Chilean Wine Tasting

Tasted through eight wines from Chile with friends.

• 2008 Concha y Toro Chardonnay Frontera

  Chile, Central Valley

  $8 for a magnum. not bad, considering that price. golden colored. lots of buttery pear on the nose. medium acid, this chardonnay sees no oak, but there's plenty of butter, pear and golden apple flavors. obviously a bit simple, but it's by no means offensive.

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• 2007 Concha y Toro Merlot Frontera

  Chile, Central Valley

  $8 for a magnum. this merlot is almost beaujolais-like in its lightness and fruitiness. light ruby colored with red cherries on the nose. fruity with lots of candied red cherries and some red plums. it's a bit thin though. slightly harsh finish. this merlot sees no oak. 15% carmenere in here too. a good merlot to pop a magnum of at big family gatherings or something.

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• 2006 Viña Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc Nimbus Estate

  Chile, Casablanca Valley

  medium straw colored in the glass. on the nose, this sauvignon blanc has tons of grapefruit, lemon zest and jalapeno peppers. a very aromatic wine. its medium bodied with zippy acid but it maintains a round, creamy feel in the mouth. lots of grass and bell pepper flavors, but they're balanced nicely by some grapefruit, lemon and lime flavors. hints of grass too. its got a spicy, herb-laced finish. this is a really fun sauvignon blanc that has those peppery, vegetal flavors, but has more weight than most new zealand sauvignon blancs. i was really impressed by the complexity that this wine brings, especially considering its $11 price point.

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• 2005 Estampa Sauvignon Blanc Estampa Reserve

  Chile, Central Valley

  golden colored. lemons, golden apples and a bit of brioche on the nose this time. medium bodied and creamy, yet balanced by medium+ acid, which shows nicely on the long finish. lots of golden pears, some hazelnut, beeswax and lemon zest. this is a really interesting blend that was fun to watch evolve over some time. i imagine, however, that this should be drunk soon. very unique white blend.

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• 2007 Montes Syrah Cherub

  Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

  beautiful dark strawberry colored in the glass with medium viscosity. on the nose this has spicy cherries and strawberries but also a decent amount of bell pepper, leather and smoke. its medium bodied with medium+ acid and flowers and strawberry shortcake flavors and some rasberry. it also brings a nice smoky, bell peppery kick. clean and fresh and it brings a whole lot of complexity for a rose at this price point. i really enjoyed this rose. it demanded much more attention than i would've expected.

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• 2007 Calina Carménère Reserva

  Chile, Maule Valley

  dark purple color in the glass with medium+ viscosity. on the nose this shows dark blackberries with smoke and grilled meats. its dense and full-bodied on the palate with solid tannins and flavors of rich black cherries, pepper and leather. there's also some roasted plums abd smoke and a hint of bitter chocolate on the finish. lots of fruit, but it brings those interesting smoky carmenere characteristics as well. great qpr.

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• 2006 Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon [The Original Ungrafted]

  Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

  purple colored with medium viscosity. on the nose this showed currants, leaves and underbrush. medium tannins with some decent currant fruit flavors. i found this wine a bit biting, a bit hollow on the midpalate and it had too much green flavors. the fruit couldn't really stand up to the bell pepper and leaves flavors and it was just too thin for me. i guess it's not bad for $11, but, even so, i'd seek out other cabs at this price point.

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• 2006 Montes Alpha Syrah

  Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

  dark purple colored with medium viscosity in the glass. this syrah is wonderfully aromatic with black cherries, plums, tar and some gamey aromas. rich and lush on the palate with silky tannins and medium- acidity. loads of fruit (plums, black rasberries) but it's not all just jammy fruit, there's great pepper, earth, smoke and tobacco flavors with a hint of chocolate. it has a long, plush finish. great new world syrah than maintains dashes of old world flavors. would probably be better if decanted or if let sit for another year or two. great qpr at $20.

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