IN BREVE
- Tara White Wine 3 is a Sauvignon Blanc from northern Chile, produced in the Huasco Valley, on the edge of the Atacama Desert.
- Produced by Ventisquero Wine Estates, the wine reflects the arid terroir with a winemaking approach that involves neither fining nor filtration.
- The 2022 vintage presents a unique sensory profile, with mineral and vegetal notes, balanced freshness, and structure.
- Felipe Tosso and John Duval are the two winemakers: key figures ensuring quality and innovation at the Ventisquero winery.
- Winemag Score: 94/100
An extreme Sauvignon Blanc, born from a unique terroir and viticulture at the edge of possibility. This is Tara White Wine 3, a label from Ventisquero Wine Estates, produced in the Huasco Valley, at the gateway to the Atacama Desert, in northern Chile. The 2022 vintage confirms the project’s identity: a wine that interprets one of the planet’s most arid terroirs. Without stylistic concessions that might recall other territories.
The winery, founded in 1998 by Gonzalo Vial Vial, works with extreme vineyards, from the desert to the highest altitudes, with an approach that prioritizes research, sustainability, and winemaking experimentation. The Tara line, at the top of Ventisquero Wine Estates’ range, was created precisely to express the character of Chile’s most remote areas.
AN EXTREME TERROIR, BETWEEN SALT AND LIMESTONE IN THE ATACAMA DESERT
The vineyard from which Tara White Wine 3 originates is located in the Longomilla area, on the second terrace of the Huasco River, where the soil has a limestone component and a significant presence of salt. The daily influence of the Camanchaca, the fog that arrives from the Pacific Ocean, provides the minimal moisture necessary for the survival of vines in a desert environment.
The climatic consistency of the area means that harvest dates vary little from one vintage to the next. The grapes from the 2022 vintage were harvested in late February, as is customary in the Huasco Valley.
Tara White Wine 3: ESSENTIAL WINEMAKING TO PRESERVE THE DESERT
The production method remains unchanged from the Tara line’s style. The grapes are cooled and undergo a brief cold maceration. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, without additions or winemaking interventions.
The wine ages in concrete eggs to preserve minerality and structure. Tara White Wine 3 is neither fined nor filtered. A choice consistent with the goal of keeping the traits of the Atacama Desert intact.
THE WINE: MINERAL CHARACTER AND TENSION
The sensory profile of Tara White Wine 3 2022 is unforgettable. Very pale color, a straw yellow with greenish reflections. It appears visibly hazy, due to the presence of fine sediment from the lack of filtration. The nose is decisively varietal, but with a pronounced mineral component, as well as vegetal.
Wet gravel is as clear as freshly cut grass. A nose that doesn’t change, except to reveal some citrus notes, between lime and pomelo. On the palate, Tara White Wine 3 2022 delivers on its promise. There are acidic tension and a certain structure, harmoniously balanced by the creaminess from aging on fine lees. The finish is long and precise, consistent with the saline imprint of the soil. Fresh. Never bitter.
Ventisquero Wine Estates: VISION AND AMBITION
Today, there are two key figures at Ventisquero Wine Estates: Felipe Tosso, chief winemaker, and John Duval, consulting winemaker. Felipe Tosso has led the group’s winemaking development since 2000, after experiences in some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions. John Duval, a legend in Australia for his 30 years at Penfolds, helps define the style and quality of the winery’s most iconic wines.
Together they embody Ventisquero’s vision: to unite tradition, Chilean terroir, and international ambition, following the founder’s will. All starting from 1998, when the first vines were planted on the Trinidad estate in the Maipo Costa Valley. From the outset, Ventisquero has pursued the goal of paying tribute to Chile’s origins. From the name inspired by the glaciers of Patagonia to the choice to vinify with respect for the raw material, to enhance territorial expression.
