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Wines of Chile Blogger Tasting – Carmenere & Curry

George — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:49 +0000

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.

2010 Emiliana Natura Carmenere ($17)

Our first wine of the night was a deep ruby in color and I got aromas of pepper, dark chocolate, pepper, and brambles. In the mouth the wine was dry with pepper, some cherry, and some of the bramble from the nose with a bit of a tart finish to it. This was my wife and my mother’s favorite wine of the night and didn’t last long after the formal part of the tasting was finished.

2008 Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenere ($22)

The second wine featured dark fruit and some of the same bramble from the first on the nose. In the mouth the wine was dry with bell pepper, bramble, and a touch of tobacco. I personally liked this wine better than the first even though they had some similar flavors.

2008 Santa Rita Medella Real Gran Reserva Carmenere ($20)

The third wine had a ton of dark fruit on the nose with some spice. I got some dark chocolate and plum on the nose, though not as much as some of the others tasting with me. In the mouth the wine displayed a subtle pepper with smooth chocolate and dark fruit. It was a stark departure from the first two wines with more fruit on less pepper than they featured.

2008 Montes Alpha Carmenere ($24)

Our fourth wine had a nose that I could only describe as musty at first, though after it opened up I did pick up some dark fruit and spice. In the mouth I got dark cherry with some dark chocolate and plum and a soft oak finish.

2009 Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere ($17)

The fifth wine had spice and black fruit on the nose that struck me as juicy though a little bramble came out later as the wine opened up. On the palate the juiciness from the nose came up again with just a touch of pepper and some smokey fruit.

2009 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carmenere ($20)

The sixth wine had a nose of black fruit and spice with a hint of dried herbs. In the mouth the wine was smooth but with what I could only describe as a “footy’ finish, though others described it as a dark almond finish which sounds far better than how I phrased it.

2009 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere ($20)

Our next to last wine had black currant and a touch of chocolate nose. In the mouth it was medium dry with some pepper and cherry and a dark chocolate note on the finish. I wasn’t in love with this wine at first, but later in the evening after it had time to open up I found it more enjoyable.

2007 Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere ($13)

The only blend of the evening, the blend was: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; 37$ Carmenere; 13% Cabernet Franc; 10% Syrah. On the nose I got earth with stone and flint and just a hint of dark fruit. In the mouth the wine featured pepper, tobacco, some fruit, and more of the earth and stone notes from the nose. It wasn’t a favorite of mine personally, though others that had let the wine open up more than myself did say it was the best value, and it was a bit more enjoyable to me later in the night when it had opened up a bit.

Wrap-Up

So, the usual question to these tastings is “which was your favorite”? If I was forced to pick one it would probably be the 2008 Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenere. That being said, I did enjoy the 2009 Concha y Toro later after it had some time to open up. As the theme of the tasting was Carmenere & Curry we (meaning my wife) made a point of making some curry to taste the food with. We made the beef curry dish that we had been sent a recipe for and while it wasn’t a perfect pairing with every one of the wines, it was tasty and did pair well with some of them, so you can count me as a believer in pairing Carmenere with curry.

This probably wasn’t my favorite of the Wine of Chile tastings I’ve done (the last one, Pinot Noir & Syrah, holds that title), though it also probably wasn’t my least favorite. I think I would have enjoyed the wines, the back four in particular, had I opened them all up well ahead of time to give them lots of time to breathe, something I plan to do for the next one.

As always I want to thank both the vineyards of Chile, the winemakers, and The Thomas Collective for putting on what is easily one of the most original and entertaining tastings that I get to participate in. I always look forward to these tastings as they are informative and and a great way to try new wines.

Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain 2008

George — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:00:55 +0000

Varietal: 36% Cabernet Sauvignon; 33% Merlot; 14% Syrah; 11% Cabernet Franc; 6% Malbec
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $25

Winemaker’s Notes: Flagship wine of the estate, the HFE Red Mountain consistently displays dense color, firm tannins, and well-defined acidity. Always a majority blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine is suitable for drinking upon release, but will reward those with the patience to age it. This wine represents all vineyard blocks farmed within the Hedges Family Estate vineyard portfolio. A true chateau-production bottling, the HFE Red Mountain is the epitome of classic style, and one that represents the Terroir of the Red Mountain AVA in a pure and elegant form.

My Review: Oh big red wines, how I enjoy you. A couple of weeks ago the folks over at Hedges Family Estates sent me a sampling of their portfolio to check out, and included in that was two bottles of the 2008 Red Mountain. On my wife’s recent trip to South Carolina with her parents to visit her brother and his wife I sent one of those bottles with her to share with her brother. Her early report was that it was a steak wine, so the other night we grilled up some steak and lobster tails and popped open the other bottle.

