2015 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Chardonnay Casablanca Valley

The Brightest Star from Chile’s Top Winery of the Year — Two Years Running

Our annual sojourn to Chile’s lush Casablanca Valley is among our most picturesque trips ­— and one of our toughest assignments. Regardless of the quality of the reds and whites we discover in the country’s top viticultural region, most Americans are simply unwilling to pay more than $15 for Chile’s finest wines.

In blind tastings, Chile’s elite Cabernet Sauvignons, and a handful of the brilliant Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from cool-climate Casablanca, outpoint French and American wines of twice the price. Yet importers and retailers refuse to take notice. So each year we receive the same marching orders to turn aside from anything $16 and above, no matter how tempting ­— a tall order given the tiny yields in coastal Casablanca.

Once in a while, we come across a gem that makes our difficult task a little easier. This year, that gem appeared in the form of the absolutely exquisite Gran Reserva Chardonnay from Casas del Bosque, which shocked us with its superb marriage of New World opulence and electrifying acid backbone. That our favorite bottle of the vintage hailed from Casas del Bosque, known for its mastery with whites, should come as no surprise — they were named the #1 Chilean Winery of the Year for two years running by the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Wine Spectator’sformer European bureau chief James Suckling fell hard for the Chardonnay too, praising the “fresh acidity” and “tight grained and focused fruit” and pinning on a glowing 92 points.

If you were to compare Casablanca to another New World growing region, the best analogy would be the Santa Barbara coastline. Both spots are magnificent, with the chilly ocean waters on one side and mountains on the other. Daytime highs rarely exceed 80 degrees. In the starlit maritime nights, the mercury plummets, often creeping into the low 40s. While that dramatic diurnal temperature shift stretches out growing seasons interminably, bringing high-acid, small-berry clusters to superb natural ripeness, yields are small — rarely topping 3 tons per acre.

Where Casablanca departs from the Central Coast is in the soil. Casas del Bosque’s hillsides are planted on 120-million-year-old granitic clay, layered with limestone and alluvial gravel. The vines spider down through the porous sediment, tapping into rich deposits and lending the Chardonnay a superb wet-stone minerality. Ten months of barrel fermentation (35% new, 65% used) fill out and fatten up the mid-palate. All told, it’s made for one of the most luscious bargain whites of the last few years — California wineries wouldn’t think twice before charging double the price for this bottle.

The 2015 Casas Del Bosque Gran Reserva Chardonnay Casablanca Valley is brilliant straw-gold to the rim, infused with mouthwatering aromas of apple, pear, and hazelnut, framed by new-wood vanilla. The attack is New World — rich and dense, packed with exotic fruit and ripe lemon, finishing with wet-stone minerality and marvelous persistence.

If you’re looking to sock away a case or two of an exquisite bargain white for late spring and early summer drinking by the pool, look no further. $25 on release. $14.99 only from WineAccess for the brightest star of Chile’s excellent Chardonnay crop.

• ABV 14.50%
• Enjoy right away
• % Chardonnay