Kalfu means "blue" in the language of the Mapuche, the indigenous inhabitants of Chile, and for the Mapuche, Kalfu is synonymous with the magnificent Pacific Ocean that borders Chile's western coastline. A coastline blessed with an exceptional cool climate, constant refreshing breezes and early morning fogs that enforce a slow, steady ripening period for grapes, helping to create balanced, elegant wines. Kalfu is produced in Chile by Ventisquero, a winery dedicated to creating outstanding wines in a sustainable fashion.
I'm reviewing two wines by Kalfu this week. Today it's the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc and then on Sunday it's the 2017 Pinot Noir. I feel like it's been awhile since I've reviewed a wine from Chile. Lots of French and Italian stuff lately, and a bunch of Spanish stuff coming up. You know what I don't do a lot of reviews for? South Africa and Australia. I need to see if that can be remedied.
Anyways, this is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the granitic clay soil of the Las Terrazas Vineyard in Leyda Valley, Chile. The grapes were harvested early in the morning on March 19th, were further selected and destemmed, underwent cold fermentation for 12-14 hours, and saw fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 12°C and 15°C. Then it saw three months on the lees with plenty of gentle battonage. It has an ABV of 12.5%
I really like the Kalfu label with the seahorse. It's attractive and attention grabbing. The color of the wine is a pale yellow with a greenish tint. I hate to use grapefruit as a descriptor for a Sauvignon Blanc from outside of New Zealand because I feel like I'm telling you that it's one of those oppressively pungent grapefruity NZSB's that are out there (a style I am completely done with now and cannot even force myself to drink). But this one has grapefruit on the nose, along with lime, green olive, green herbs, and a little bit of pear.
On the palate it's medium bodied, on the richer side for a Sauv Blanc in mouthfeel, and has some big acidity that doesn't get too carried away. I don't get much grapefruit on the palate but I get flavors of passion fruit, lime, green olivs, and seasalt. My favorite part of this wine is the finish of lime, green olive, and seasalt that coats your entire mouth as the acidity kicks up your saliva production.
This Sauvie is not going to make you stop and say "holy crap this is amazing" but it's solid for the price. I enjoyed it, and it pairs very well with this traditional Balkan farm cheese that I purchased recently.
On the palate it's medium bodied, on the richer side for a Sauv Blanc in mouthfeel, and has some big acidity that doesn't get too carried away. I don't get much grapefruit on the palate but I get flavors of passion fruit, lime, green olivs, and seasalt. My favorite part of this wine is the finish of lime, green olive, and seasalt that coats your entire mouth as the acidity kicks up your saliva production.
This Sauvie is not going to make you stop and say "holy crap this is amazing" but it's solid for the price. I enjoyed it, and it pairs very well with this traditional Balkan farm cheese that I purchased recently.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $19
The bottle used was provided free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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