The Limari Valley is seen as the most exciting and innovative wine-producing region in Chile. It is located 400 Km to the north of Santiago and only 20 km from the Pacific Ocean. Great natural phenomena seem to converge here with not only the ocean, but also the arid Atacama Desert and the Andes Mountains all close by.
The vineyards are deprived of rainfall in spring and summer, a problem addressed by a series of reservoirs, canals and pipelines bringing water down from the mountains.
This is region famed for the clarity of its skies and the purity of its air and mineral-rich soils; this natural benevolence has been harnessed by winemakers such as Jose Pablo Martin of Tamaya (one of region's most avant-garde wineries) and is captured in the wines, which are typically free from chemical or other forms of intervention.
The valley is planted with a range of grapes, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (720ha), Merlot (190ha), Carménère (124ha), Syrah (112ha) and Chardonnay (134ha)
The 2017 Legado Chardonnay was produced with fruit from Limarí on stony volcanic soils with clay and limestone. The drought between 2013 and 2015 killed some vineyards and increased the salinity of the soils, which is reflected in the wines. And 2017 was a low-yielding year, even in young vineyards like this one planted in 2009. The juice from pressing the full clusters fermented in used oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, and only 10% of the volume underwent malolactic. It matured in barrels for 14 months. The whole Legado range shows very varietal, more so in the Chardonnay than the Sauvignon Blanc, with the chalky texture of the limestone soils. Starting with the 2015 vintage, this wine is produced with grapes from Tabalí. Great for the price. 56,498 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018. Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)