Archive for Maipo Valley
January 15, 2008 at 6:41 am · Filed under Maipo Valley, Cachapoal Valley, Chardonnay wine Chile
VINEYARDS:
The grapes were hand-picked at the optimum level of maturity in our own vineyards in 
the Cachapoal and coastal Maipo Valleys.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING:
The grapes were hand-picked at their optimum maturity for full flavor profiles. They were kept cool and whole cluster pressed to obtain the finest must. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at 13 to 15°C (55°-59°F).
TASTING NOTES:
Bright honey-gold in color. Fresh tropical fruit, pineapple, peach, nectarine, and citrus appear on the nose with a hint of banana. Very fresh on the palate.
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2007
Origin: Central Valley (Cachapoal Valley and Coastal Maipo Valley)
PREBOTTLING ANALISIS
PH: 3,27
Total Acidity: 3,33 (gr/l sulfuric acid)
Alcohol: 13,5
RS: 2,1 gr/l
Chilean wine for share
November 23, 2007 at 2:43 am · Filed under Maipo Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon wine Chile
This 100% Cabernet is from a very old, very reliable producer in Chile’s Maipo Valley. Their website 
says they’ve been at it since 1880. Though I haven’t been there and can’t really claim to understand the lay of the land, my sense has long been that the Maipo is somewhat analogous to California’s Central Valley. IOW, you’ve got your Lodi, and you’ve got your Woodbridge.
The Cabernet from this producer has been very good, which is why this particular bottle was such a disappointment. The nose has some mysterious chemical notes overriding cherries. There’s a whiff of burnt oak as well. The first attack of the palate suggests good texture and ripe fruit, but that’s replaced very quickly with more chemicals, burnt oak, and something resembling a pile of burning tires. The finish is pleasantly dry, considering the ripeness of the wine, but the chemical flavors linger unpleasantly.
As mentioned, I’ve liked wines from this producer before. I’ve liked this vintage before. I think one of two things is going on here. First and more likely, as devotees of the church of two buck chuck can tell you, when you’re dealing with wines that are made by the tankful, there can be a huge amount of variation from lot to lot and bottle to bottle. Which makes it all the more amazing when a huge production wine like Ch. St Jean’s Cingue Cepage is selected as “Wine of the Year” by the leading Wine Porn Magazine. In this case, maybe Santa Rita uses oak chips in stainless steel tanks to “barrel age” this wine, and maybe somebody burned the chips that went into this particular tank. Secondly, one of the criticisms that wine geeks level against Trader Joes, perhaps fairly, is that goods are almost by definition distressed before they hit the shelves, so maybe the winery sends their wine to TJ’s once they have accidentally left 100 pallets for a week on a railroad siding during 90 degree weather.
Chilean wine for share
November 23, 2007 at 2:25 am · Filed under Colchagua Valley, Curico Valley, Maipo Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon wine Chile
2005 Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon, ChileIt’s past time that I update a few TJ’s faves. This 
blog has been around for about a year now, and naturally many of the wines reviewed have been replaced with new vintages on the shelves at your local Trader Joes.
I know that for some readers of this blog, vintage seems like a trivial concern. How much different can the 2004 and the 2005 of a certain wine be? When it comes to large-tank producers, that’s a good point. Winemakers strive for consistency year-to-year, and may even blend some wine between vintages to achieve it. You can make a case that non-vintage is the way to go at some price points, in order to achieve uniform quantity. OTH, weather and other factors can cause huge differences between vintages - and sometimes even between tanks. There was a story not too long ago in the L.A. Times ( I think) about two-buck-chuck aficionados being so attuned to the variable quality of each tankfull of the swill, that they would buy one bottle, taste it in the parking lot, and come back for more if it passed muster. And think about it — it’s an amazing technical achievement to make the entire run of a 50,000 case wine, coming as it does from thousands of different barrels - all taste the same. It’s not like there is one big tank you can use to blend wine all that stuff.
BTW -sometimes, I really wonder. Not that long ago, I heard one winemaker jokingly tell another how simple it would be to swap the 2000 labels on several barrels of Napa Valley Cabernet with 2001 labels. Now this was clearly a joke, but the best jokes start with a grain of truth, don’t they?
The 2005 Casillero Cabernet is decent, if unexciting. The nose features redwood chips, cassis, & blackberry pie. The wine is simple and juicy in the mouth but a touch astringent, leading to a clean, dry finish.
I don’t have a bottle of 2004 laying around to compare it with, but my feeling is that the 04 was a little brighter and more polished than the 05. Still, this is a solid value from a reliable producer.
Chilean wine for share
October 26, 2007 at 2:04 am · Filed under Maipo Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon wine Chile
This is growing on me. Unimpressed on initial sample - yeh, it’s a cab. minty, blah blah… accompanied a 
simple meal of venison sausages and chive-spiked mash potato… umm, nice… even in the heat-less cottage (the heating has packed up; on the coldest fecking day of the year).
Wine Tasting Note: Peñalolen Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003, Maipo Valley, Chile.
Listed by Oddbins for 10 Euros.
A smidgen of mint invades the medley of black fruits that dominate the palate. Tannins are fine and dandy, thank you very much, while the length is just as impressive. Serve with food is my conclusion. Lovely and smooth with those venison sausages. An inky twist on the finish. I don’t agree with the Oddbins claim that this is the best value red on their shelves; it ain’t bad but wild claims are the Oddbins norm. A Bordeaux blend with 88% Cabernet, 8% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol 14.5%. Warming. Steak and Kidney pudding… venison… cottage pie… something equally hearty on these cold nights.
Chilean wine for share
September 29, 2007 at 7:01 am · Filed under Maipo Valley, Chardonnay wine Chile
This Chilean Chardonnay of Concha y Toro Vineyard is a nice example of a spicy Chardonnay, with oak and butter notes well restained, and with plenty of fruit ranging from pear to more tropical notes.
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, really liked this wine in his 4-19-04 review. He said: “91 Points. Bold, with lots of spice and toast notes laying over ripe pear tartine, fig and mango flavors. The fruit stays lush on the finish, while a stony underpinning keeps it all honest. Drink now through 2005. 11,000 cases made. Smart Buys.”Judging from today’s tasting, the 2002 is still drinking quite well.
At $13.99 (Nashville Price), this is one to include in a mix case of Chardonnay.
Update 2-23-05: Wine Spectator just rated the 2003 vintage 90 points (March 31, 2005 issue).
Chilean wine for share
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