Casa Silva Classic Semillon 2002

A brilliant, vibrant wine that radiates sunshine from every glass, the 2002 Casa Silva Classic Semillon is latent with the waft of tropical fruit: mango, pineapple, and lime emerge with airing, to foretell a long and illustrious future. Rich in flavor, texture and balance, the 2002 Casa Silva is already a bright, extremely enjoyable wine that seems ready to pop with pent up fruit and crisp acidity. And like all self respecting Semillon wines, the Casa Silva Classic will benefit from additional bottle age because as good as it is now; its best is yet to come. With a little more bottle age and sweet repose, we are betting that this debut Semillon will turn out to be nothing short of show stopping. If this first effort from Casa Silva is any indication of what the Semillon varietal is capable of achieving in Chile, the consumer is in for a real treat. We suggest serving the Casa Silva Semillon well chilled, but then allowing it to breathe and warm up in the glass. This way all the latent goodness and subtle nuance in the wine are not lost: for what it's worth, the tasting panel was nearly unanimous in its preference for handling the wine in this manner. Enjoy!

Our first impression of the 2002 Casa Silva Classic Semillon was that it would be a superb accompaniment to shellfish and just about anything else that swims, and we were right. One of the first dishes we enjoyed with this wine was a traditional Chilean seviche, marinated in fresh limejuice. Yum! We also suggest trying the lighter more delicate forms of sushi, as well as sashimi, with this offering. As an alter ego, foie gras provides a wonderful companion, drawing out the wine's fruit and underpinning, along with the many subtle nuances of flavor that make this Casa Silva Semillon so enjoyable. And when all else fails, just a plain old, comfortable spot on the porch, surrounded by family and friends, provides another perfect way to enjoy Casa Silva's Classic Semillon.

Located in the heart of Colchagua, Chile's Napa Valley, Casa Silva is one of South America's most exciting and forward-looking wineries. Historical accounts tell us that the Silva family's predecessors were pioneers in Colchagua more than a century ago, when they brought the first grape varieties from France to this lovely valley, located just two hours south of Santiago. Today, the Silvas, father Mario and sons Mario Pablo, Gonzalo, and Francisco remain pioneers: they are Colchagua's foremost experts on Carmenere, Chile's emblematic red grape variety. Moreover, they are at the vanguard of their nation's success with Semillon and Viognier, two of France's greatest white varietals. A family passion, a love for the land and its wine, and a commitment to future generations has catapulted Casa Silva in just seven years from a bulk supplier and bottler of wine to one of the continent's superstars. Since its inception in 1997, Casa Silva has become the Chilean winery with the most recognition and awards at international wine competitions. For three consecutive years, 2000, 2001, and 2002, the Catad'Or Hyatt, Chile's most prestigious wine competition, has heralded Casa Silva as the Best Chilean Producer. Furthermore, the International Wine & Spirit Competition named Casa Silva as The best South American Producer, and with good cause. This estate's many wines are uniformly excellent and getting better every day.