Limarí is in northern Chile but is a fairly cool climate. Marcelo Papa, C y T's chief wine maker, believes Limarí to be the best area in Chile for Chardonnay (what chief wine maker doesn't think so of their newest area to market?). I haven't usually enjoyed Chilean wines and I usually find Chardonnay soporific so I did not approach this with an open mind.
So, it is all the more shocking that I found it perfectly drinkable. Golden-green, unevolved colour. The scent is full of lime and gooseberry and a general green fruitiness that is suggestive of crispness on the palate. It seems to be full bodied but the acidity is strong enough (7,7g/l !) that it is very light on its feet. Crisp, citric and quite persistent on the finish.
New world? This? But where's the oak?* Apparently only 20% sees oak and even that is in 400 liter barrels that are twice and thrice used. There is a subtle smokiness on some sniffs, but the oak influence is so small that even I am not disturbed by it - it is so quiet that I had to listen hard to find the noise, and even then I lost it quickly.
Good stuff. Nice to see Chardonnay made in an invigorating (pertaining to both its acidity and its lack of soporific elements
) style with little oak. Since even a giant of the mass-market wine like C y T is making one in this style, is there a general trend in making Chardonnay drinkable again?** Yes, yes, my prejudices are showing here, I know. FWIW, I have tasted some very nice unoaked Chardonnays recently (Clos Pepe and Marimar Torres).
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