Cremaschi Furlotti Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

December 17, 2007 at 7:42 am · Filed under Maule Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon wine Chile

Cremaschi Furlotti description:

HARVEST AND PRODUCTION
Once reached the good maturity, second week of april the grapes at harvest should be cool, in the range of 10 to 16° C. If not, must cooling is required. The grapes are crushed in a roller crusher wich destems before crushing. Tartaric acid (grapes natural and principal acid) may be added at this stage, if required, to ensure that the ph of the juice is in the range of 3.2 to 3.6 also are added pectic enzymes to increase color and aromatic extraction.
The fermentation tank is filled with the crushed grapes. the crushed grapes are benefit from contact between the juice and the grape skins for 48 to 72 hours in low temperature (under 15 °c). this technique, increases the aromatic extraction and the color extraction. the juice is then inoculated with a selected pure yeast culture. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks between 22 and 26 °c during 8 days. pumping over by taking the juice from under the cap of skins and irrigating the skins in an intermittent manner.
The wine is left on skins for three to four days after fermentation has finished or when our winemaker considers that the required amounts of color, flavour and tannin have been extracted. during post - fermentative maceration stage, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation for action of leuconostoc oenos bacteria, this bacteria is endemic in our vineyard, and its addition is not usually required, and malolactic fermentation ussually occurs naturally. after malolactic fermentation , the wine is allowed to settle and is then racked under carbon dioxide protection (co2) to remove the gross lees. at racking, sulphur dioxide is added to provide between 20 and 35 milligrams per litre free depending on the ph of the wine.
To remove phenolics and bitter tannins is used fine gelatin or albumen. the wine is cold-stabilized by chilling to between -4°c and -2°c. finally, the wine is filtered with diatomites earth. the bottling is carried out in
monoblock gai, with inert gas protection. before the filling, the wine is filtered with pad filtration.

COMMENTS OF THE ENOLOGIST:

Colour
Red ruby with tints purple, clean and brilliant.

Aroma
The wine shows intense aromas to berries, cherries and soft notes to menthol

Palate
In the palate it presents good structure with soft tannins and good persistence.

WINE AND FOOD

To serve with red meats, roast beef, pastas with sauces of meat or accompanying mature cheeses as gruyere or camembert.

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Carmenere wine: Calina Reserve 2004, Maule Valley.

September 10, 2007 at 6:06 am · Filed under Maule Valley, Carmenere wine Chile

I’m constantly trying new wines with the hopes of finding affordable table wines that I can open and not feel guilty over any night of the week. While trying to save the pricier bottles for the weekend, I’ve found one wine that never lets me down. With all the buzz about the unbeatable deals coming from Chile these days, it’s not a surprise that I’ve been drinking a $6 Carmenere like it’s going out of style. Turns out the more Carmenere I buy at the $12-$15 range, the more I appreciate the $6-$8 ones as they are far more food friendly.

Vina Calina is a rather large winery owned by Kendall-Jackson with vineyards in several regions of Chile. The Carmenere Reserve is from the Maule Valley, but they also grow their Cabernets in the Colchagua Valley. In fact his bottle is 80% Carmenere, 11% Cabernet (Maule), and another 9% Cabernet (Colchagua) grapes. It spends 9 months in French oak and American oak, contains 13.5% alcohol, and the production was 11,500 cases.

Deep purple color. Aromas of black fruits, spice, and perhaps a touch of leather. Full bodied and velvety on the palate with ripe plum and black pepper. Easy drinking with a long finish. Every sip reveals a balanced and fairly complex flavor that cannot be matched for the price. I’m pretty much buying up the last case at the liquor store in my neighborhood.

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Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Bouchon Chicureo, Vintage 2005.

April 28, 2007 at 5:47 am · Filed under Maule Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon wine Chile

J. Bouchon Vineyard Presentation:
Bouchon is a family vineyard created in 1892. The cellar and vineyards are located in the Maule Valley with a total of 370 hectares. Our grapes are harvested and selected by hand. The combination of old vines, the care taken of the vineyards and a good handling at the cellar enables us to obtain this excellent wine†.

SurVino:
This is a sober wine. Its most notable feature is its attractive cherry colour (ruby red). Its bouquet has little to offer, a slight sense of acid fruits (plum and blackcurrents). It is very dry on the palate, without a balance of other flavours which could have been given by the wood and the tannins. It is very good to accompany roasted meats, if the food and cost savings are what matters; it won’t stand out, but it won’t ruin anything either.

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