2004 Toscar Monastrell Reserva

On September 3, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2004 Monastrell Reserva by Salvador Proveda from Alicante, Spain. This wine is primarily, if not 100%, Mourvèdre (Monastrell) varietal and was under $11. I’ve previously tasted the 2007 Toscar Monastrell and the 2008 Toscar Monastrell. Note that this is the Reserva version so it was aged in new oak barrels for 12 months and then probably 24 months in the bottle. So, this wine is aged more than the crianza or the regular versions of their Monastrell.

Color

In the glass the age of this wine shows with just a hint of brown at the edge of the red. It is a caramel color.

Aroma

On the nose the oak is present. It is combined with a musky soil-like component and smokey aromas. It reminds me of port and has some pine notes too.

Flavor

On the attack there is a brief flash of fruits including pomegranate, cranberry, cherry and raspberry. Then the complexity of this wine starts to take over and vanilla and meaty flavors take over the mid-palate. It strongly reminds me of a dry sherry. The finish is incredibly long and complex with more smokiness and more vanilla. This medium bodied wine absolutely takes over the palate with Old World style.

Rating

I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It was very complex and not a fruit bomb. That being said, it is a touch heavy on the oak and a little old so it isn’t for everyone. I do recommend giving it a try and think it is fairly valued. I rate it 91 points.

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2008 Anakena Indo Carmenere

On August 22, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Indo Carmenere by Vina Anakena from the Cachapoal Valley in Chile. This 100% Carmenere based wine was purchased for under $11. I’ve previously tried both the 2009 Anakena Indo Sauvignon Blanc and the 2008 Anakena Indo Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Color

In the glass this is a medium ruby red.

Aroma

On the nose there is a hint of dirt. It isn’t a strong earthy wine though. There is also blackberry aromas and a big eucalyptus component. The eucalyptus is so strong that it clears the sinuses when you get way into the glass after swirling. Definitely distinctive.

Flavor

On the attack there is some dark cherry flavor which leads to red currant and a hint of chocolate on the mid-palate. The finish shows some cedar notes. This wine is a little hot on the finish for me. Overall it improves after breathing as the fruit begins to show more.

Rating

This wine was a lighter bodied Carmenere than some others. It was decent and I rate it 86 points. However, for my palate, I think there are better matches for this price range. What about you?

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2009 Natura Carmenere

On August 17, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Natura Carmenere by Emiliana Vineyards from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. The Natura line is their organic line and I found this bottle for under $10. I’ve previously tasted the 2008 Natura Carmenere which I recommended. This wine is a blend of 87% Carmenère, 4% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Tempranillo, and 1% Malbec.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark garnet red.

Aroma

The nose of this wine is very green. It reminds me of plants in wet dirt. It has a lot of mint and pine notes. Although there are no sweet fruit aromas, it does show some blackberry.

Flavor

On the palate this wine is remarkable smooth. The attack has black cherry and black plum notes. The mid palate shows some sour cherry components and the long finish is a combination of cloves and a smokey flavor with mild tannins. The wine has a decent weight and could pair well with dark chocolate.

Rating

I enjoyed this Carmenere and recommend it as a great dry wine without strong tannins (no puckering potential). I rate it 90 points.

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2009 Maipe Malbec

On July 25, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Maipe Malbec from Proviva S.R.L. in Mendoza, Argentina. This 100% Malbec wine was purchased for under $9 and is partially aged (10%) in oak for 3 months. I previously have tasted the 2008 Maipe Malbec and I really liked the complexity on the palate.

Color

In the glass this wine is an attractive dark purple in color.

Aroma

I love the strong nose of this wine. It has some funky earthy notes when first opened. After breathing there are notes of raspberry and mint showing. Solid nose of a Malbec.

Flavor

The palate starts with a sweet attack of raspberry and blackberry. This is followed by black cherry on the mid-palate with a great cherry note in the 3rd quarter. It finishes just a tad hot with some red fruit. I don’t find this wine to be oaky and I enjoyed the finish. The tannins are mild, but the fruit doesn’t come across as a heavy syrup style. I found it to be a medium bodied wine. Although it doesn’t strike me as being a complete fruit bomb, this wine is certainly New World.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine and recommend it as an easy to drink red wine with some complexity. I rate it 89 points.

Have you tried it? What flavors and aromas did you detect? Interestingly, I didn’t enjoy the 2009 as much as when I tried the 2008 in the past. I don’t believe the vintages differed that much, so I suspect my palate is changing. Have you noted any change in your palate through the years?

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2007 Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon

On July 14, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Haras estate Cabernet Sauvignon by Vina Haras from the Maipo Valley of Chile. This wine is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% Syrah, and 1.5 % Cabernet Franc grapes. It was purchased for under $10. It was aged for 12 months in oak barrels.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark garnet in color. It seems a bit darker than others, perhaps due to the Syrah.

Aroma

There is a raspberry component on the nose combined with a bit of mint. I also detect the oak as a cedar note. However the fruit on the nose is quite strong and so the oak is kept in check.

Flavor

On the attack this wine is not the fruit bomb the nose led me to expect. There are some blackberry notes at the beginning but then the mid-palate is good with vegetable components which I appreciate. The finish has a nice length and shows some sour cherry and dark chocolate. Although the alcohol level is high this wine is not hot and remains relatively smooth throughout. It should complement bold food well. It is medium-bodied.

