proximity to the ocean, the wines have a racy acidity, a minerality, elegance and distinct aromatics that feel very much unique.

Chilean vineyards are famous for their sunshine leading to riper flavour characters, in this wine you will find grapefruit, guava and passionfruit and yet the proximity to the Pacific Ocean with its cooling influence lend more interesting notes of bell pepper, jalapeno and tomato leaf. The ripeness of the fruit with the savoury aspect lend this wine perfectly to pairing with Latin classics such as fish tacos or ceviche. Outside of the classics, give this a try with some Vietnamese food.