The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a wine sourced from vineyards in the Central Valley of Chile. The Central Valley is an Intermediate Depression between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Mountain Range. The Santa Rita Winery was founded in 1880, and their 120 brand of wines (which has been around for 50 years) is the top-selling Chilean export wine.
The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is sourced from several areas of the Central Valley. There are variations in climate up and down the valley, so this is a Taste Of the Central Valley wine instead of a wine that showcases a specific region.
This wine is 85% Sauvignon Blanc with no mention of the other 15% of the grapes in the Tasting Notes. In the 2019 vintage, the proportion was 98% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Semillion. Semillion is the grape paired with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux Blanc wines, and it is a French approach to Sauv Blanc.
The Semillon softens and balances the Sauvignon Blanc, so the difference in percentages of Sauvignon Blanc may mean there were two very different growing conditions between 2019 and 2020. The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 needed a little help from the blending grapes. An excellent winemaker will know to bring out the best in the wine.
You will see vintage charts for high-end wine regions, such as 2015 was an excellent vintage in Bordeaux. Those vintage charts only apply to the top wines, and Winemakers will make value-priced wines work in a challenging year. Add a little of this and take away a little of that, do what works; you can’t get away with that in high-priced wine.
The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a young wine; the Santa Rita website suggests drinking this vintage within three years. And sooner is usually better than later with these wines; you gain nothing by waiting, the is good to go open release for sale.
This Sauvignon Blanc wine comes from Free Run Juice. That is the juice that comes solely from the weight of the grapes when they are placed in the grape press. This is considered to be the best part of grape juice. The next best is the first crush, and then they will apply pressure several more times to get all the juice.
Some wineries will only make their wines from Free Run or First Crush and sell off the juice from the additional pressings. The Trader Joe’s, ALDI, and Costco wines can sometimes come from these other pressings of the grapes. The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, and the alcohol content is 13.3%.
Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Tasting Notes
The color is pale wheat yellow with a slight green tint. The nose is interesting, not as vibrant as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but bold in its own way. There are scents of melon, grapefruit, lemon, and limes, a grassy note with peach, soft spice, and a floral edge. The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is well-balanced and full of flavor.
It tastes like gooseberry, kiwi, grapefruit, peach, and tart apple. The mid-palate adds a salty sensation, a slap of exotic spice, a little stone fruit, and dried pineapple bits. I found this Sauv Blanc on sale for $5.99; it typically sells for a little under ten bucks. It has a great deal to offer for such a bargain price. The acidity is solid, the flavors have the structure to unfold, but the acid does not bite.
The Summary
- The Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a tasty wine, not as big and bold as the New Zealand variety, but with plenty of flavor to keep your interest.
- This a solid everyday wine.
