Tag Archives: carmenere

Mini-reviews 158: Cleaning out the wine closet

man and woman drinking wineReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. This month, four wines after cleaning out the wine closet

• Fancy Flock 2020 ($4, purchased, 13%): Is this Spanish red from Aldi worth $4? Probably not — tart, not especially ripe, and rustic in a bad way. The pandemic has not been kind to Aldi’s wine selection. Imported by Mack & Schule

• Signaterra / Benziger Sunny Slope Red 2016 ($49, sample, 14.8%): I’ve been getting a lot of samples lately that aren’t available. Like you can’t buy them at all. No, I don’t understand that approach, either. This is terrific wine, save for that — fruity, rich. herbal, and with soft tannins.

• Tortoise Creek Mission Grove Pinot Noir 2019 ($12, sample, 14.2%): This red is $15 supermarket-style California pinot noir, with all that means — some heat, not much pinot character, and more rich and fruity than it needs to be.

• Apaltagua Envero Gran Reserva Carmenere 2019 ($16, sample, 14%): Solid, professional carmenere, a red from Chile, with all that means — very herbal (almost bell pepper) and not all that much fruit. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Photo: Couple drinking wine, Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels

Expensive wine 149: Vina Maquis Viola 2014

vina maquis viola
Vina Maquis Viola 2014/$49-$52

This Chilean carmenere blend is a stunning addition to the roster of the world’s great wines

One of these wines was impressive enough. Now, we have a second Chilean carmenere blend that left me, well, almost beyond words.

The Vina Maquis Viola 2014 ($50, sample, 13.5%) is a step up from the aformentioned Maquis Lien, which is impressive enough given how accomplished the Lien was. What’s even more impressive is that the Viola is a great wine, one that can stand with any of the world’s more famous and more pricey great wines. So yes, Napa cabernet sauvignon and red Bordeaux.

Or, as I wrote in my notes: “Damn.”

This is a layered and structured – almost subtle – carmenere blend, which isn’t easy to do. Carmenere’s story is here; it’s enough for our purposes to know that the grape makes rough, tannic, and bell pepper-ish wine without any trouble at all. So that this wine is this sophisticated speaks volumes about the quality of the grapes and the care taken with them.

Look for black berry fruit, spices and green herbs (and not bell pepper), and tremendously well-done tannins. The 15 percent cabernet franc in the blend adds structure and helps make the finish — well, finish longer and in a more interesting way.

Highly recommended; a holiday wine for anyone who wants to try a high-end red and doesn’t have preconceived notions about what those wines should taste like.

Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Expensive wine 132: Vina Maquis Lien 2016

vina maquis lien
Vina Maquis Lien 2016/$30-$35

Chile’s Vina Maquis Leon red blend offers something different, but also accomplished

Sometimes, out of nowhere, a wine appears that makes even someone as cranky and as irritable and as worn out as the Wine Curmudgeon go: “Wow!”

The Vina Maquis Lien 2016 ($32, sample, 13.5%) is just that kind of wine.

It’s not cabernet sauvignon. It’s not from Bordeaux or California. And, as far as I can tell, it has never gotten 95 points from one of the wine magazines. It’s a red blend from Chile’s Colchagua Valley; this vintage has mostly carmenere, not an easy grape to work with, as well as cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and a splash of syrah.

So, with that as the caveat for those of you who are looking for a more polished and Winestream-y sort of wine, this is an amazing effort – young and still a little rough around the edges, but something that will show depth and power as it ages. That the carmenere – which can turn any wine green and unpleasantly herbaceous – doesn’t get in the way speaks volumes about its quality.

Look for just-picked red fruit (berries more than cherries), a surprising freshness given this is as old as it is, and a long, almost woodsy finish. Highly recommended — just the kind of wine to give someone as a gift who wants to try something different.

Imported by Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Christmas wine 2014

Christmas wine 2014Wine suggestions for the holiday next week, whether you need to buy a gift or aren’t sure about what to serve family and friends, be it for dinner or just because:

? Sileni Pinot Noir 2013 ($16, sample, 12.5%): This red wine from New Zealand has been winning awards around the world this year, and why not? It tastes like pinot noir, with dark cherry fruit, soft but still noticeable tannins, and no hint that the wine wants to be anything other than pinot noir, like lots of alcohol or over the top jamminess. If it doesn’t taste like red Burgundy, and I don’t know why it should, it tastes like what it is — one of the best pinots at this price from anywhere in the world.

? Grgich Hills Merlot 2010 ($42, sample, 14.8%): Another remarkable effort from Grgich, which has been making this sort of wine for so long we tend to take it for granted. This California red somehow combines high alcohol with style, finesse, and even some earthiness. Look for red fruit and an almost licorice finish. It’s big enough for red meat, but well made enough to enjoy without it.

? Chateau d’Archambeau 2012 ($14, purchased, 12.5%): Just when I’ve given up on finding white Bordeaux that tastes like white Bordeaux — minerality and crispness without an overabundance of citrus fruit — along comes this French white, made with two-thirds sauvignon blanc and one-third semillon. Nicely done, and worth the extra couple of bucks compared to something like Chateau Bonnet. Sip on its own, or with holiday turkey.

? Argyle Brut 2010 ($22, purchased, 12.5%): Argyle always seems to show up in holiday wine roundups here, but there’s a reason for that. It’s one of the best sparkling wines, dollar for dollar, made in the U.S. — about half the price of its California counterparts, and with that much better quality than less expensive California bubblies. Lots of apple fruit, but also some creaminess. Drink for toasting or with almost any food that isn’t prime rib.

? Hacienda Araucano Reserva Carmenere 2013 ($10, sample, 14%): Carmenere is a red grape from Chile that is supposed to vaguely resemble an earthy merlot, but mostly tastes like grocery store merlot. This wine, from the same family that owns Bonnet, is carmenere the way it should be, and especially at this price. Look for black fruit and some grip, a welcome change from all of the flabby carmeneres on the market. Beef wine without a doubt.

More about Christmas wine:
? Christmas wine 2013
? Christmas wine 2012
? Wine of the week: Astoria Prosecco NV
? Wine of the week: Little James’ Basket Press NV

Wine of the week: Eco Balance Carm n re 2009

The Wine Curmudgeon, once a huge fan of Chilean wine, has become mostly ambivalent over the past several years. Too many Chilean wine have gone from being cheap and well done to just cheap. Labels that had once I counted on, like the Veramonte sauvignon blanc, have morphed into just another grocery store wine. Blame the weak dollar for much of this, but the Chileans have been turning out a lot of ordinary wine as well.

That's why the Eco Balance ($10, sample) was so welcome. Carmenere is a tricky grape to work with, and the Chileans are still trying to figure out what to do with it, especially for cheaper wines. I didn't expect much with this, and at first sip there wasn't much there. But let it open a bit, and you'll find lots of cherry fruit, something that tastes like fake oak but that isn't cheesy, and healthy tannins. The tannins were a nice touch; most wines at this price either have no tannins at all or tannins that are so harsh they grate your tongue. It's a beef wine, probably best suited for burgers and meat loaf.

And yes, it is eco-friendly. Emiliana, the producer, does three green wines — biodynamic, organic, and the Eco, which is produced using environmentally protective farming practices.