2018 San Pedro "1865" Carmenere

Happy Sunday!  It seems that summer is starting to calm down, we've seen hot and humid and rather chilly evenings on consecutive days, so I'm hoping for consistency!  As I get ready for Sunday dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent Costco find, and one of my favorite varietals, Carmenere, the lost Bordeaux grape.  Carmenere was long thought extinct thanks to the phylloxera plague in 1867.  It was later discovered in Chile, having been cultivated since 1850 from French cuttings mistaken for Merlot.  The 2018 San Pedro "1865" Carmenere is named for the winemaker's founding year, and is sourced from a variety of vineyards in Chile's Del Maule Valley.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, as you might expect from a pure Carmenere.  A quick swirl in the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, plum with some mineral notes of basalt and a hint of green cedar.  A taste reveals flavors of black cherry and currant that ease into notes of tobacco and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are rather subdued, but still find time to support a supple, dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and a solid value at just $13.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from tacos to pizza, pasta to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the latter two, a rare grilled New York Strip along with some garlic scapes and asparagus sautéed in olive and tossed with linguine and topped with shaved parmesan and a bit of purple basis.  Cheers!

2012 Koyle Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  Today has been a somewhat relaxing day of chores (that sure seems oxymoronic), as I've done some laundry, organized a few things and prepped for cooking dinner, so it really hasn't been stressful at all.  And now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine as I start cooking my Sunday dinner, and tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 Koyle Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon which I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%) from the Alto Colchagua Valley of Chile.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

In the glass, this wine is a classic deep ruby color, with just a touch of amber along the edges.  After a bit of breathing time, the wine presents aromas of olive tapenade and earthy leather, with undertones of red currant and plum.  Take a sip and it reveals a departure from the nose, with a rush of ripe cherry and currant, with much less of the earthy tones, which are instead replaced with a good bit of minerality midpalate.  The tannins are gripping, and the finish is quite dry, with a reprise of herbal notes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking Cabernet that might be a few years past its prime, but still a solid value at just $10.  This wine would be ideal with a casual weeknight dinner, with everything from burgers and steaks, to pizza and barbecue.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic herb crusted rack of lamb with mashed potatoes, a red wine demi and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 Casillero del Diablo Carmenère

 Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've posted as I've been on a vacation road trip over ten days, driving from Indiana to Yellowstone and stopping at all manner of sites in between.  Tonight I hosted a virtual wine tasting with some of my coworkers and since we were focused on tasting a single varietal (Carmenère), I needed to find a bottle that everyone could find at their local market.  So, I chose the 2018 Casillero del Diablo Carmenère from Chile.  I was inspired to do this varietal tasting based on one held by Chuck Reininger a few months back that highlighted this lost Bordeaux varietal.  Let's see how this one is tasting!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, typical of a nice Carmenère.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, raspberry, green grass and a bit of Bordeaux style funk.  The taste is far less fruit forward than suggested by the nose,with subdued flavors of blackberry and currant that transitions to some earthy notes of tar and graphite intermingled with cocoa powder and black pepper.  The tannins are well structured providing a base for the soft dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7.5, as it's a nice everyday drinking wine at a value price of just $10.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steak and lamb to chorizo tacos.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a truffle salted filet mignon along with some roasted baby potatoes I picked up at the farmers' market in Douglas, Wyo. last saturday and some steamed green beans with slivered almonds.  Cheers!

2017 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a relatively quiet week so far, but I think things are going to get busier soon!  I found out over the weekend that I've been cast as Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Elkhart Civic Theatre's radio play of "A Christmas Carol"!  Last year I had such fun playing Henry F. Potter in the radio play of
"It's A Wonderful Life" that I thought I'd try again (maybe I really am a warped frustrate old man after all?).  In any case, tonight I'm enjoying a wine I bought at a wine bar in Grand Rapids about a year ago, the 2017 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, a lovely wine from Chile!

The wine is classic Cabernet color, with an inky center and bright garnet along the edges.  The nose is a delightful combination of ripe cherry, blackberry and currant with hints of cedar over the top.  The taste is cool at first, with notes of blackberry, cherry and currant that transition to some notes of dark chocolate and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated providing some nice backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice, easy drinking everyday red wine at a price well under $20.  This wine would pair well with grilled steaks, lamb or hearty stew, but since it's taco Tuesday, tonight I am enjoying this with some classic beef tacos along with some black beans with fire roasted poblano peppers and white rice.  Cheers!

