Our Wine of the Month #2 for October hits the right notes for Fall! The Ventisquero "Grey" series Pinot Noir comes from a single block of vines in Chile's cool, coastal Leyda Valley (which has a lot in common with the Sonoma Coast), this wine explodes with its emphatic Pinot character of forest undergrowth and vibrant, juicy red fruits. Once it really opens up in the glass, it's hard to stop smelling and sipping: it's a serious, characterful wine for the price!
Mid-bodied and lithe, with just a smattering of lightly grippy tannins, the mouthfeel shows a tension between its vinous breadth and weightless lift, finishing gently dry and tangy, fruity and herbal. Vibrant morello cherry, juicy plum, tangy strawberry guava and spicy-herbaceous flavors (like tobacco leaf) are in the driver's seat, but it's all infused with a light savory accent like roasted mushroom, and a rich earthy-wood tone in the background, like mahogany. It's all woven into a satisfyingly complex but easy-to-drink wine that will shine with a range of dishes! We recommend enjoying this at a cool 58 F, with things like meaty fish (like cedar-plank salmon, hazelnut-crusted halibut or pepper-crusted tuna), turkey with fresh cranberry sauce, shepherd's pie, Hungarian mushroom soup, or simply some tangy, nutty cheeses and cured meats.
WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The Pinot Noir from the affordable Grey range, the 2021 Grey Pinot Noir was produced with grapes from Leyda, planted on red clay and granite soils at five kilometers from the sea. It fermented in stainless steel with manual punch-downs after a cold maceration to extract color and aromas and matured for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of them new. It has 13.5% alcohol and a low pH (3.35), which means lots of freshness. This is textured and a little rounder than the Kalfu (they are from separate vineyards and planted with different clones) but still elegant and balanced; the whole Grey range has been slimmed down in recent years, and the styles converge toward more verticality, definition and elegance. 20,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2022." - Luis Gutiérrez
VINOUS MEDIA 91 POINTS - "The 2021 Pinot Noir Grey Single Block from Leyda, San Antonio, was pre-fermented and cold-soak macerated before aging for 12 months in French barrels, 15% new. Light garnet red in the glass. The nose presents sour cherry, damp earth and a hint of mushroom. Refreshing (compared with older vintages) it delivers a taut, finely grained palate. This style is a far cry from the herbal, overripe character traditionally found in the region." - JoaquÃn Hidalgo
Best served at a cool 58F.
Mid-bodied and lithe, with just a smattering of lightly grippy tannins, the mouthfeel shows a tension between its vinous breadth and weightless lift, finishing gently dry and tangy, fruity and herbal. Vibrant morello cherry, juicy plum, tangy strawberry guava and spicy-herbaceous flavors (like tobacco leaf) are in the driver's seat, but it's all infused with a light savory accent like roasted mushroom, and a rich earthy-wood tone in the background, like mahogany. It's all woven into a satisfyingly complex but easy-to-drink wine that will shine with a range of dishes! We recommend enjoying this at a cool 58 F, with things like meaty fish (like cedar-plank salmon, hazelnut-crusted halibut or pepper-crusted tuna), turkey with fresh cranberry sauce, shepherd's pie, Hungarian mushroom soup, or simply some tangy, nutty cheeses and cured meats.
WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The Pinot Noir from the affordable Grey range, the 2021 Grey Pinot Noir was produced with grapes from Leyda, planted on red clay and granite soils at five kilometers from the sea. It fermented in stainless steel with manual punch-downs after a cold maceration to extract color and aromas and matured for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of them new. It has 13.5% alcohol and a low pH (3.35), which means lots of freshness. This is textured and a little rounder than the Kalfu (they are from separate vineyards and planted with different clones) but still elegant and balanced; the whole Grey range has been slimmed down in recent years, and the styles converge toward more verticality, definition and elegance. 20,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2022." - Luis Gutiérrez
VINOUS MEDIA 91 POINTS - "The 2021 Pinot Noir Grey Single Block from Leyda, San Antonio, was pre-fermented and cold-soak macerated before aging for 12 months in French barrels, 15% new. Light garnet red in the glass. The nose presents sour cherry, damp earth and a hint of mushroom. Refreshing (compared with older vintages) it delivers a taut, finely grained palate. This style is a far cry from the herbal, overripe character traditionally found in the region." - JoaquÃn Hidalgo
Best served at a cool 58F.
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