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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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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Wine Varietal: Carménère

On February 16, 2010, In Education, By dcpatton

The Carmenere grape is a variety originally planted in Bordeaux, France where it was known as Grande Vidure. Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Carmenere is considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux. It is an ancient grape going back to the time of the Roman Empire. It was wiped out in France by phylloxera. Today, Chile is the largest producer of Carmenere followed by Italy and the USA.

Wait a second, this isn’t Merlot!

Carmenere is Chile’s signature grape variety. It was rediscovered in 1994 where it had previously been thought to be Merlot. DNA testing has shown that it is derived from cuttings of the Grand Vidure vines taken in Bordeaux in the late 1800s. Carmenere makes up about 6 percent of Chile’s planted area.

Aromas and Flavors of Carmenere

Similar to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, I find Carmenere to be good on its own or when blended with other red wine grapes. It usually isn’t overly tannic and is approachable. I have gotten a combination of red fruit and dark fruit along with chocolate. Occasionally it shows a bit of green vegetable character. Of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux I find it to be the most like Merlot and Malbec.

What is your favorite Carmenere based wine?

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2007 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Cabernet Sauvignon Los Vascos

On February 6, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon from Colchagua Valley in Chile. This bottle of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is dark ruby red.

Aroma

A strong blackberry component dominates the nose. It is quite aromatic and also has some black currant, black pepper and bell pepper. Nice nose.

Flavor

On the attack there is black currant and some mild tannins. The mid-palate starts to get very green. What I mean by that is that instead of the sweet fruit of some wines, this wine shows lots of vegetables. I get asparagus, celery, turnips and even a little tomato juice. The finish shows more of the dry tannins and a bit of sour cherry. This is definitely not a fruit bomb. It is really dry and green and I like the fact that the oak treatment is not prominent, so you can taste the flavors. It is medium bodied and will pair well with pizza and pasta dishes.

Rating

I like this wine. It is unusual and you have to know your palate to determine if it is a match. If you prefer sweet, oaky, fruity Cabernet Sauvignons then avoid this wine. I rate it 87 points.

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2009 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc

On February 5, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc from the Valle Central of Chile. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc based wine was purchased for under $8 and comes attractively packaged with a Double Headed Duck engraving. This wine is not aged in oak barrels. I’ve previously reviewed the 2007 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc, so it will be interesting to compare these vintages.

Color

In the glass it is surprisingly golden for a Sauvignon Blanc that has seen no oak. Very attractive.

Aroma

On the nose there are lime and grapefruit components. It comes across as very fresh and full of citric acid notes.

Flavor

The lemon and lime shows well on the attack with more of a lemon custard component on the mid-palate which is really nice. The finish is little hot but showing good acidity and grapefruit. The flavors linger for a decent amount of time. This wine is food friendly and will pair with salads, shrimp, and lighter fish.

Rating

This is a simple but decent Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t have any incredibly interesting flavors that make it notable on its own, but I recommend it be consumed with a meal. I rate it 86 points.

I found this vintage to be about as pleasing as the 2007, although the flavors and aromas do vary. Have you compared vintages over time? Did you see any changes in the flavors and aromas or do you think your palate might have also changed over time?

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2007 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere

On January 31, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Single Vineyard Carmenere by Vina Errazuriz from the Don Maximiano Estate in the Aconcagua Valley of Chile. You can find some great notes on the harvesting and production of this 97% Carmenere and 3% Syrah based wine. This wine can generally be found for around $15.

Color

In the glass this wine shows excellent color of dark purple.

Aroma

The nose makes you immediately aware of the 12 months in new oak barrels that this wine was aged. It also exhibits a piney menthol note which might be some eucalyptus showing. There is good blackberry components along with a intriguing red beet aroma.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberry is dominant, followed up by sweet blueberries. The mid-palate exhibits cherry flavor with good tannins. The finish again shows some oak but also a bit too much alcohol. This wine is rated at 14.5% alcohol. The wine starts with a thick sweet nature and ends hot and dry. Quite a roller coaster on the palate. After breathing for a while, it starts to show some red fruit components such as strawberry on the mid-palate. Also of note is the length of the finish which is quite impressive. This is a big wine and will pair well with steak or blue cheese.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine, particularly after letting it open up some. It should age nicely. I rate it 89 points.