2012 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Ok, I confess, I've been on a weekend run on wines from Chile, from last night's edition from the Maipo Valley, I've decided to open another Costco bottle tonight, the 2012 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from the Marchigue region of Chile.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a somewhat lighter color, with some deep purple transitioning to bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is somewhat of an old world sort of blend of blackberry, cassis, intermingled with dried herbs and spice. The taste is a dichotomy of rich black fruit married against some fairly tart acidity, so that based on the aromas, you expect some dark fruit but are quickly flipped around by the acidity, before relaxing into some dark chocolate notes.  The tannins are tightly wound, leading to a more modest but very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant Cabernet, and a good value, as I think I recall paying something around $15 for this one.  This wine would be great with steaks, roasts or lamb, but tonight I'm enjoying this with a little bucatini with spicy red sauce.  Cheers!

2014 Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Well it was a classic Saturday where I went over to Mishawaka to Costco to pick up a few things, including some wine.  I tend to find some interesting and value priced wines over there and tonight I have an interesting one from the Maipo Valley in Chile, the 2014 Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.  South America offers a nice variety of wines, perhaps the most famous being the Malbecs of Argentina, but I've found that Chile produces some very high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep purple at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a rich combination of leather, oak, green grass and a hint of rosemary over subdued note of ripe black fruit.  The taste a rush of ripe, jammy fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant this at first is more reminiscent of a Zinfandel.  The fruit transitions nicely to some wonderful earthy mineral notes of tar and graphite midpalate. The tannins, while young are quite subdued, but still provide nice structure to the long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking nicely now and might improve a bit over a few years, but it was also a great value at just $12!  This wine would be good with steak (as I'm proving tonight) but would also be great with barbecue, tacos, or a nice pasta dish.  Tonight I'm enjoying it with a prime sirloin grilled rare, with some grilled veggies and potatoes.  Cheers!

2010 Penalolen Cabernet Franc

Happy Tuesday!  Man this summer is going by fast, I just can't believe it!  Well in any case, this week has been unseasonably cool, which is always fine by me, but it's still warm enough to grill out some steaks and sip some wine on the patio.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2010 Penalolen Cabernet Franc from the Casablanca Valley of Chile, an area with a somewhat cooler climate that's ideal for Cabernet Franc.

The color is a deep ruby in the glass, that's almost black at the center.  The nose evokes wild berries, raspberries and cassis along with freshly cut grass.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with flavors of ripe raspberry and plum at the outset that edges toward tart cherry and some dusty limestone notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, leading to a smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very nice example of the varietal that would pair well with a variety of dishes.  It was also a terrific value at just $10 from Wineshopper.com, illustrating the bargains to be had from South American producers!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice grilled Angus T-bone, baked potato and haricots verts almondine.  The earthy herbal notes in this wine make it ideal with steak or flavorful Latin dishes.  Salut!

2012 Primus The Blend

Happy Saturday!  I actually got a lot done today, laundry, cleaning up the yard, washing my truck and later this evening I'll be going to a play!  So why not pause for a nice glass of wine, and tonight it's one I recently picked up at Costco at a very nice price, the 2012 Primus "The Blend" an intriguing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Carmenere (25%), Syrah (25%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) produced in the Colchagua Valley of Chile.

The wine is a deep indigo in the glass, with brighter garnet along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of smoke, ripe black fruit, rosemary and clove.  The flavor is quite nice, with some sweet fruit notes of strawberry and plum up front that transition nicely to some earthy notes of toasted oak and blackberry midpalate.  The tannins are nicely rounded providing for a velvety mouthfeel, balanced acidity and a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's drinking very well now, but is likely a wine that's meant to be enjoyed while young.  It was also a solid value at around $14 at Costco.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rather unorthodox dinner of butternut squash ravioli with a fresh vegetable Alfredo sauce, the acidity of this wine is the perfect balance to the richness of the sauce.  This wine would also go very well with a nice steak or barbecue.  Cheers!

2008 Cousino-Macul Finis Terrae

So tonight I am enjoying yet another day of stay-cation, but fear not!  I plan to get out on the road to do some camping soon, then we'll see some change!  But until then, I have cracked open a nice bottle of wine from the Maipo Valley of Chile, an area that I've become a big fan of over the last year or so.  And tonight's wine is the 2008 Cousino-Macul Finis Terrae, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Syrah (10%).

