Casas del Bosque Casablanca Valley Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2015

France once dominated the production of world class Sauvignon Blanc, but no more. Many fine Sauvignon Blancs now flow from California, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere, yet few New World Sauvignon Blanc wines match the quality and value of the 2015 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc. The 2015 Casablanca Reserva offers the crispness of French Sancerre, the juicy citrus flavors of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatic intensity that only Chile seems to impart to Sauvignon Blanc: a delightful mélange of citrus, melon, and herb that intensifies as the wine rests in the glass. Bright in color, captivating in aroma, and delicious in flavor, the exuberant 2015 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc demonstrates why today the wines of Chile’s Casablanca Valley are so highly sought after. For optimal enjoyment of this Sauvignon Blanc, we suggest only moderate chilling (40º F). And, although gratifying from the moment it is poured, we suggest affording Casas del Bosque’s balanced, artfully crafted Reserva Sauvignon Blanc a few minutes of aeration in the glass in order to reveal all of its charm. Enjoy!

Sauvignon Blanc is often served as an aperitif, and it functions well in that role. Consequently, it is easy to forget that Sauvignon Blanc truly thrives at table in the company of seafood, salads, pastas, white meats and all types of cheeses. Although ebullient and a pleasure to drink on its own or with just a few slices of cheese, apple or pear, the 2015 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc shines in the company of seafood. A bowl of New Zealand Green Tip Mussels steamed in a tasty broth provides ideal companionship to Casas del Bosque’s Reserva Sauvignon Blanc. The more adventuresome may consider serving the mussels in a spicy tomato sauce with Chorizo sausage with a side of garlic bread. Clams and oysters, sautéed or on the half shell, provide great foils, too. For those who prefer fish to shellfish, filets of cod, flounder, grouper, and halibut poached in white wine, garlic, herbs and a touch of mustard offer more tasty accompaniments to this wine. Light tempuras and herb encrusted shrimp or prawns provide more tasty treats. For those who eschew seafood, Casas del Bosque’s Sauvignon Blanc complements tasty Asian dishes, including Hunan Chicken, fresh Thai or Vietnamese spring rolls, and lightly curried vegetarian Indian specialties. Thin crust pizzas with three or more cheeses, mushrooms and vegetables provide other tasty accompaniments. And for those who prefer simple salads, consider serving the 2015 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc with a Mediterranean chicken salad with walnuts, grapes and goat cheese over a bed of arugula or mixed organic greens. Is anyone hungry and thirsty?

Chile continues to be a source of exceptional wines for quality, value and variety. This is due largely to the burgeoning number of boutique wineries such as Casas del Bosque that continuously push the envelope on quality through excellent vineyard management, site selection and meticulous attention in the cellar.

Casas del Bosque sprang to life in 1993 as a family boutique winery dedicated exclusively to the production of high quality wines. And by all accounts this boutique operation is ably fulfilling its mission, as the recent spate of 90+ point ratings from world renowned critics will attest. Casas del Bosque is located just 40 miles from Chile’s capital of Santiago and a mere 18 miles from Chile’s principal port of Valparaiso. This boutique operation cultivates its own vineyards in the nearby Casablanca Valley, the preferred place for premium white wine production. They also have significant vineyard holdings in the premier red wine producing valleys of Maipo and Rapel south of Santiago, areas noted for fashioning exceptional Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon. Casas del Bosque’s meticulous attention to vineyard management and careful site and varietal selection guarantee superior fruit for the winery’s portfolio of high quality wines. Such care has also earned Casas del Bosque the distinction of Chilean Winery of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London for two years in a row (2013 and 2014).

Presently, Casas del Bosque has approximately 500 acres of vines under cultivation, which are spread throughout Chile’s best viticultural valleys and microclimates. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling hail from the winery’s superb Casablanca holdings and form the backbone of the estate’s white wine portfolio. Exceptional Pinot Noir and Syrah are also cultivated by Casas del Bosque in Casablanca. Casas del Bosque’s exceptional ultra-premium Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines emanate from the warmer Rapel and Maipo valleys. The winery’s Pequeñas Producciones (very limited productions) of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Syrah are Casas del Bosque’s ultimate luxury offerings.