Wines of Chile Grand Tasting -part 3 - Reds

Reviewing the whites was easy, at least compared to reviewing the red wines from this great tasting of wines from Chile. Lots of great examples in every price range, from $10 to $100. Too many to describe; I can only give some highlights.

From Carmen, their Gran Reserva Carmenere is beautiful. It has rich fruit, and manages to avoid the all too common "green pepper" taste that is present in too many Carmeneres (which I believe comes from slightly unripe fruit). Carmen also has a nice Gran Reserva Cabernet, and Petite Sirah. Both of which are good solid wines.

While those wines are in Carmen's newer, more fruit forward, style, their Gold Reserve 2007 is classic "old style" Carmen, perfectly bridging the style gap between austere Old World reds, and the overpowering "fruit bombs" of many New World wineries. One that I highly recommend.

Vina Carta Vieja has some great values. The Prestige Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is 100% hand picked Cab, with lots of nice fruit. At $16, it rivals many Cabs from California that have much higher pricetags.

Their "G7" line of Cab and Malbec are $11 bottles that represent great everyday values.

It's rare that I find a Carmenere that I fall in love with, but the Grial Carmenere 2007 from Global Vineyard is one of them. I'm just not quite sure if it's worth the $55 price.

Millaman had a unique wine; a Limited Reserve Zinfandel from the Maipo Valley. To me, this tasted like it could be from Dry Creek Valley in California, although it was perhaps just a little lighter in body. An outstanding wine, I think it would work well with Turkish or maybe even Indian food. At only $18, I look forward to having a chance to buy this wine. 

The rest of the Millaman line was also very good, including a spicy Carmenere and a nice Cab/Merlot blend that is only $11. Currently, their wines are not imported, but after seeing how good they are, I have to believe that will soon change.

Sharing the title for most unusual wine was the Santa Digna Estelado from Miguel Torres Chile. This is a sparkling rose made from 100% Pais, the grape that used to dominate in Chile (and California, called "Mission"). Very dry, and slightly tart, this is not a wine for most casual drinkers; but of course, every wine geek such as myself has to try it.

Concha y Toro of course showed many nice wines. Their best were the Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, which at $22 is a perennial great value, and the Terrunyo Carmenere, which was a line I had not previously heard of. The Terrunyo was a blend of 87% Carmenere, 11% Cab Sauv, and 2% Cab Franc. At  $38, I think this was the best wine of the show in the Under $50 range. 

Sadly, the 2007 Don Melchor was not impressive. Perhaps if I hadn't tasted the incredible Terrunyo right before, I would have thought it wonderful. Or perhaps it simply needs more time. Either way, I was a little disappointed in it, especially considering that it's now going for nearly $100/bottle.

From Lapostolle, great wines as usual, with the Casa Lapostolle Carmenere 2009 tasting great (and for only $12) and the Cuvee Alexandre Carmenere tasting even better. 

Continuing their Carmenere trend, the 2008 Clos Apalta is 73% Carmenere (although this may be a misprint; the figures I have don't add up to 100). Thankfully, this wine did not disappoint, with a depth and richness that make a lasting impression. I thought that the Clos Apalta was going to be my favorite wine of the show, until....

I tasted the Ossa Sixth Generation 2006 from Vina La Rosa. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Carmenere, this is a wine that could only come from Chile, but one that pays respect to the finest wines in the world. The complexity is beyond description (it didn't help that this was near the end of 4 hours of tasting; the fact that it could wake up my tired taste buds is an even bigger statement). Incredible silkyness, with lots of dark fruits, spice, and vanilla, and a finish that didn't want to stop. This was the perfect wine to finish the day with. The only downside is that this is another wine that is currently not imported into the US. 

Overall, a fantastic tasting, with lots of fabulous wines, and very few disappointments. My thanks to the organizers and producers, who did a great job.