The wine is a pleasant, deep garnet color in the glass, and the nose is a fantastic blend of rich leather, mint, oak and ripe black fruit, black cherry, plum and blackberry.  The taste  is a lovely combination of spice and fruit on the outset, with some rich berry flavor and some pepper and warm spice.  The spicy fruit transitions effortlessly to some earthy notes midpalate, with flavors of musty oak, grass and tart cherry.  The tannins are very well structured, supporting a wonderfully tight, long, dry finish that seems to last until you're reaching for your next sip!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a wonderfully structured wine that could easily sell for an inflated price, but this one was a bargain at $19 from wineshopper.com!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare porterhouse and some fresh grilled Michigan asparagus, nothing like fresh veggies in season!  Salut!

2008 Stonehead Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's Friday so I have no excuse for not opening up a bottle of wine with my dinner!  And tonight I've decided to open up a bottle I picked up last Friday at John Russo's in Grand Rapids, not to be confused with G.B. Russo's which is also a great wine seller here in Grand Rapids.  I'd never been there before, but as I was waiting for my fuel injectors to be cleaned I figured I'd have the shuttle from the dealer drop me off to do a little wine shopping, and the shuttle driver suggested I try John Russo instead.  So why not?  I ended up buying about 8 bottles of wine, including the one I opened tonight, the 2008 Stonehead Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

The color is a deep purple in the glass, just as you might expect from a Cabernet, and the nose has some strong notes of prune, blackberry and just the faintest bit of leather and mint.  There's also a bit of earthiness, and some aromas that remind me of charred meat.  The taste is fairly subdued, with some nice dark fruit up front that transitions to some stronger mint notes midpalate, but the finish was pretty disappointing as the taste just seemed to end abruptly.

Despite the lackluster finish, the wine was ok and I'd rate it a 7 simply because it was an outstanding bargain at only $4.99!  I've had a lot worse for under $5, so how can I complain?  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some Thai green curry with chicken and veggies over rice, as the spice of the food makes up for the short finish on the wine.

2010 Santa Alicia Reserva Cabernet Savignon

Ah, it's good to reach the end of a long week, and what a perfect way to end the week by opening a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight I am enjoying a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley of Chile, the 2010 Santa Alicia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is the second bottle of Chilean wine I've had this month, and I must say I haven't been disappointed.

The color of this wine is a deep purple at the center, easing to a bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is quite interesting, with aromas of ripe plum and blackberry intermingled with oak, spice and a grassy smell that creates an odd complexity.  The taste is quite fruit forward, with ripe berry flavors that quickly give way to some tar, tobacco and spice midpalate.  The finish of this full bodied wine is quite lush, with firm tannins providing just the right bit of tartness to balance the full mouthfeel.  This is a very nice Cabernet that will likely not benefit from much more age, and is drinking quite nicely right now.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a nice wine, and a terrific value at under $10!  I bought this bottle in a "mystery 6-pack" of wines from wineshopper.com, so I'm not sure the exact price, but all 6 bottles were $50 I think.  Tonight I am pairing this with Sandmann's barbecue, which has recently returned to the Grand Rapids dining scene (being from the south side of Chicago, I love me some barbecue and Sandmann's is the real deal!), so I am having some rib tips, biscuits and cole slaw, and the nicely structured finish of this wine makes it a great pairing to the sweet and spicy sauce on my rib tips, YUM!

2009 Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon

So this afternoon, I went on a mini, impromptu pub crawl with some friends of mine from work, and unlike the old days when I was a youth, and pub crawls literally meant drinking so much you had to crawl to the next pub, this was a more staid affair.  I had a grand total of three beers and an aborted glass of Cabernet Franc in our afternoon out.  So, I have more than enough energy to enjoy a glass or two of wine this evening!

And tonight, we have a lovely sustainably farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley of Chile, the 2009 Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas.  Now I happened upon a couple bottles of this wine at a recent "Big Reds" wine tasting at a local establishment called Bar Divani, where I had a lovely time, and best of all, the opportunity to order some of the wines we tasted, this being one of the last minute additions to the menu.

The wine itself is a lovely deep ruby in the glass, and the nose is full of ample rich, ripe fruit, leather, cedar and anise.  The taste is very dry all around, with some very subtle fruit, black currant and cherries, yielding to some mild spices midpalate.  The finish is somewhat short, but bone dry, making this an ideal accompaniment to a variety of grilled meats and savory dishes.  As a side note, it's advisable to let this wine breathe a bit before serving, it's not undrinkable straight from the bottle, but it does open up nicely with a half hour or so in the air.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's drinking well now, but I think it could improve a bit over the next few years.  As for pairings, again prepare to be disappointed with my weeks of leftovers, since tonight I am enjoying this wine with some leftover chicken, mushrooms and steamed Brussels sprouts.  Yum!

