AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Concha y Toro “Terrunyo” Sauvignon Blanc 2005, El Triangulo Vineyard, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $25. DATE: 3/09/2006 10:07:00 PM ----- BODY:

This is one of those wines I have trouble making my mind up about – at first sip, it seems nice but underwhelming. Sauvignon Blanc, to be sure, with grapefruit and some tropical notes, but fleshy and well, lacking in the middle? I wonder what the fuss is about. Then several seconds later I notice that I’m still tasting the lingering fruit, and that my mouth still feels coated with the wine’s body. I take another sip … then another with dinner, and the fruit picks up a bit. It reminds me somewhat of the Kim Crawford 2004 from New Zealand that I had last week, which has calmed down a little and lost some of its racy acidity but is still showing beautifully. As I drain the last of the bottle, I’m still trying to make up my mind about this wine – but I’m certain I like it better than I did on the first sip, and I wish I had some more. Let’s face it – this is a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile that costs $25. That’s more expensive than most Sancerre. So it’s a bit of a stretch for me to recommend that you buy this, especially when you consider that it comes from a company that’s known for producing quaffable wines that go for $7 a magnum. Yet this is delicious wine. And there are clues on the label that promise quality. First is Concha y Toro – for even many of their cheap wines are impressive in quality. Next is Casablanca Valley. This area northwest of Santiago opens to the sea much like many of California’s prime wine-making valleys. That means it gets maritime fog and cool nights to balance warm, sunny days during the growing season. Chilean wineries are prime on this region for cool-weather varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir. There are also good Carmenere and Chardonnay coming from Casablanca Valley. The lack of acidity in this wine makes me suspect that it may not age well, but I’m not sure the winemakers really had that in mind. They’ve come up with a fleshy, seductive Sauvignon Blanc that will match well, at least for now, with some of the best in the world. Pair this with simply flavored foods to let the wine speak for itself. Imported by Excelsior Wine and Spirits, Old Brookeville, NY. And I had to take my #$%*(& progressive lenses off and use them as magnifying glasses just to read the fine print on that – why can’t they use that font for the Government Warning for crying out loud? Oh, never mind …

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