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WINE REVIEWS & RATINGS
Chilean Reds
2001
2001 Montes Alpha M - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (3/9/2010)
Medium purple. Elegant nose with spice, raspberry, and floral. On the palate initial blast of spices, cherry, floral and vanilla. Medium finish and tannins have softened. Drinking well right now and I would not cellar too much longer. (92 pts.)
2004
2004 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta (Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley)
Not a cheap wine and certainly not as good as the 06. Very herbal on the nose along wtih some heat along with spice and raspberries. On the palate it was a bit more enjoyable with spice, floral, raspberries and cherry. Medium finish and appears to need more time in the cellar. For now a (90 point wine)
2004 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Puente Alto Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$
Color: Medium Purple
Nose: Big with plum, earth, oak, mushrooms, spice
Taste: Mouthful of cherry, blackberries, oak, spice, vanilla
Finish: Medium with nice fruit, truffles, oak, vanilla, spice, floral
Evaluation: Cellar or decant 4 hours. A wonderful wine. 93 points
2004 Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Floral, plum, earth, spice,
Taste: Huge spice and crushed rock, floral, oak, vanilla, cinnamon
Finish: Powerful with spice, floral, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon
Evaluation: For $16.99 at Hennepin Lake a steal! This needs to be decanted 4 hours and is better the next day. I would also cellar for 5 years as you will be rewarded. 89 points
2004 Veramonte Primus Casablanca Valley Merlot/Cabernet/Carmenere Blend $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, oak
Taste: spice, earth, oak, and cinnamon
Finish: Oak, spice, earth
Evaluation: Solid Blend 85 points
2005
2005 Chono Central Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $
Color: Light purple
Nose: Spice, cherry
Taste: Tumble weed, spice
Finish: Off and too acidic
Evaluation: Poorly made 79 points
2005 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Mushrooms, mineral, violets
Taste: Tight with mushrooms, violets, minerals and tannic
Finish: Medium and needs time to really open up
Evaluation: Will improve but currently 90 points
2005 Concha Y Toro "Don Melchor" Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Impressive with coffee, blackberries, chocolate, minerals
Taste: Really complex wine with black fruits, coffee, chocolate, minerals, and spice
Finish: Really impressive and multi layered
Evaluation: This has some serious life left and should cellar well for 15 years 93 points
(6/15/09)
2005 Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, oak, vanilla, spice
Taste: Oak, vanilla, spice, and a hint of fruit
Finish: Medium with earth qualities dominating
Evaluation: Earth Forward. 86 points
2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Cabernet $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, oak
Taste: Spice, cinnamon
finish: Spice, cinnamon, oak
Evaluation: 83 points
2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Merlot $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cigar box
Taste: Spice, oak, cinnamon
Finish: Spice, oak
Evaluation: Good everyday wine. 84 points
2005 Vina Montes Alpha M Rapel Valley $$$$$
Color: Dark
Nose: Blackberries, leather, spice, coffee
Taste: Black fruit with coffee, pencil lead and spices
Finish: Medium and concentrated
Evaluation: Great wine but a little too expensive 92 points
2005 Vina Montes Alpha M Rapel Valley Syrah $$$$$
Color: Dark
Nose: Blackberries, leather, spice, coffee
Taste: Black fruit with coffee, pencil lead and spices
Finish: Medium and concentrated
Evaluation: Great wine but a little too expensive 92 points
2007 Vina Montes Alpha Colchagua Valley Syrah $$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, floral, cherry and strawberries
Taste: Smooth and not too bitter with earth and fruits
Finish: Medium and smooth
Evaluation: A nice wine 89 points
2005 Vina Montes Folly Santa Cruz $$$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Coffee, blackberries, figs
Taste: Powerful with coffee, leather, figs and black fruits
Finish: Long and intense
Evaluation: Super wine 93 points
2005 Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, oak, vanilla, spice
Taste: Oak, vanilla, spice, and a hint of fruit
Finish: Medium with earth qualities dominating
Evaluation: Earth Forward. 86 points
2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Cabernet $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, oak
Taste: Spice, cinnamon
finish: Spice, cinnamon, oak
Evaluation: 83 points
2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Merlot $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cigar box
Taste: Spice, oak, cinnamon
Finish: Spice, oak
Evaluation: Good everyday wine. 84 points
2006
2006 Antu Ninquen Colchagua Valley Cabernet/Carmenere Blend $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Blackberries, oak, spices
Taste: Big wine New World wine with blackberries, spices, oak, sweet fruits
Finish: Medium and concentrated, extracted wine
Evaluation: Very enjoyable for the money 88 points
2006 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Earth, spice Taste: Earth, spice, oak
Finish: A gritty wine with a medium finish
Evaluation: Simple wine. 83 points
2006 Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexander Colchagua Merlot $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Earth
Taste: Earth and mineral
Finish: Boring
Evaluation: Pass 82 points
2006 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta (Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley)
Some heat on this one which blew off over the course of the first 30 minutes. Coffee beans, spices, floral and blackberries on the nose. Full of flavor on the palate with floral, coffee, black fruits, crushed rock and figs. Medium to long finish and concentrated. The wine improved with the course of the evening. Really a nice wine (94 points)
2006 Montes Carménère Purple Angel - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (1/30/2010)
Dark purple. Eucalyptus, dust and spice. Not a balanced wine with a domination of eucalyptus qualities. Medium finish and bell pepper. Overpriced!
