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
September 29, 2007 at 6:42 am · Filed under Casablanca Valley, Sauvignon Blanc wine Chile
Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the cool Casablanca Valley area of Chile, 22 miles from the Pacific coast.
Winemaker is Rafael Tirado.
Color: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Brisk grapefruit and grass combine with hints of blossoms and spice to create a wild white of some complexity. The mouthfeel is light-to-medium, round, with citrus and apple flavors and nice acidity. The finish is clean and dry.
I first tried this brand in my round-up on Winecast 12 last year and it has made it into my cellar ever since as a great value for hot summer days selling for $8-9 a bottle. The wine is light straw with a slight green hue. Fresh hay, lime and pineapple aromas with some gooseberry reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate, there is tart grapefruit flavors with nice acidity to match with food. The match was especially good with the chicken brats adding an nice counter-point to the bacon and swiss cheese flavors. I’d recommend this one for grilled pork too, as long as there is not spicy BBQ sauce involved in the preperation.
13.5% ABV. Stelvin closure.
Production: 37,000 cases.
Chilean wine for share
September 24, 2007 at 4:51 am · Filed under Rapel Valley, Sauvignon Blanc wine Chile
Tasting Notes.
Color: Light straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Gooseberries, citrus/grapefruit, starfruit, green melon and a distinctive flinty mineral note. The mouthfeel is light bodied, fleshy, and tart. and green apple flavors are backed by grassy, minerally flavors. The finish is quick, clean and refreshing.
Closure: Real cork.
Retail: US$10/6.5 Euros. Value: Excellent.
Food pairing: Apperitif or seafood salad. Drink up! The 2005 has been released.
The wine Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc 2004 is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, grown on the Las Kuras Estate, Rapel Valley. This estate property is located in Requinoa, in the eastern Chile wine growing region, south and east of Casablanca Valley, and east of Apalta. There are about 100 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, planted in 1992. The vineyard is described as “stony”.
Vinification included stainless steel fermentation and 4 months aging sur lie in large stainless vats.
The renowned Michel Rolland is retained as a Winemaking consultant at Lapostolle.
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Chilean wine for share
September 22, 2007 at 7:23 am · Filed under Choapa Valley, Shiraz wine Chile
Is it Syrah or Shiraz? Not that it matters but unusually for a New World bottling the label uses the 
French Syrah rather than the more established (for non-French wines) Shiraz. Perhaps they are trying to differentiate themselves from the Australians. It matters little.
Tasting Note: Di Martino Legado Syrah, 2005, Choapa Valley, Chile
Everywine £96.99 case. Oddbins £7.49 (not listed on-line). A big lad in every respect apart from the rather closed nose. Big, deep and brooding in colour; bold, rich and concentrated on the palate. There is a little oak but generally smooth and ripe with a lick of pepper on the finish.
Nice enough and good with a Potato, Cheshire Cheese and Spring Onion puff pastry tart but too young and one dimensional to be classed as anything above average.
The Legado Reserva wines come from the family’s own estate in the Maipo Valley. Produced from grapes carefully selected and hand-picked, these wines have good colour, individual personality, great structure, and are concentrated and fruity, expressively representative of each variety. The wines receive 12 months ageing in French oak (except Sauvignon Blanc) and production is limited.
Chilean wine for share
September 19, 2007 at 5:26 am · Filed under Colchagua Valley, Shiraz wine Chile
The Alpha Series is a mid level range wines which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, 
and Syrah wine Shiraz ChileSyrah. The Syrah grapes are grown at the Apalta Vineyard, in the Colchagua Valley, an area of steep hillsides in the higher elevations. The wine is aged in French Oak for one year and about 7000 cases imported into the USA. I picked this one up for $20 but I’m sure it can be found for as little as $16 online.
Ruby red color with concentrated aromas of black cherries and tobacco. Earth and floral aromas as well. Big and soft on the palate with some spice, some vanilla, as well as bitter chocalate. The finish is excellent in its length but the fruit fades a bit to fast. The 10% Cabernet Sauvignon gives this some power but it remains generous and elegant in the end. It’s not as masculine as the Columbia Winery Syrah I tried recently, but just as delicious and more exotic.
Chilean wine for share
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