Posts Tagged ‘chile’
Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chile – Curico Valley
Cost: $8
Winemaker’s Notes: Dark garnet color or great intensity with an aroma of generous ripe red fruit and merged peppers with toasted French oak. A silky, flavorful mouth feel, creamy with great volume. Firm tannins provide an enjoyable finish. Best paired with light hors d’oeuvres and pastas.
My Review: My wife and I are always on the lookout for inexpensive wines that may not excite or inspire us, but are easy to sip on and are more interesting than cheap merlot or cabernet sauvignon from California, Australia, or New Zealand. Chile has become a favored region to get affordable wines that mix it up ever so much. When a friend recently brought over a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that he had picked up and we enjoyed it we decided to pick some up at the store the next time we went. They were out of the Cab Sauv, but had a healthy supply of the Carmenere that we decided to give a try to.
This past Thursday I, along with some family and friends, got to engage in the most recent iteration of the Wines of Chile Virtual Blogger Tasting. The theme this time was Carmenere & Curry, and when I got the invite I was intrigued as I’ve enjoyed Carmenere since the first Blogger Tasting I was invited to and my wife and I have increasingly enjoyed curry and while we’ve never combined them I had read that they did pair well.
As usual, the kit included 8 bottles of wine along with a wealth of information both about the wines and the regions, along with some spices for making curry dishes and a USB thumb drive loaded with recipes and even more information about the winemakers and the vineyards. If there’s one thing I can continue to say about this tasting as that there’s no lack of information, something that I greatly appreciate. As for the wines.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Chile – South America
Cost: $7
Winemaker’s Notes: This voluptuous Pinot Noir is full of rich aromas and flavours of cherry, plum, and strawberry, finished with a subtle spiciness. Balanced and New World styled, this is an elegant wine; the perfect partner for robust fish dishes, white meats, and pork.
My Review: As a slight preview to this Thursday’s Wines of Chile Virtual Blogger Tasting, I decided to open up a bottle of Cono Sur Pinot Noir that I had picked up at Costco during a recent grocery trip. I’ve had Cono Sur wines during several blogger tastings and they tend to always make my list of the top wines for the tasting, and for the value I just couldn’t pass up trying this particular bottle.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Chile
Cost: $10-12
My Review: So as they are want to do, on a recent trip to my parents’ house they insisted on sending home some wine with my wife and I as they are big supporters of this site and of my drinking habits. I love my mom and dad.
In the glass the wine was a dark purple color that can only be described as inky. It was so dark (how dark was it?) that the only way I was actually able to pick up some of the color was thanks to some bubbles on the surface right after I poured the wine. On the nose I got jammy aromas of dark fruit with a little spice and a smoky/tobacco note.
It was that time again, this past Wednesday, that time when I get to taste some great wines from Chile along with some of my fellow wine bloggers, all while getting to interact with the winemaker’s down in Chile. It’s easily one of the highlights of writing this site, and something that I look forward to well in advance of each tasting.
This time around the tasting featured Pinot Noir and Syrah. As you can probably guess I was somewhat beyond excited when I found out that I was going to get to sample Chilean Pinot Noir, and add in the Syrah, and the tasting date couldn’t arrive fast enough for my taste. It should be noted, before I start talking about the actual wines, that this is the fourth Wines of Chile that I have had the fortune to participate in, and it may actually have been the best so far, which is saying something. Alright, on to the wines.
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Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Chile
Cost: $4
Wine Notes: Light in color, almost clear, with subtle aromas of citrus that carries through to the palate. Pair with chicken, seafood, or spicy dishes.
My Review: My wife and I picked up a bottle of this because we had enjoyed the Lucky Duck Tempranillo and, given as how we’re fans of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, figured it was worth giving this one a shot. We shouldn’t have. Read the rest of this entry »
