Amelia Chardonnay 2019

Amelia Chardonnay 2019

Concha y Toro launched the Amelia brand in 1993 as a tribute to all the women who have pushed beyond the limits. Think Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodal, Gertrude Ederte and more.

Named after Marcelo Papa's wife- "Amelia Chardonnay displays multiple aromatic layers, with an excellent combination of structure and minerality, as well as an attractive salinity in its fresh, long-lasting finish." — Marcelo Papa, Winemaker.

Grape Varietals & Region: A top-end Chardonnay taken from the Quebrada Seca Vineyard in the "unknown" and "extreme" Limarí Valley, northern Chile. Quebrada Seca is located 190 metres above sea level. On one of the valley's rolling hills bordering the Atacama Desert to the north and just 22 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean to the west. Cool climate and moderate temperatures, thanks to coastal breezes, help the fruit to ripen slowly and produce fresh wines with an attractive mineral character.

The vineyard is notable because its clay soils contain a high limestone content, which is very unusual for Chile. This mix of clay and limestone in this specific part of Chile is the perfect base for Chardonnay. Creating wines of great structure since the limestone gives it backbone and the clay provides body.

Taste Profile: Brilliant light yellow colour. Its crystalline appearance contradicts its complex and multi-layered bouquet. Aromas of white flowers and pears waft from the glass, with a predominance of flinty mineral notes. Refreshing, textured, an elegant mouthfeel. An excellent combination of structure and minerality with a very attractive salinity on the long, fresh finish.

Winemaking Process: After a manual harvest, the grapes are brought to the winery. They go through selection on a conveyor belt, which then deposits them directly into the press without destemming. This allows the berries to break gently without applying too much pressure, resulting in a delicate and controlled extraction. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels, with 18% new and the remainder with one or two previous uses.

Fermentation lasts 15–18 days, and the wine finally ages in Burgundy-style French oak barrels for 12 months. The wine stabilises naturally with the cold winter temperatures as it ages in the barrels.