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
September 18, 2007 at 3:20 am · Filed under Maipo Valley, Carmenere wine Chile
A few weeks ago I drank a couple $6 Carmenere bottles that weren’t all that bad for the price. During the 
Carmenere wine Chile Solario wine 25% sale at Astor Wines I picked up a couple more from a producer named Solario. It is not unusual that Astor carries wines that you won’t find anywhere else. They will simply stock each varietal from that producer as if they got a huge deal on a bulk sale from the winery. Since finding info on the web about these wines are impossible, you kind of have to trust that the buyers there aren’t buying crap. Solario produces Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and this Carmenere in Chile. Since Chile is on the map for its Merlot and Carmenere, I assumed this one would be better that the random bottles I drank before.
Dark opaque purple color. Intense aromas of dark berries and peppercorn. Full flavor with some toast from the aging I assume. Blackberry is most recognizable characteristic. Finishes quick yet balanced with some peppery spice. Not bad at all. I must say that this is the second of the two I tried. The first bottle tasted flat and its tannins weren’t integrated well. This one tasted remarkably better. I might be inclined to pick up another at the sale price.
Chilean wine for share
September 12, 2007 at 10:53 am · Filed under Bio-Bio Valley, Pinot Noir wine Chile
Tasting:
Bright ruby color with delicate aromas of strawberrys and roses. Light bodied and supple with soft red Pinot Noir wine Bio-Bio Valley berry flavors. There is a pleasing tart cherry note that really ounds out the flavor. The mouth feel is very elegant for such an inexpensive wine. For some reason the shape of a diamond comes to mind when I think of the flavor of this wine. This is the first Pinot I’ve drink for under $20 that I want to buy again. Luckily my random around the corner liquor store has a few bottles.
*****Hisrory - Story*****
This Pinot Noir are from Bio-Bio Valley which is considered one of the most southern regions in Chile. Because of it’s cool climate, Pinot seems to do well along with Sauvignon Blanc.Vina Porta was established in 1954 by the Gutierrez family who arrived from Spain and it evolved into one of the first boutique wineries in the area. After a larger company acquired the winery in 1997, the winery developed a plan to utilize the different growing regions and plant accordingly to the terroir. This includes the Aconcagua, Maipo, Rapel and Bio-Bio valleys. Among the grapes planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Carmenere, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. This bottle I drank is grown at the Negrete Estate Vineyard.
Chilean wine for share
September 11, 2007 at 1:13 am · Filed under Cachapoal Valley, Shiraz wine Chile
This Syrah is grown in rocky Las Kuras Vineyard of Requinoa, in the Cachapoal Valley, and it’s from 
Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Syrah wine Cachapoal Valleytheir midlevel Cuvee Alexandre series. It’s made from 100% Syrah grapes grown after a dry 2003 season which resulted in budding some 10 days earlier than average. What’s really crazy is that there was no rain registered that summer at all. The wine was aged for 21 months in new French oak barrels and it weighs in at 14.5% alcohol.
Dark purple in color. The nose took a while to open up, but when it did it revealed definite meat aromas with ripe dark fruits. This wine feels very fleshy and full bodied. I get some complex notes that include chocolate and cigar box. Overall, it’s well balanced and persistent on the finish. While I do find this wine to be worth the $20 I paid, it’s not as intriguing as the Montes Alpha Syrah I tasted a few weeks ago. It went extremely well with the sausage and peppers I had for dinner and got better with every sip I took.
*****History - Story*****
I must sound like a broken record. It seems like every wine I write about lately is from Chile. Well I just can’t help it. The price to quality ratio of these wines is impressive. The Carmeneres are basically free. The Cab Sauvignon and Merlots are usually half of what I’d pay for a comparable domestic version. The Pinot Noir can be satisfying while still accessible under $20. For some reason Chilean Syrah is undeniably more expensive then the other varietals. While the bargain wines I’ve had before are consistently a pleasant surprise, at $20 I’m expecting a $35 flavor profile that will rock my palate.
Casa Lapostolle Winery was founded in 1994 by the Marnier Lapostolle family from France and the Rabat family from Chile. The French connection are founders and owners of Grand Marnier ( of the Spirit fame) and have been winegrowers in the Loire Valley. They own 300 hectacres and produce 150,000 cases, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, and Syrah.
Chilean wine for share
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.
Chilean wine for share
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