Tasting notes: Tabalí Barranco Viognier Rio Hurtado
The nose is very elegant and subtly scented with floral notes, dry white fruits and spices, and has a slightly mineral note in the background. It is very elegant in the mouth, creamy but very fresh at the same time. An exquisite acidity is induced by the cold nightly mountain breezes.
Food Pairing: Tabalí Barranco Viognier Rio Hurtado
Producer Region:
This wine was produced exclusively with grapes from the Río Hurtado vineyard, which is in the Limarí Valley right in the Andes mountains, just 45km from Argentina. At an altitude of 1,600 metres above sea level, this singular mountain vineyard is one of the three highest in Chile. The soil where this vineyard is planted is special since it is located just where the alluvial soil meets a colluvial profile. The alluvial soil is formed by material dragged by the Hurtado River, whereas the alluvial soil is formed by landslides of rocks from higher mountain ranges. In both cases, the rock is of volcanic origin. The harvest began in the first week of March, when the grapes reached their optimum phenolic ripeness. The clusters of the grapes were manually selected and then pressed with full bunch, and only juice of superior quality was used in this wine. Fermentation took place in small stainless steel tanks with strict temperature control to preserve all the fruitiness and freshness of the grape. The wine aged in stainless steel tanks with a weekly pump-over to achieve greater aromatic complexity and more structure in the mouth.
Established in 2002, Tabalí is a pioneer and iconic winery situated in Limarí, on the edge of the Atacama Desert in one of the northernmost vineyard regions of Chile. They were one of the first wineries to settle in Limarí and their wines faithfully reflect their place of origin in which climate and soils play a fundamental role, and bring out the potential of each of their vineyards.
Tabalí is the only winery that produces wines that cross Chile from east to west in the same valley (D.O.), from their incredibly high and remote site of Roca Madre (second highest vineyard in Chile) in the Andes Mountains’ Rio Hurtado area down to their cool climate, ‘Camanchaca’ fog blanked vineyards by the Pacific Ocean. In their quest for the perfection, they now also have a site in the renowned Cabernet and Merlot region of Maipo Valley. The result is a range of truly distinctive wines with elegance, restraint and minerality which the dynamic team of Felipe Muller (winemaker) and Hector Rojas (viticulturalist) have attributed to their cabinet full of the wine world’s most prestigious trophies. In 2014, Felipe Müller was name ‘Chilean Young Winemaker of the Year’ and acclaimed for his ability to understand Tabali´s distinctive terroir and use it to create remarkable wines, unique to Chile.
Tabalí also has the honour of stewardship of the Limarí Valley’s most significant archaeological sites, the mystical ‘Valle del Encanto’ (Enchanted Valley) which borders their vineyards. A sacred site of the ancient Molle and Diaguita culture, the many rock drawings and carved Tacita stones depict an ancient way of life. The Tabalí mask logo has been taken from one of these rock carvings, which can only be seen at certain times of day when the sun’s alignment makes them magically appear.
