Bodega Santa Ema Chardonnay 2023

This Chardonnay comes from selected vineyards in Chile's Central Valley, a vast wine-growing corridor nestled between the Andes and the Coastal Range, whose influence shapes the ripening of the grapes. Based in Isla de Maipo, on the banks of the Maipo River, Santa Ema draws here on a temperate Mediterranean climate with cold winters and hot, dry summers. The 2023 vintage, marked by generous rainfall and slow ripening, produced aromatic whites with vibrant acidity.

The grapes are hand-harvested and then gently pressed. The must ferments slowly in stainless-steel tanks for around twenty-one days at a low temperature, about 14 °C, to preserve the full aromatic intensity of the grape variety. The wine sees no oak at all: it is simply filtered and bottled quickly to retain its freshness and the brightness of its fruit. This deliberately pared-back winemaking showcases a pure, juicy and immediately expressive Chardonnay.

This wine reveals notes of banana, passion fruit, pineapple, yellow peach, lemon, pear, acacia blossom and flint. The intense, sunny nose is dominated by ripe exotic fruit, lifted by a touch of citrus and a floral nuance. The palate is young and fruity, generous without heaviness, carried by lovely freshness. The whole remains perfectly balanced through to a pleasant, clean finish that calls for serving it well chilled.

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.