Maray Viognier Gran Reserva 2019

If you’re an avid star-gazer, then my goodness, this is a destination to put on your vinous radar!  The air in the Limari valley is amongst the purest on Earth and hence guarantees the most dramatic of starry displays night after night.  And if you’re not a night hawk, no matter, you’ll be bowled over by the dramatic and colourful surrounding mountainous landscape.

Subtly aromatic, our Maray Viognier is deliciously fragrant – think raisin and floral notes.  Combine this with the delicate hue of apricot, pear and citrus and you’ll understand why it is such a popular wine.  By the way, Maray is the name of the ancient Chilean grinding mill, used in Chilean mining once upon a time.

Winemaker Felipe Muller deservedly won Chilean Winemaker of the Year in 2014 for his deft touch and understanding of how to make great wines in one of the world’s driest regions.   The winery is even gravity driven, so there is no pumping needed at any point of the winemaking process and hence no unnecessary use of expensive energy.

Limari is found in the north of Chile, about 400km north of the capital, Santiago, and at the southern most point of the Atacama desert.  It is considered a cool climate with a strong Pacific ocean influence (the sea is only about 60km to the west), although the temperature can climb and it is incredibly sunny with a purity of air that is mind-boggling for an urbanite like me!

The extremely dry climate can be a challenge for winemaking in the region, particularly as Chile has experienced some of the lowest levels of rainfall in the last 12 months.  But the winery is lucky to have access to sufficient reservoirs to draw on water when needed.  Having said this, they are doing their bit to keep their water footprint at an absolute all-time low.  And of course, an arid climate can do wonders for maintaining healthy, virus-free grape crops year on year.