Rating

I like this Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a solid wine and really works well if you are looking for a dry wine. I rate it 88 points.

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2008 Hacienda Araucano (Lurton) Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

On July 13, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Hacienda Araucano Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from Valle de Colchagua in Chile. This Cabernet Sauvignon based wine was purchased for under $11. The Araucano is a very interesting tree in Chile and let’s hope this wine is as interesting.

Color

In the glass this wine is a medium garnet red in color.

Aroma

On the nose this wine exhibits a very good earthy component combined with ripe blackberry notes. In addition there is a hint of cloves and some cedar. Not a bad nose but it definitely indicates a New World style.

Flavor

On the attack I detect lots of dark cherry notes which are quite sweet. The mid-palate has some sour cherry joining the sweet fruit and the finish is long with medium tannins. I found the finish to be a little too hot. Considering that this wine is 13.5% alcohol, I would have expected the fruit to keep the heat in check.

Rating

This Cabernet Sauvignon was not a good match for me and I believe there are better choices at this price range. I found the fruit to be too simple, sweet and syrupy for me. I rate it 84 points.

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2007 Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard

On June 29, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Anakena Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rapel Valley of Chile. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based wine was acquired for under $10 and is aged in oak for a year. I’ve previously really enjoyed the 2007 Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon so it will be interesting to see how this Single Vineyard version fairs.

Color

In the glass this is a thin for a Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a ruby red.

Aroma

On the nose this wine initially has a great earthy note. It is really strong and reminds me of soil freshly fertilized with manure. After a while it blows off and then black plum and blackberry components show well. There is also a hint of mint which I detect after the wine has been breathing in the glass. Overall it is a good nose.

Flavor

On the attack there are sweet black fruits such as blackberry and black currant. It isn’t too sweet though and the wine is a medium-bodied style such that it isn’t over syrupy. There is a blueberry note in the mid-palate and the finish shows some mild tannins. Despite the aging in oak, no oak is detected. The flavors of this wine tend toward the New World fruit style with little of the Old World vegetable style. I don’t get any chocolate such as some Cabernet Sauvignon shows.

Rating

I found this wine to be standard and without any remarkable deficiencies or merits. I rate it 87 points.

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2008 Anakena Syrah Single Vineyard

On June 23, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Single Vineyard Syrah by Vina Anakena from the Rapel Valley of Chile. This 100% Syrah based wine can be found for around $14. It is aged for 6 months in oak. I’ve previously enjoyed the 2007 Anakena Single Vineyard Carmenere.

Color

In the glass this wine is a very dark purple in color similar to a lot of Syrah based wines.

Aroma

This wine has a good nose with lots of blackberry notes. There is also a earthy component which might stink to some but is quite nice to me. I enjoyed the aromas offered by this wine.

Flavor

On the attack there is a lot of sweet fruit. Strawberry comes first and then is followed by cherry which continues through the mid-palate. There is also a hint of mint in the mid-palate. The finish ends with a bit of pepper and smoke. It is not a bad finish. Overall the wine is medium bodied and not as dry as I would prefer.

Rating

This Anakena wine is not the best match for my palate. Considering it is one of their premium wines, I wanted a dryer wine with more herbaceous notes. Instead it was pretty simple and sweet. I rate it 85 points.

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2007 Dominio de Eguren Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Protocolo

On June 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Protocolo Tinto from Dominio de Eguren in the Tierra de Castilla region of Spain. This bottle was purchased for under $7. This wine is 100% Tempranillo based and usually is aged in oak for 3 months. I’ve previously tried the 2007 Dominio de Eguren Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. So it will be interesting to see the difference with this offering.

Color

The color in the glass is a thin ruby red.

Aroma

On the nose I detect a dusty, earthy note and black cherry. There is a hint of black currant and after a while a lot of blackberry is showing. It is a good nose.

Flavor

The flavor of this wine is somewhat bland. It tastes thin just like the color hints that it might. There is some black cherry on the attack and mid-palate and blackberry on the finish, but it isn’t vibrant. The oak is present in the mid-palate and finish. There is a nice hint of the dustiness throughout the palate which is interesting.

Rating

For me this wine is not the best match to my palate. It seems a bit average. But the price is very fair. I rate it 83 points.

Have you tried it yet? Was it more to your liking? What flavors and aromas did you like or not like?

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2008 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon

On May 28, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon from the Valle Central region of Chile. I applaud Cono Sur for their commitment to CarbonNeutral delivery of this product. This wine was purchased for under $8 and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 3% Syrah and 2% Carmenere. I have previously had the 2007 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon, so it will be interesting to compare them.

Color

In the glass it is a dark purplish red color.

Aroma

There is a lot of blackberry and black currant on the nose of this wine. It is almost like a cobbler. That is to say it is very much a cooked or over ripe fruit aroma. There is a also a mint component. It is a rich full nose.

Flavor

This is definitely a fruit-forward, new world style of wine. I like the fact that it is not heavily oaked. The attack is more a mix of black and red currant. In the mid-palate I get some cherry flavors and then the finish has some minor tannins and a bit of a beef jerky note. Perhaps it is better described as a smoky note. The finish is longer than I would have expected.

Rating

For the price this is a decent everyday wine. It goes with strong flavored dishes, but for sipping on its own I find it a bit sweet for my palate. I rate it 85 points.

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