“Beautiful place, beautiful wine” is a commonly used phrase in the wine world to express that usually wines reflect the beauty of their terroir of origin.  In the case of the wines coming from the Talinay Vineyard we couldn’t agree more, but we would like to add “exceptional vineyards, exceptional wines”, as this vineyard is a real jewel.

Tabali has 3 different vineyards in the Limarí Valley, in the north of Chile.  They are located across the valley from the coast, very near the Pacific Ocean in the west, to the heights of the Andes Mountain on the east, at 1.600 mts above sea level.

The Talinay vineyard is located in the Limarí Valley on the untamed cool coast of northern Chile. It is next to the Fray Jorge National Park, in an area that UNESCO has declared a World Biosphere reserve.

This vineyard is situated in a very special area, at only 12km from the Pacific Ocean, where the Antarctic driven Humboldt Current brings on a cold stream of water that flows north along the western coast of South America. The Humboldt Current has a considerable cooling influence on the climate of Chile, with dense foggy mornings and bright sunny afternoons, making the wines coming from coastal vineyards very characteristic. Also, the proximity to the ocean creates a constant cool sea breeze. These extraordinary conditions mean that the Talinay vineyard experiences much lower temperatures than the rest of the valley, making this the vineyard with the coolest climate in the whole Limarí Valley. In summer, the maximum temperature is 23.5ºC, which means that the grapes can be harvested 2-3 weeks later that the other coastal areas in Chile.

Felipe Müller, Tabali’s CEO and Chief Winemaker, explains that what makes the wines stand out are the distinct and exceptional soils from this vineyard. The vineyards are planted on specific limestone slopes. This is a place with a geological phenomenon that is unique in Chile and that gives a very particular characteristic to the wines. This has come about because it is an ancient marine terrace that is now on the surface. It has a very porous, fractured limestone soil, which enables the roots to easily explore the rock, which in turn acts as a hydric regulator and an extraordinary source of calcium carbonate. This mineral has a significant effect on the quality of the great wines produced in some of the world’s most famous wine regions, as it gives a very particular characteristic to the wines, having a low fruit expression but a very elegant, austere, mineral taste, with great tension, and nerve.

The Limarí Valley has been established as a new alternative to the more traditional Chilean coastal valleys such as Casablanca and Leyda, offering very different wines, where you can taste all the elegance and minerality given by the limestone rock of its terroir of origin in the extreme coastal Talinay Vineyard.

The technical team at Viña Tabali has established that the varieties that suit best at the Talinay Vineyard are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah, so these are the ones planted here.

Talinay’s exceptional wines

Given the importance of its origin, Tabali has named “Talinay” its selection of wines coming from this remarkable vineyard. There are 2 icon wines of this singular collection just recently released: Talinay Pai and Talinay Litico.

Talinay Pai is a Pinot Noir made with Burgundian massal selections​ imported from Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey-Chambertin. Only 1.15 hectares of vines were planted on 2012, and the first vintage released was the 2018, with a limited production of only 6.000 bottles. It has a very different personality, with elegant colour and light alcohol​. It has fine rose petal and wild strawberry​ flavours, nuanced oak, chalky minerality and caressing tannins. Austere, complex and elegant wine, named Pai in honour of Tabali’s founder, Guillermo Luksic, by his family. Pai means “Father” in the language of the aboriginal local Diaguita people. The first vintage of this swine has been highly recognized by the press, wining “Best wine of the year” in the Descorchados wine guide, as well as “Best Pinot Noir of the year”, with 98 points. Talinay Pai 2018 also got 96 points form the prestigious Tim Atkin Guide and Robert Parker.

Talinay Litico is a very special Malbec. Its name means Lithic in English, highlighting the importance of the rocks and soil of origin in this wine. The exclusive 1.28 hectares of vines for this wine were grafted over a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in 2015, and 2017 was it’s first vintage released to the market. It has already been recognized as one of Chile’s best Malbecs. This extremely coastal Malbec is fermented in small stainless steel tanks and spends 14 months ageing in French oak barrels. Only 4.300 bottles of this wine are produced per vintage.  As the famous British wine critic Tim Atkin described it, is “Fresh, sappy and very pure, with lovely focus, elegance and minerality, black cherry and blueberry fruit and a chiselled, mouth – watering finish”

Tabali Talinay Sauvignon Blanc offers a very different wine, where you can taste all the elegance and minerality given by the calcareous rock of its terroir of origin in the extreme coastal Talinay Vineyard. Felipe Müller explains that this wine comes from a singular terroir, has a different vineyard management and a special treatment in the winery, giving as a result a unique and complete Sauvignon Blanc, with great structure and at the same time acidity, that has a long ageing potential as it evolves wonderfully in the bottle. This wine has got excellent ratings from the wine critics, such as The Wine Advocate who rated the 2019 vintage with 95 points.

Tabali Talinay Chardonnay is a wine in which every single task in the vineyard, from pruning to harvesting, is carefully supervised by our viticultural and winemaking team in order to produce the best quality fruit possible. This pale, yellow-coloured Chardonnay reflects the unique mineral character of the terroir at Talinay, which balances perfectly with its delicious, creamy, vibrant palate. The nose reveals impressive purity and precision, balanced with a harmonious freshness. The finish is persistent and elegant.  In the Wine Advocate publication, Luis Gutierrez said about this wine: “It has a very integrated oak and a vibrant and fresh palate with a salty finish. It has the precision of Talinay, combining structure with freshness and consistency year after year”. This wine has been chosen Best Chardonnay from Chile in the Descorchados wine guide and has got excellent ratings from several wine publications such as Decanter Magazine, who rated it with 96 points for the 2020 vintage.

Tabali Talinay Pinot Noir has been described by the press as a unique wine, very different to most Chilean pinots. More subtle, fragrant and with a serious palate. With structure and at the same time electric freshness. In this wine everything is done with great care and attention to detail, starting by the meticulous selection of the hand harvested clusters. Vinification is done with the same attention. Fermentation is done with native yeasts, and pump overs are done very gently to extract the colour and flavours from the grapes. Then, the wines age for 12 months in French oak barrels from prestigious sources such as Fontainebleau, Jupille, Bertrange, Troncais and Allier. The result is a delicious and fresh wine with complex mineral notes, abundant red fruit, and a distinctive earthy character. This wine has been acclaimed by the specialized press, as an Outstanding wine form Decanter Magazine with 95 points on its 2015 vintage.

We invite you to taste all the elegance and singularity of the Pacific Ocean and calcareous soils on the Tabali Talinay wines.