Noble Semillon 500ml 2020

Viu Manent's Noble Semillon comes from vineyards located in the Colchagua Valley, one of Chile's most renowned wine regions. Nestled near the town of San Carlos de Cunaco, the vines benefit from alluvial and clay soils, as well as the cooling influence of the Humboldt Current and breezes from the Andes Mountains. This geographical context promotes a slow ripening of the grapes, an ideal condition for producing concentrated and balanced sweet white wines.

The Sémillon grapes come from selected plots in the Colchagua Valley, harvested at advanced ripeness to concentrate sugars and aromas. After gentle pressing, the must is clarified and then slowly fermented at low temperatures to preserve aromatic freshness and develop the complexity typical of the estate's sweet wines. Aging continues on fine lees for several months, primarily in tanks, before bottling in 500ml bottles, to maintain the balance between richness, sweetness, and vibrancy.

This wine reveals notes of ripe stone fruit , candied citrus zest , and tropical fruit , complemented by delicate floral touches and subtle honeyed and spicy nuances reminiscent of sweet oak . On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and smooth, carried by a fresh acidity that balances the sweetness, offering a velvety texture and a long, flavorful, and harmonious finish.

It was Hernán Cortés who ordered the cultivation of vines upon the conquest of Mexico in 1524. It gradually spread from Mexico southward, reaching Chile in 1555. During the first three centuries of colonization, only país, a characterless and very productive black grape variety, was cultivated in Chile. It was not until the mid-19th century that noble varieties were introduced: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, mainly. Twenty years later, winemaking was modernized under the impetus of wealthy landowners and French experts who had been forced out of work by phylloxera in Europe. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, and the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it enjoys ideal conditions for growing grape varieties from warm, intermediate, and cool regions, so much so that it is often described as a vineyard paradise. With nearly 300 estates producing bottled wines, Chile ranks between 6th and 8th in the world.