Today I am tasting the 2007 Calcu by Los Maquis from the Colchagua valley region of Chile. This wine was acquired for under $11 and is a Bordeaux style blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Pertit Verdot varieties of grapes.
Color
In the glass this wine is a very dark purple.
Aroma
The aroma of this wine took over the room as soon as it was poured into the glass. The nose of this wine is a huge mixture of berries. There are both black and red berry components such as black currants, black cherries, red raspberries, and red plums. In addition there is a radish component combined with mint. This is the kind of complex, beautiful nose that a blend of these varieties can produce. I suspect the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are really excelling here.
Flavor
On the attack there is a strong black cherry component combined with subtle cranberry notes. In the mid-palate the cherry mixes with bell pepper . The finish is dry with some mild tannins, sour cherries, and oregano. The finish is very long, but too hot. This is a food friendly dry wine. Unlike a young Bordeaux it has all the flavor without the bitter tannins.
Rating
I like this wine a lot. The aromas on the nose are spectacular. It is immediately drinkable and not overly extracted. I rate it 90 points.
Recently, I’ve been noticing the red wine blends from Chile have been better than the varietals alone. The tend to be more complex (more aromas and flavors) and offer something on the nose as well as in every phase of the palate. It reminds me of what the French have known for many years. Have you seen this too? I wonder if we will see more white wine blends from there as well.
