Ventisquero Tara Pinot Noir 2020

Viña Ventisquero is a young Chilean winery whose Tara range comes from the Huasco Valley in the Atacama, one of the most extreme wine regions in the world. The vineyards sit on the edge of the desert, close to the Pacific, where cooling sea air and very low rainfall slow ripening and concentrate flavour. The soils are poor and stony with a strong marine and mineral character, which carries through into the wine as a saline, savoury quality. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape that struggles in heat, so this cool, bright-light desert setting allows it to keep fresh acidity and red fruit definition. The wine is made with a natural approach and aged for 24 months in used French oak barrels, an older format chosen to add slow oxygen exchange and texture rather than vanilla or toast. The colour is a bright translucent ruby. The nose offers red cherry, wild strawberry and rose, with smoke, brine and pepper underneath. The palate is light to medium bodied, with fine tannin, crisp acidity and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees. Good with duck, roast chicken and mushroom dishes.