Maurizio Garibaldi “Mako” Sauvignon Blanc 2016

“lemony citrus and bergamot ”

Whoops, this release has only one white wine. I’ll be honest, it was kind of a miscalculation on my part. I’m not a huge fan of Torrontès from Argentina (very bitter and overly floral) and it was hard to find a representative white that really spoke to terroir and grape in a meaningful way. As far as categories go, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is similar to Australian Shiraz. Most of the wines out there are very cheap, fruity and cheerful. Many of them are very industrial and process-driven. They end up on an American store shelf for $7 to $12 dollars, and are refreshing but forgettable.

So when I found an importer based in Seattle that deals in pure, authored wines from individual terroirs around Chile, I was hoping they could come through with a delicious Sauvignon Blanc, and indeed they did!

Maurizio Garibaldi is a surfer bro and an excellent winemaker living his best life near the Chilean coast, which also happens to be where many of the best Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown. The Humboldt Current brings extremely cold water north along the Chilean coast from Antarctica. This causes cool breezes and fogs to drift in from the Pacific, and provides a balanced climate for grapes to grow.

This 2016 Mako Sauvignon blanc is the only white wine that Maurizio Garibaldi makes. It’s aged on its lees and spends 15 months in used French oak, which lends some wonderful texture and weight without adding too much spicy flavor. Notes of bright, tart lemony citrus and bergamot lead, but the neutral oak comes through and provides great texture and silkiness on the finish.

hope you enjoy this one! cheers. - Jackson