Pale yellow color; lemon, citrus, pineapple, asparagus on the nose; lemon, green apple, citrus, grapefruit, pinch of saline on the palate.
Dry; very citrusy; some vegetal elements—problematic for some, a feature for others. This is not a New Zealand, knife on the tongue sauv blanc; it is Chilean iteration—softer, fruitier, with vegetable notes. Lot of lemon. No oak, almost certainly was completely done in stainless steel; 13.5% ABV.
Viña San Pedro is a Chilean winemaker established in 1865. The grapes for this effort come from the Central Valley of Chile. The Correa Albano brothers, pioneers in bringing Old World vines to South America, founded the winery. Today, Vina San Pedro is a major Chilean maker, exporting to more than 80 markets across five continents with its brands: Altaïr, Cabo de Hornos, Sideral, Kankana del Elqui, Tierras Moradas, 1865, Epica, Castillo de Molina, 35 SUR, 9 Lives, and GatoNegro (this wine’s label—and its website and promotional support materials—make it hard to determine if this is one word or two, but it appears Viña San Pedro wants it to be one word even if search engines balk). GatoNegro—or Gato Negro, if you will—means “black cat” in Spanish.
Viña San Pedro is part of the VSPT Wine Group, Chile’s third largest viticultural group and the second-largest exporter of Chilean wine. Viviana Magnere is the GatoNegro winemaker. She started at Viña San Pedro in 2006 and became the leader of GatoNego—Viña San Pedro’s most global brand—in 2014. Magnere graduated as an Agricultural Engineer at Universidad Católica de Chile, specializing in enology.
Viña San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley, Chile 2016 is fresh and fruity, a Chilean take on sauv blanc with lemon and tart apple dominating the palate experience. Pair with shellfish and battered fried fish; vegetable entrees and salads; pasta; spicy sausage; goat cheese; brie, pears & brioche (visit the winery website for this and other recipes). $12-16
