Medium garnet color; raspberry, cherry, cinnamon, forest floor on vivid nose; raspberry, cherry, oak on the palate.
Dry; light-medium body; medium-plus acidity (3.42 pH) and soft tannins. Very smooth, delicious, red fruit-forward with black fruit supporting cast. 100% pinot noir. 100% of the wine aged 12 months in French oak, 15% new, 30% second use, 55% third use. 13.5% ABV
Vina Ventisquero began in 1998 with a commitment to avant-garde, high-quality wines with emphasis on single block efforts from Chile’s major production efforts—Coastal Maipo, Casablanca, Colchagua, Leyda, and Huasco. Maartín and Eduardo Silva with Aurelio Montes planted the first vines at their Trinidad property in the coastal part of the Maipo Valley. The effort emphasized respect for the land, sustainability, efficient use of water, root development of vines suitable to single blocks, vine management, and precision agriculture.
The website reports: “The project was initially called Viña Lo Miranda and was renamed Viña Vial. Then, in 1999, the new winery was formally launched with a name that paid homage to our glaciers and Chilean Patagonia: Ventisquero. At the dawn of a new millennium, the first harvest took place, led by winemaker Felipe Tosso, and the first Viña Ventisquero wines were released for sale in 2001.”
The site continues: “Drawing on advice from Australian winemaker John Duval and thanks to a great team, the winery began to grow, opening offices in the United States and Europe and exploring plantations in other wine regions, such as Casablanca and Colchagua. Meanwhile, its wines were gaining recognition in Chile and abroad.”
In 2020, Viña Ventisquero became “Ventisquero Wine Estates”, a conglomerate that exports 1.5 million cases of Chilean wine around the world. It is the first winery to receive the “Certified Sustainable Wine of Chile” seal with certification of 100% of its vineyards.
Vina Ventisquero Grey Glacier Las Terrazas Vineyard Single Block Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, Chile 2017 is light-medium palate pleaser. Fruit forward, compelling, superb value. Pair with salmon and other rich fish; poultry; lighter red meats—beef, lamb. Is light, delicious, and versatile enough to work with charcuterie board or sipped all by itself. Cheese—sheep’s milk cheeses; gruyère, comté, emmenthal, gouda, taleggio. $20-22
Link to panorama photo of Vina Ventisquero tasting room