This wine has been reviewed by a lot of other bloggers and it is interesting to see what aromas and flavors they detected. How about you?

Here are some of those reviews for you to check out:

CheapWineRatings.com

A Good Time With Wine

2 Days Per Bottle

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2008 La Joya Reserve Merlot

On January 28, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 La Joya Reserve Merlot by Vinas Bisquertt from the Colchagua Valley of Chile. This 100% Merlot based wine is aged in Oak for about 10 months and was purchased for under $9.

Color

In the glass it is a dark ruby red color.

Aroma

There is an earthy component which comes through. It is definitely like rock and soil. Other pleasing aromas include ripe dark fruit and a good cocoa note.

Flavor

On the attack there is some sweet black plum flavor which transitions to a mid-palate of cherry and good tannins. The finish shows a little oak and is a bit too hot from the alcohol. There is also a nice hint of sour cherry on the finish. At first I thought this was going to be over extracted and syrupy, but it isn’t and has a good body to it. It pairs well with chocolate.

Rating

This is a solid wine. Oddly, the wine label describes red fruits, but I never got any. I rate it 87 points.

If you have had this wine, did you get any red fruit flavor or aroma?

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2006 Veramonte Primus

On January 21, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2006 Primus by Veramonte from Chile. This Bordeaux style blend of 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 17% Merlot and 16% Carmenere is available for around $20. Kudos to Veramonte for such good labeling of the varietal percentage used.

Day One

I’ve just opened this wine and let it breathe for only 30 minutes.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple with a dark ruby rim.

Aroma

On the nose there is quite a bit of oak at first. Next there are dark berries including black berry and mulberry components. In addition, there is a hint of strawberry. Overall it has a good nose and isn’t shy.

Flavor

Loads of oak throughout this wine. It is a bit challenging to find the flavor of the wine. It finishes a little too hot for me as well. It has a medium to full body and on the attack there is some dark cherry and black berry. The mid-palate shows some sour cherry and dry tannins. The finish is long and dominated by the oak with some herbaceous notes such as oregano and thyme. I really like the tannins. It will pair well with smoked meat and strong flavored cheese.

Rating

This wine is not a good match for my palate. I rate it 81 points.

Day Two

The wine has now been open for over 24 hours and was re-corked after Day One.

Aroma

The oak is still quite prominent on the nose of this wine. There are also good components of strawberries, black currant and blackberries. A hint of mint is also noticeable.

Flavor

Blackberries on the attack quickly replaced by black cherry. The mid palate has some nice sour cherry and the finish is really hot with a herbaceous touch. The tannins are impressive, so this wine is probably going to last for a very long time. The only really big difference from the prior day is the intensity of the cherry which has improved the flavor.

Rating

This wine is not an easy wine to drink and isn’t showing well at this stage. As such it isn’t a match for my palate. I rate it 83 points.

Summary

Although this wine improved over time, it never really became enjoyable. It is well made and has some great tannins but needs better fruit for me to really get into it.

Have you had it? If so, did it match your palate?

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2007 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon

On January 11, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley region of Chile. This bottle of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was purchased for under $8. It is aged in French oak for 4-6 months.

Color

In the glass it is a very dark garnet color.

Aroma

The nose has a hefty component of red currant and mint. There is also a oak component present and it hides some of the earthiness.

Flavor

On the attack there is some sweet cherry flavors and the mid-palate starts to get green. It is a mix of the cherry and blackberry with asparagus and celery. It finishes with nice tannins, vanilla and oak. This is a medium bodied wine that actually is food friendly. It will pair well with beef or chocolate.

Rating

I like some of the flavors found in this wine and I give Santa Ema credit for not turning it into a syrupy mess. I rate it 86 points.

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