The new vintage release of Amelia Chardonnay excelled as Chile’s best-evaluated white wine in the annual report published by British magazine The Drinks Business.
Renowned specialized magazine The Drinks Business published its annual report on Chilean wines, “The Far Side of the World.” Journalist and author Louis Thomas highlighted Limarí’s enormous potential to produce high-end Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The publication praised Marcelo Papa, Technical Director of Concha y Toro, and highlighted his role as a regional reference who later commented: “One of the particularities of the area is the camanchaca phenomenon – meaning cloudiness – with clouds coming from the ocean during the night. So when you wake up its cloudy, like London, but by midday the clouds retreat to the ocean. By the afternoon we get a blue sky. This is ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as they don’t like too much sun. It’s enough to ripen the fruit, but not enough to burn the natural acidity.”
The magazine’s September issue included a report by British Master of Wine Patrick Schmitt titled “Reaching New Heights,” which reviewed 50 labels from Chilean wineries. Amelia Chardonnay 2023, from the Quebrada Seca vineyard in the Limarí Valley, received an impressive 96 points, making it the top-rated white wine in the report. Patrick Schmitt described it as follows:
“Is this Chile’s best Chardonnay? It’s certainly my favourite of this year’s tasting, and I’ve scored it slightly higher than the 2022 vintage, which featured in last year’s sampling – so it’s getting better. What makes it so good? The peachy, lemony fruit, allied to a salty-freshness that lingers long after you swallowed it – hallmarks of the calcareous soils of cool, coastal Limarí, the source area for Amelia. Then there’s the winemaking, which, due to lees contact and barrel-ageing, brings about a toasty, smoky note, with peanuts and a subtle creamy character. However, don’t think this is an oily, heavy Chardonnay – this is a wine with a taut, fresh finish, featuring grilled citrus and salt crystals, encouraging you to sip it again and again.”
The recognition received by Amelia’s 2023 vintage and its acclaimed place of origin, D.O. Limarí, reinforces our brand’s extraordinary winemaking consistency in recent years, which positions us as one of the most acclaimed Chardonnays in the world.