I was immediately struck by how dark the wine was. Holding it up to light let pretty much none of it through and the only way I was able to really pick out any streaks of purple were from the small bubbles that resulted from the pouring.

On the nose I got dark fruit which carried through to the palate with just a hint of tobacco/smoke on the finish as well. The finish on this wine was silky smooth, like far smoother than I was expecting and maybe the smoothest finish I’ve had on a red in a long time. with the dinner of steak, lobster tails, and baked potatoes it was great. The big, bold dark fruits held up great against the grilled steak, but the smooth finish was perfect for the more delicate lobster.

I really enjoyed this wine, and it’s a great value for such a big wine that will make any steak lover happy. If you want to try it and can’t find it in your local store, you can either order it directly from Hedges Family Estates, or you can follow this link and order it.

Big House Cardinal Zin 2009

George — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:23 +0000

Varietal: 80% Zinfandel; 10% Mourvedre; 8% Carignane; 2% Petite Sirah
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: This is a refined pleasure with intense flavors of blackberry mingling with soft creamy touches of oak, vanilla, and dry herbs. It’s full on the palate, but not heavy and the fruit is constant from the first sip to the end of the finish. Pairs well with grilled pork, pasta Bolognese, and barbecued ribs or chops.

My Review: It’s taken me a while to get around to sampling/reviewing this wine. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to, but rather because I knew what I wanted to pair with it and took my sweet time getting and then cooking up some ribs. This past Saturday I finally got around to it.

The wine was lighter in the glass than I was expecting, with more of a reddish hue than purple. On the nose I got aromas of berry, and in the mouth red fruit with a hint of tobacco. My wife claimed there was green pepper but I never got any of it.

The wine was lighter than I was expecting, which is not to say that it was a bad thing, only that I was more used to heavier Zinfandel, and the 2009 Big House Cardinal Zin is decidedly not heavy. Normally I would say how the wine paired with the food at this point, but given that the ribs I made were, quite frankly, not very good (the place I buy them from changed up the sauce and it wasn’t as good), it’s unfair to say whether or not the wine did anything for the food. That being said, I would have liked to have had some good ribs or even a juicy hamburger with this wine.

If you’re a die-hard Zinfandel purist this is probably not the wine for you. However, if you’re looking for a different red to serve during the remains of the grilling/cook-out season, this is a nice affordable option that’s different from your typical Zinfandel and is light enough to be enjoyed on a hot day.

If you can’t find the 2009 Big House Cardinal Zin at your local store, you can follow this link and have it sent directly to you.

Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

George — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:40 +0000

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.

In the mouth the wine was medium to full-bodied with lots of dark fruit and a nice smoky finish that I really enjoyed. Paired with a dinner of some sausage tortellini (or tortelloni…it’s really all the same to me to be honest) in some red sauce it really brought out the bolder flavors of the meal, though honestly I’d love to pair this wine with a steak and plan to grab another bottle in the future to do just that.

While it’s certainly no secret that I’m a fan of Chilean wine, this bottle is just another example of why. A Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for less than $15 is a value any way you slice it, and the fact that this one is full of flavors that just scream to be paired with something off the grill makes this a great wine to pick up during the summer months when the grill gets the most use.

If you can’t find the 2008 Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon at your local store, you can, as always, follow this link and have some shipped to you.

Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

George — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:00:38 +0000

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Mendoza – Argentina
Cost: $12 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Ruby color with purple hues of good intensity. Complex aromas of ripe fruits such as cherries, black cherries, and plums as well as vanilla, leather, tobacco, and spices such as black pepper and paprika. Full-bodied, sweet tannins, rich red wine with good balance and complexity and a long finish. Pairs well with grilled red meat and pastas.

My Review: If you’ll recall, a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a lunch featuring several Santa Julia wines. During that lunch, the third course was a steak paired with a reserve cabernet sauvignon and a reserve malbec. While I enjoyed them, and the steak, the chimichurri topping on the steak had quite a bit of heat to it, and sorta fried my palate a little, making it hard to be sure I’d gotten a good sense of the wines. Fortunately, I was able to get a sample of the wines sent over so I could check them out again without my mouth being on fire (though that steak was still delicious).