2006 J. Bouchon Merlot

Ok, so I've already gone on a Merlot rant, so this one we'll just play by the numbers.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2006 J. Bouchon Merlot from Chile.  Now the merits of Merlot aside, you have to admit that in the last few years Chile has been producing some remarkably wonderful, yet inexpensive wines for us to enjoy, and I think this is one of them.

This wine has a deep ruby color, with a nose of licorice, spice and ripe berries, with just the faintest hint of cedar.  As for the taste, this is a dry but remarkable fruit forward wine, with the taste of ripe plum, cassis and cherry, with just a hint of tobacco near the finish, which is remarkable smooth and supple, and very dry (it is a Merlot after all!).  This is a really easy drinking wine that really opens up after a few minutes in the glass.  Tonight I am enjoying it with a chicken breast, wild rice and some awesome fresh Brussells sprouts right from the stalk that my friend Amanda picked up for me at Trader Joe's and we love Trader Joe's!

Overall, I would rate this wine a very pleasant 7.0, nothing earth shaking, but a very nice everyday table wine at a value price.  This was a WTSO Cheapskate Wednesday selection that I picked up a couple weeks ago for only $8 delivered!  Can you believe it?

A Pair of Chilean Cabernets

Ok, I'll admit it, I like cheap wine!  Not like I've not taken up drinking from paper bags, nor have I splurged on a case of Boone's Farm, but I always love finding a nice drinking wine for a price that doesn't make you feel bad for drinking every day.  Now color me ignorant, but I had always know Chile as a big exporter of copper and agricultural commodities, but I was surprised to find out they are the the world's fifth largest exporter of wine and the eighth largest producer of wine.  I suppose that shouldn't have been surprising given its proximity to Argentina (who loves a good Malbec?) and the wonderful coastal terrain that should be ideal for wine making.

So about a month ago, I embarked on my South American journey when I purchased a case of 2009 Chilensis Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon from my friends at G.B. Russo's for only $84 less a $15 mail in rebate (did I ever send that in?), and I've been drinking it off an on since then, just opening a bottle or two during the week as my everyday drinking wine.  The Chilensis comes from the Colchagua Valley of Chile, which is in the southern part of the Rapel Valley, south of Santiago and to the west of San Fernando.  The area is known for it's Cabernet, Carménère, Syrah and Malbec.  This Cabernet is drinking quite well despite it's youth, displaying a nose of black cherry, leather and spice.  For taste, this wine has very structured tannins resulting in a smooth, dry taste with a luscious mouthfeel.  Overall a great wine for grilled meats, heavy Italian dishes (I'm enjoying it tonight with some linguine and arrabbiata sauce with Italian sausage).  Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, which is only made better by it's super $7 price tag.  My only complaint about the wine is the lack of a natural cork, though I suppose the screw cap makes it easier to drink throughout the week.

The second wine from Chile is the Cono Sur (get it? Cono Sur, Connoisseur, nice play on words) from the Central Valley just south of Santiago.  Cono Sur is an interesting winery, with a bicycle on the label it shows the concern they have for the environment and sustainable viticulture.  In fact many of their wines are certified organic, however this basic Cabernet is not.  Even so, it benefits from the same environmentally conscious practices that show up in the quality of the wine.  I first tasted this wine at Russo's in a comparison with 2010 organic monastrell and 2008 Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet (talk about big shoes to fill!) and this one stood up quite well, even to a legendary Napa cab.  The wine is much more fruit forward than the Chilensis, with a nose of blackberry and currant, and a hint of cedar and tobacco.  The taste is like a big bold California Cab, much different than the Chilensis, this was a more fruity, in-your-face wine, making it a perfect with spicy dishes, or hearty beef roasts.  This would also be ideal for a nice cheese course, particularly with some of the stronger cheeses.  Again, this was a very nice wine, easy drinking and a quality that belies it's $8 price tag (though it was on sale, regularly it's $11).  Overall I would rate this one an 8.5 as I just liked it a little better than it's Chilean cousin (though it still has the same problem with the screw cap!).

So if you haven't already, you should open your heart to the beauty of Chilean wines, they are solid quality and an affordable price.