The 2018 Amelia Chardonnay is the second vintage in which they have used grapes from Limarà (grapes used to be grapes from Casablanca), and this wine was one of the revelations of my tasting with Concha y Toro’s winemakers Marcelo Papa and Marcio RamÃrez. It mixes grapes from two soils: one with more limestone than the other (Quebrada Seca) and a stonier one called Santa Cristina. They seem to have hit the nail on the head with this blend in the very good 2018 vintage. The wine comes through as serious and restrained and has a different grip on the palate. It has the sharpness of the limestone, with a little more volume, and it comes through as very complete, harmonious, long and wide, with a tasty, salty finish and great persistence. There is more complexity here than in the bottling from Maycas del LimarÃ. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is a dense, layered chardonnay with cooked apples, white peaches and flowers. Full-bodied, yet tight with intense acidity. Punchy at the end. Mineral and stone undertones. Very complex. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSQuebrada Seca, in LimarÃ, boasts soils of granite and red clay with visible seams of limestone. Amelia was born in Bloques 3 and 9 which, in a cold year with the help of Burgundian knowhow, reaches a significant and seductive degree of sophistication: green apple and hazelnuts set the tone and establish a balanced structure that is both tight and expressive with a malic freshness that emphasizes the chalky texture and slightly dry feel on the tongue. Offers a lengthy finish and ample potential for the future.Vinous Media | 94 VMCreamy oak and vanilla aromas are up front and dominate the nose on this high-end Chardonnay from LimarÃ. Acid-driven freshness defines the palate feel, not resiny oak or sticky fruit, although this is definitely ripe throughout. Flavors of spiced apple and honeydew melon finish with lasting barrel notes. Drink now; this is in peak condition.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEFrom a tighter selection of fruit than the Marqués de Casa Concha wine (also recommended here), Amelia is more ambitiously oaked, too, a big, rich and succulent white. The fruit is bright, charged with brisk mineral acidity, the oak integrated with the yellow plum and golden pear flavors. The only downside is the alcohol, which initially adds a jazz riff of spice, then begins to stand apart as the wine opens with air. It may become less prominent with age and, if so, it would be well worth waiting. —J.G.Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland, CAWine and Spirits Mag | 90 W&S