This past weekend my wife and I decided to do a surf and turf dinner (gorgeous weather makes me want to grill), and since it’d had originally been paired with a steak, it seemed appropriate to that I should do so again. After cooking up a couple of NY Strips and a lobster tail, we sat down with our dinner and bottle of wine.

In the glass the wine was a dark red color with slashes of purple. On the nose I didn’t get a specific aroma so much as a generic red fruit smell that I typically associate with cherry. In the mouth the cherry flavors came through much more, especially with a tartness on the end that wasn’t tannic. In fact the finish was very light on the tannins, which was nice considering the lobster tails on the plate.

This wine was another example of why I wines from South America continue to find their way into my house. Argentina, Chile, and really everything I’ve had from the continent in general, are putting out good, quality wines at prices that make it very enticing to try new things since they’re priced to move. If you want to give the 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon a try, and I recommend you do, and you can’t find it in your local store (I haven’t seen it at mine yet either), you can follow this link and have some shipped to you directly.

Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric 2007

George — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:33 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% Malbec; 8% Cabernet Franc; 8% Petit Verdot; 7% Tannat; 5% Merlot; 3% Petite Sirah)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $22 (SRP)

Deep red color with aromas of cherry, anise, dried herbs, and tobacco. Flavors of blackberry, caramel, and subtle notes of coffee with a lingering finish and firm tannins. Pairs well with lamb steaks, beef carpaccio, cheddar cheese potatoes gratin.

Recommendations: When I got this wine, I was instantly interested in it thanks to the blend. I’m a fan of most of the grapes in this wine as a single varietal, so I was hopeful that they would blend together well. As the tasting notes for this wine recommended pairing it with lamb, it took me a few weeks to finally open this, as I had never cooked lamb before and was slowly but surely psyching myself up to do just that. This weekend I did just that.

The wine was a beautiful deep red in the glass, and I got aromas of cherry and a hint of tobacco on the nose. Flavors of blackberry were most prevalent to me, but what really impressed me was the smoothness of the wine. At least in my opinion I cooked the lamb just right (we learned that my wife is not a fan of lamb this weekend), and the flavor of the wine was a nice compliment to both the flavor and the texture of the lamb. I know that sounds weird, but the blend of the wine lent itself to a nice smooth wine that was bold and subtle all at once. It’s confusing, but it is what it is.

As with all wines, the true test for me is whether it’s enjoyable after the food is gone, and I did like this wine after I had finished my lamb steak (and admittedly a portion of my wife’s). The nice bold flavor of the Cabernet Sauvignon was tempered by the Petit Verdot (which is quickly becoming my favorite blending grape), Petite Sirah, and Merlot.

I know that around the holidays a lot of people will eat lamb, and if you’re one of those people this is certainly a wine worth checking out to pair with your holiday meals. If you can’t find the Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric at your local store and want to give it a try, you can click here and get it.

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

George — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:00:33 +0000

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (81.7% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Merlot; 6% Petite Sirah; 2.8% Malbec; 2.5% Petit Verdot)
Region: California – Sonoma – USA
Cost: $15

Garnet in color with aromas of black cherry, black olive, mocha and vanilla. Medium bodied showing flavors of mocha, raspberry, mint, plum, and tobacco. Pairs well with grilled meats.

Recommendations: So on Friday night my wife went out with some of her friends which meant I stopped at the store on my way home for a steak and bottle of wine. Sometimes a guy has to treat himself. My steak on the grill (after a comedy of errors involving having to run BACK out to the store to get my propane tank refilled), I opened up the wine to try a small sip. It really made me want my steak to cook faster.

While I didn’t really get the olive aromas that Sebastiani claimed (I’m not really a fan of olives, so maybe I just blocked them out), I did get the black cherry both on the nose and a bit on the palate. Flavors of mocha and tobacco were a great pairing for my steak once it came off the grill, and the tannins on the finish weren’t terribly big and bold, but they were enough to balance the grilled meat, and that’s really what I was looking for.

I’ve visited Sebastiani Vineyards on a trip last year to San Francisco, and if you’re ever in the area I do recommend a stop in as they have a beautiful tasting room, and while I’ll admit that when I was picking up this bottle I didn’t recall their Cabernet from my trip out there, I was glad I grabbed this bottle and will keep it in mind for future steak dinners all by myself.

If you’re looking for the 2006 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon and can’t find it, you can follow this link to some online retailers that can help you.

The House of Independent Producers Merlot 2008

George — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:00:21 +0000

Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $13

Dark red in the glass with aromas of blackberry and dark berry and cherry on the palate. A slight tobacco finish with hints of smoke. Pairs well with chicken, veggies, grilled meat, pasta.

