by Anita Skogland

Calcu Gran Reserva 2021 Sauvignon/Semillon Blend from Marchigue Estate, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Available at: The Wine Vault
Price: $20.99

On the Nose: Pink grapefruit, tarragon, apple, mango.
On the Palate:  Balanced acidity, pineapple, fresh herbs, hint of salt.
Pair with:  Oysters, shrimp, mussels, soft cheeses, gazpacho.

Our Take: This is a typical Bordeaux white blend of 70% Sauvignon, 30% Semillon. The Semillon is a large white grape that is sometimes described as ‘oily’, which makes is a great foil for the high acidity of the Sauvignon. Good value wine – expect to see other quality, reasonably priced wines from this producer.

Fun Facts:: The winery is inland, about 16 miles from the Pacific Ocean in central Chile. It is an emerging wine production area, with dry, rocky soils that provide good nutrition for Bordeaux grapes, both red and white. The winemaker has worked at international wineries from Napa to Italy, France, and Spain. If you took an overlay of California and flipped it south of the equator, you would find that California and Chile have very similar geography and wine-growing regions. Chile is more slender east-to-west, from the Andes Mountains to the Pacific coast, but many other characteristics are the same.

Check out our other 20-buck bottle recommendations!