2009 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc

On April 16, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc from the Curico Valley region of Chile. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc based wine was purchased for under $10.

Color

In the glass this wine is a light straw color.

Aroma

There is a big grapefruit component on the nose of this wine. It is supplemented by aromas of lime and green apple. There is also a hint of minerals and an unusual ripe banana scent. I’ve never really detected banana before on a Sauvignon Blanc wine.

Flavor

The grapefruit that was present on the nose continues strongly on the palate. The attack and mid-palate are full of grapefruit flavors. There is also a good amount of honeydew on the finish. For a Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is thicker and somewhat creamy. It is a little lower than some in acid so it almost has some sweet character even though it is a dry wine.

Rating

I like this wine. It has some unique flavors and aromas that I don’t always encounter in a Sauvignon Blanc at this price point. It is a bit too thick and creamy for me to really love it. I rate it 88 points.

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2008 Porta Carmenere Reserva

On March 23, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Porta Carmenere Reserva from the Maipo Valley of Chile. This bottle was purchased for under $10. I’ve previously tried the 2009 Porta Reserva Pinot Noir and the 2008 Porta Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple.

Aroma

This wine has one of the strongest barnyard and cabbage aromas I have come across recently. It eventually starts to blow off in the glass and will probably disappear as the wine ages. But it is impressive right now. There is also a combination of red raspberry and blackberry aromas.

Flavor

On the attack there is some more of the red raspberry notes showing. The mid-palate exhibits black cherry cola notes. The finish has some chalky tannins which are mild. There is also a little oregano note on the finish. Unfortunately the heat on this wine is substantial. It is more than I prefer, particularly on the finish. Therefore, this wine is better with food. I suggest something rich like a strong cheese.

Rating

This wine has a surprisingly strong nose, but unlike a lot of cheeses with strong smells, it doesn’t bring the reward in the mouth. The heat on this wine is too distracting for me. I rate it 82 points.

Does this wine match your palate or sound like something that would?

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2009 Porta Reserva Pinot Noir

On March 18, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Porta Reserva Pinot Noir from the Bio Bio Valley region in Chile. This bottle was purchased for under $10 and is made with fruit from the Negrete Estate Vineyard. It is aged in oak for 8 to 10 months.

Color

In the glass this wine is a very light ruby red. You can easily see through it. This isn’t a red flag as pure Pinot Noir based wines are often thin.

Aroma

On the nose I get a fair amount of the oak, but there is also a blackberry component which is nice. In addition, I get substantial notes of tar and burnt wood. It doesn’t have an explosive nose, but it is interesting. None of the sulfur notes some Pinot Noir wines show. If you are put off by the poopy smells of some Pinot Noirs (I am not), then this wine will not affect your sensitivity to that aroma.

Flavor

On the attack there is a subtle strawberry flavor mixed with a hint of red cherry. The mid-palate shows a lot more cherries and the finish is average with some decent tannins. This is not a complex wine and is on the lighter-bodied side. It is not over-oaked. I think the winemaker has done a good job of letting the grapes show us what they have to offer and has not over extracted it. This wine will go very well with pork and chicken dishes.

Rating

I think this is a solid wine for pairing with a meal. For me it is a bit plain for me to get too excited about it. It might match your palate better. I rate it 85 points.

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Chilean Support

On March 17, 2010, In Education, By dcpatton

Wine.com (one of the affiliate programs this site uses) is helping the people of Chile rebuild after the devastating earthquakes the country suffered this year.

Shop this selectionicon of hand-picked wines from Chile and they will contribute $100 for every case sold, now through the end of March, to Hogar de Cristo and Un Techo Para Chile, two charity organizations dedicated to helping Chileans in need. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase one bottle, a case, or more from this selection – every bottle will help them reach the goal of $100,000 in donations by March 31st.

I’ve had several of the picks including the 2006 Veramonte Primus, the 2007 Montes Alpha Syrah, and the 2008 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere. If you support the cause by making a purchase, please leave a comment to let us know and if it is one of the above wines, leave a comment on those posts to tell us what flavors and aromas you enjoyed or hated.

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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 Anakena Indo Sauvignon Blanc

On March 14, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Indo Sauvignon Blanc by Vina Anakena from the San Antonia Valley region of Chile. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc based wine was purchased for under $10 and is not aged in oak. The Indo line of wines is a premium level in Anakena’s products. It sits between the Reserve and the Single Vineyard lines. I have previously tasted the Varietal level in the 2007 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc. As mentioned in my review of the 2008 Anakena Indo Cabernet Sauvignon, I have been looking for this wine. I am pleased to see more of the higher end wines from Chile showing up in the US retail marketplace as I think there are some great values and quality wines to be had.

Color

In the glass this wine is an attractive, medium gold color.

Aroma

There is a lot of grapefruit showing on the nose of this wine. It comes across with more of a red grapefruit nose than anything else. There is also a creamy lemon meringue component which is very nice.

Flavor

On the attack the grapefruit makes the transition from the nose. It is prevalent throughout and is joined in the mid-palate and finish by honeydew melon notes and even honey by itself on the finish. For a Sauvignon Blanc this is a heavy wine tending more toward the viscous nature of Chardonnay or Viognier. There is good acidity on the finish. This is a good wine to pair with food.

Rating

This is a well made wine, a good value, and I like it. Even at room temperature, it shows no obvious flaws. I rate it 88 points. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the fruit would have shown more flavors. Perhaps in the next vintage.

Have you tried this wine? What flavors and aromas did you detect?

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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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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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