Recommendations: Merlot has, for a while, had a bit of a bad rap. I had been avoiding it for a while simply because I had had bad experiences with lower quality wines and it had clouded my judgement towards the entire varietal. However, this past year has changed my opinion of the grape, with Virginia producing several high quality Merlots. While this bottle didn’t come from Virginia (other side of the country in fact) it did continue the tradition that my home state has started of changing my opinion.

My wife and I picked up this bottle at a tasting event at our local wine shop. We had a hard time deciding between the Merlot and the Chardonnay from this winery, but ultimately went with the Merlot. We should have picked up more than one bottle. The deep red color of the wine in the glass was inviting to me as I love a dark colored wine – something comforting about it to me.

The aromas of berry, particularly blackberry were present but not overwhelming, and while there were some flavors of crushed dark fruit on the palate, I mostly got cherry, which I rather enjoyed. A hint of smoky tobacco on the finish with a smooth tannic finish made this a great wine to pair with a quick dinner of pizza and both my wife and I were wishing there was more in the bottle long after the last drop had been poured.

This is definitely a wine I would recommend, especially if you haven’t been keen on Merlot for whatever reason (I’m looking at you Sideways viewers). If this doesn’t change your opinion on Merlot than you really don’t like it and might not ever. Definitely one to grab.

Folie a Deux Merlot 2007

George — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:00:48 +0000

Varietal: Merlot (89% Merlot; 11% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region: California – Napa Valley – USA
Cost: $21

Deep ruby red in color with aromas of blueberry, cassis, and cocoa. Berry fruit, tobacco, dark chocolate, and refined new oak all mix in the mouth. Pairs well with beef, lamb, BBQ, roasted chicken, pasta, and grilled vegetables.

Recommendations: I’ve never tried to hide my apprehension about Merlot. I’ve had bad ones in the past that had put a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended), but had recently decided to give it a second go, partly due to some impressive Merlots coming out of Virginia. With that in mind, I opened the Folie a Deux for a dinner of pasta and red sauce.

I was instantly impressed with the deep ruby/garnet coloring of the wine, and I managed to pick up some white pepper and berry on the nose. Dark chocolate and oak were most prevalent for me in the mouth, which was a fine pairing with the dinner I’d prepared. Tannins on the finish can certainly be attributed to the big of Cabernet Sauvignon added to the wine, but it was a fairly lush, full-bodied wine – what I’d been reading about Merlot but had yet to really experienced from a California bottle.

Now, all that being said, I have a big complaint with this wine – 14.5%/vol alcohol is just too much for any wine. I know that I’ve complained before about the seeming race to see which vineyard can create the wine with the highest alcohol content that people will still drink, but it has to stop. I was barely able to get any aromas or flavors, and only those that were bold because of the aroma and flavor of alcohol that permeated this wine.

While the wine was fine with my meal, the sauce helped to cut the alcohol, by itself I found it less pleasurable. I did appreciate the full-bodied nature of the wine, and I think that with a bit less alcohol it would be a truly spectacular wine. That being said, unless you really like the taste of alcohol I have a hard time recommending this wine.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

Bodega Benegas Don Tiburcio 2006

George — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:00:19 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (50% Malbec; 20% Cabernet Franc; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Petit Verdot; 5% Merlot)
Region: Argentina
Cost: $13

Deep purple in color with a hint of smoke and tobacco on the nose at first that quickly dissipates. Dark cherry flavor with a slight tannic finish that will pair well with red meat, pastas, and BBQ.

Recommendations: Stop reading this review and go buy this wine right now. I’ll wait. You’re back? Good. I picked up this wine at one of my local wine shops after an evening tasting and Tuesday night was my chance to finally open it. I shouldn’t have waited so long.

Deep purple in the glass with a hint of smoke and tobacco on the nose at first that fades after a bit of swirl and turns into crushed fruit aromas from the Malbec. Dark cherry flavors that just barely hit you in the back of the jaw with just the right amount of tannins before moving into a smooth finish. You’d never believe that this wine has 14% alcohol/volume.

I paired my wine with a steak I picked up and threw on the grill and the combination of the red meat and the flavors from the wine were amazing. I’m pretty sure I could pair the Don Tiburcio with just about anything (or nothing at all), but I think something bold in flavor itself is called for with this blend of flavors.

While my house is currently teeming with wine bottles, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already planning to pick up a couple more bottles of this for the near future. For around $13 it’s one of the best value wines I’ve had and I highly recommend going and picking up a bottle…or six.