2019 Tabali Talinay Sauvignon Blanc Valle de Limari Chile

This may come as a shock given the price, but for a mere $21, this gorgeous 2019 Tabalí Talinay Sauvignon Blanc is a serious contender for Chile’s top white wine.

From one of the most breathtaking sites we’ve ever laid eyes on, this dynamite discovery is elegant and mineral-laden in a way that is profoundly reminiscent of the top estates in the Loire.

And we’re not alone in thinking so. The Wine Advocate rated it an outstanding 95 points, calling it “electric” and asserting, “I’d like to see this in a blind flight with some top Sancerre.”

Platinum in hue, this zesty Sauvignon Blanc seduces with bright aromas of fresh mandarin blossom, chamomile tea, and jasmine kissed with an intriguing note of jalapeño. Racy acidity balances an elegance on the palate that’s flecked with Sicilian lemon peel, crushed limestone, and a distinct saline tone that evokes its extreme coastal origins.

“As a winemaker, I do not like to cook. I like to show the wine as it is,” Tabalí winemaker Felipe Müller told us as he drove us through the Limarí Valley foothills of the coastal range that lead to Talinay—a vineyard that truly feels like it’s at the end of the world. Based on this wine’s palpable origins, it would indeed be almost criminal to tamper too much in the cellar and distract from all that dazzling terroir.

Located 200 miles north of Santiago and just west of the Atacama Desert—known as the driest place on Earth—Limarí is among the northernmost wine grape growing regions in Chile. Talinay is its crown jewel. Just seven miles from the ocean, the vineyard’s untamed terrain is so otherworldly that it’s part of the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The steep, jagged vineyard is surrounded by cacti and brush, but Talinay’s defining feature are the rare, blindingly white limestone soils. They’re the winemaking equivalent of striking gold.

The cool coastal breeze, long growing season, and calcium-rich limestone converge in a wild paradise for Tabalí’s white varieties such as this Sauvignon Blanc, accounting for the wine’s tension, vibrant acidity, and wonderful chalky texture. Dropping hydrochloric acid on a piece of limestone to demonstrate its purity as it fizzled and sputtered before us, Müller told us he still feels incredulous every time he visits this site, and can’t believe he has access to its grapes.

At $21, we almost can’t believe we have access to this wine. But after a 12-hour redeye to Santiago, this was our reward for tacking on the additional flight to Limarí. It’s a journey that few make, so the wines reflect a price that feels blissfully stuck in another era despite the vast critical acclaim for the region’s top wines.

Vinous deemed this 2019 Talinay “an exquisite combination of tension and volume,” while South America’s leading wine guide, Descorchados, rated it a whopping 96 points, calling it “one of the best Sauvignon Blancs made in Chile.” Take advantage of Tabalí’s pricing now, before the rest of the world finally catches on to the thrilling values coming out of this world-class estate.    

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 13.00%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Sauvignon Blanc
• Serving temperature – 48°
• Cork