About this WINE
De Martino
De Martino is one of the most progressive and exciting names on the Chilean wine scene, deservedly named Chilean Winery of the year in 2011. Through a network of intellectual partnerships and vineyard acquisition, it has quickly built up a reputation for organic viticulture of the highest quality, farming from over 350 different vineyards.
The corporate vision focuses on sustainability, terroir, and, by logical extension, excellence. By concentrating on the very best sites for the varieties in question, be they in Limari, Elqui or Maipo, and by the development of a world class winemaking team, De Martino now sits at the very top of the Chilean vinous hierarchy.
The Alto Piedras vineyards make up 5 hectares of the sub-Denominacion of the Isla de Maipo, a de facto island as the vines are surrounded by two branches of the Maipo River. Two other self-evident truths are located in the nomenclature; firstly that the terrain is rocky, volcanic gravel to be precise and secondly that the vines are quite high up. Chile’s indigenous grape, Carmenère, is here aged for 18 months in new French oak.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
The Limari Valley is a Pacific cool climate northern region which has proved an ideal home for Chardonnay. The alluvial deposits of the soil are richly traced with calcium carbonate which affords freshness and minerality to this excellent white, which is built on an edifice of restraint. Indigenous yeasts and 11 months in used French oak ensure that the natural exuberance of the grapes have not been tempered by winemaking. Gentle spice, orchard and stone fruits and a real sense of place lift this far above the quotidian Chilean Chardonnay.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer De Martino have sought to redefine the character of Chilean wine with their multi-regional sourcing of fruit and aim to produce elegant, food friendly and almost European style wines. They are also unusual in their aim to have as limited an environmental impact as possible, down to using lightweight bottles. The wine offers a pale lemon-green colour and nose of citrus and stone fruits. The palate has very fresh acidity and an array of ripe fruit characters ranging from lemon and white peach to pineapple, with a very subtle spice and sweetness from oak.
Martin Hudson MW, Wine Buyer
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