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 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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2007 Calcu

On March 15, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Calcuicon 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.

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2009 Carta Vieja Cabernet Sauvignon

On March 11, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Carta Vieja Cabernet Sauvignon from the Loncomilla Valley of Chile. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine was purchased for under $7. I have previously had the 2008 Carta Vieja Cabernet Sauvignon, so it will be interesting to see how it has changed or my palate has changed. Carta Vieja has been in business since 1825, so these two vintages represent a tiny fragment of their history.

Color

Similar to the 2008 vintage, this wine has impressive dark purple tones in the glass.

Aroma

On the nose there is blackberry notes dominating. It is also showing a tobacco component. It is a solid nose.

Flavor

On the attack I get some blackberry along with tannins. This is a very young wine. As such, the tannins are not bitter. There is also strawberry showing on the attack and mid-palate. The finish has cherries and a hint of dark chocolate. This is a medium bodied wine and remains pretty dry throughout. I think it goes better with food than on its own.

Rating

This is a decent wine to have with a meal. For the price it makes a good table wine. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the 2008 vintage. I rate it 83 points.

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2006 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet

On March 10, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2006 Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet by Columbia Crest from Washington. This bottle was purchased for under $7. It is a Bordeaux style blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged for 10-11 months in oak. I’ve been a fan of wines from the northwest in the past, so it will be interesting to taste this wine.

Color

In the glass it is a dark ruby red. A tiny bit thinner than I would have expected given the blend.

Aroma

On the nose there is a good amount of blackberry showing. I also detect some of the oak along with black currant and a hint of bell pepper. Overall it is a decent nose.

Flavor

On the attack there is quite a bit of sweet fruit. It is a mix of raspberry and strawberry and gets a bit syrupy. The mid-palate exhibits more cherry components and the finish has red currant and black pepper notes. I also get a hint of vanilla throughout which is probably the oak showing. The finish has some decent acid which will help this wine pair well with food. Try it with Italian dishes.

Rating

For the price this wine offers reasonable value. I find it too sweet for my palate and I rate it 82 points. However, I would like to give credit to Columbia Crest for using this blend of grape varieties. I am sure some of their higher end wines with this blend are quite good. Have you tried this wine or a better offering from Columbia Crest?

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2008 Porta Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

On March 5, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Porta Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aconcagua Valley of Chile. Porta is part the VC Family Estates which is a member of the Corpora Group. I have previously had the 2009 Porta Merlot. This Cabernet Sauvignon is in their Reserva level and was purchased for under $9. I bought this before the massive earthquake hit Chile, but haven’t seen any reports of damage to this winery. So I assume it will remain available and similarly priced. Have you heard anything about it?

Color

In the glass it is a nice dark purple.

Aroma

There is a lot of mint on the nose of this wine. I also detect a lot of black currant notes. There is also a cedar component and a hint of basil. But the dark fruit dominates right now.

Flavor

On the attack there is some sweet black cherries mixed with a vegetable component. I can’t quite name the vegetable that is giving it the green influence. In the mid-palate, there are sour cherries and raspberries. It finishes with beautiful silky tannins. The fruit on the finish lingers for a long time. For a wine with a 14.0% alcohol level the fruit is definitely keeping it in check. This is well made and begs to be paired with beef tenderloin.

Rating

I like this wine a lot and think it is a very good value. Keep in mind that it isn’t heavily oaked nor is it over extracted fruit. It may be a little sweet for those looking for a Old World style wine, but for my palate it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

Have you tried it? Anyone tried their Carmenere Reserva?

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2008 Anakena Indo Cabernet Sauvignon

On February 26, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Indo Cabernet Sauvignon by Vina Anakena from Cachapoal Valley of Chileicon. The Indo designated wines are one of the premium levels produced by Anakena. I found this bottle for under $10. Unlike prior vintages which contained Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah on the label, this does not. I’ve inquired with the vineyard to find out if this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and will update this post if I hear back.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark ruby red. It is a little thinner than a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon wines I have had before, so that leads me to believe there is little or no Syrah blended with it.

Aroma

Right off the bat, I can tell that this is not going to be a jammy fruit bomb so common in the New World Cabernet Sauvignons. It has notes of cedar and eucalyptus. There are also blackberry and raspberry components as it opens up more. There is a hint of bell pepper as well. Overall it makes for a quality nose.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberry transitions from the nose and then in the mid-palate the tannins are very noticeable. There are black cherries on the mid-palate and the finish consists of a sour cherry cola component along with solid tannins. This wine is definitely young. It will probably age well and be a bit more approachable in a couple of years. But one of my favorite things is the long lasting tannins on the finish. I recommend decanting it if you are drinking it soon.

Rating

This is an interesting wine. On the one hand it pleases me that it isn’t over extracted sugared up fruit, nor is it over-oaked. But on the other hand it is a bit plain. I didn’t detect a lot of flavors, but I do think it will please a lot of palates, especially if you like tannins. I rate it 85 points.

Have you tried this wine? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and whether it was a better match for your palate.

Update: Andrés Tauber, the export manager at Anakena, was kind enough to write me back and let me know that this is a blend of 15% Syrah and 85% Cabernet Sauvignon. I really appreciate the quick customer service from Anakena. I think I will be on the lookout for that Indo Sauvignon Blanc next.

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2006 Thorn-Clarke Terra Barossa Barossa Cuvée

On February 10, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2006 Terra Barossa Cuvee by Thorn-Clarke from the Barossa region of Australia. This cuvee (a blend of grapes from different vineyards) is made of 47% Shiraz (Syrah), 29% Petit Verdot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Cabernet Franc. It was purchased for under $12. This wine was aged in oak barrels for 12 months.

Color

In the glass this wine is a gorgeous black ink color. Very dark purple.

Aroma

There is a big nose of blackberry and oak. Black currant is also present and is showing up more like creme de cassis. There is also a hint of eucalyptus and smoke from a pipe. Considering the blend I expected a little more green components, but suspect the oak is overpowering them which is too bad.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberries and black currants are strong and true. There is also a hint of the greenness such as broccoli. The fruit is definitely high quality. The mid-palate exhibits a hint of black cherries and dark chocolate. The finish is long with medium tannins and plum flavors. I also get a cigarettes and coffee note on the finish. The 14% alcohol is kept in check by the fruit. There is a bit of oak through out this palate and it doesn’t seem to add much weight or creaminess to the mouthfeel. This medium bodied wine will pair well with dark chocolate.

Rating

I think this is a good blend with some interesting aromas and flavors. I like it. I rate it 88 points.

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