From reading other notes this is why decanting and previewing wines is so critical. This was a wine shop tasting and you know they did not decant and prepare this wine. Based on others notes I will have to revisit this wine. (87 pts.)
2006 Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, violets, earth
Taste: Cherry, spice, violets and earth
Finish: Medium and good concentration
Evaluation: Solid wine 89 points
2006 Las Vascos Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Cinnamon, spice, plum
Taste: Spices, plum and earth
Finish: Medium with a different style then the US cabs
Evaluation: A fun Chilean wine 87 points
2006 Veramonte Riserva Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir $$
Color: Light purple
Nose: spice
Taste: Spice, cigar box, earth
Finish: Short with spice and earth
Evaluation: Simple but good. 84 points
2006 Walnut Crest Valle Rapel Shiraz $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice
Taste: Tannic and overly bitter with a hint of spice
Finish: Too bitter and not balanced
Evaluation: Poorly made 76 points
2007
2007 Errazuriz Carménère Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate - Chile, Aconcagua (3/14/2010)
Nice wine with smoke, blackberries, floral and spices. Concentrated and balanced overall. Medium finish and a good example of good Carmenere which is not always easy to find. (89 points)
2007 Vina Montes Alpha Colchagua Valley Carmenere $$$
Color: Medium
Nose: Smoke, raspberries, violets and earth
Taste: Smoke, leather, raspberries, violets
Finish: Medium and nicely balanced
Evaluation: For under $20 on sale a great wine 90 points
2007 Santa Carolina Rapel Valley Carmenere Reserva $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Floral and spice
Taste: Off with some spice and floral
Finish: Short
Evaluation: 80 points
2007 Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Colchagua Valley Carmemere $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Violets, earth and cherry, leather
Taste: Earth with cherry, violets, leather and mild spice
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: 87 points
2007 Tierra Alta Carménère Reserva - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (2/26/2010)
Really nice wine featuring coffee, spice, floral and earth. Medium finish and very tasty. Better then a lot of Carmenere wines at 2x the price. (90 pts.)
2007 Tierra Alta Carménère Reserva - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (3/3/2010)
Day 3 review and even better. Mineral, cranberries, spices and coffee on the nose. Great acidity on this one and medium finish showing off Carmenere's potential under $20. One of the best I have tasted. (91 pts.)
2008 Errazuriz Carménère Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate - Chile, Aconcagua (6/19/2010)
Second bottle this week. Violets, minerals, blackberries, and spices. The palate shows cranberry, blackberries, spices, floral and earth notes. Good concentration and medium finish.
2008 Errazuriz Carménère Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate - Chile, Aconcagua (6/18/2010)
Dark color. Nice nose with floral, pepper, forest floor, and blackberries. On the palate nice spices, black pepper, floral, blackberries, cherries and earth. Medium finish and great structure. Better then most Camenere wines I have tasted. (91 points)
2008 Viña Santa Rita Carménère 120 - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley (4/6/2010)
Dominated by floral elements. This wine has some spice but is a real mess. No structure and not sure why the high scores from some. (80 pts.)
2008 Tierra Alta Syrah - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (3/3/2010)
Nice dark color. This wine features blackberries, spice, floral and cherry. Medium finish and very tasty. Margron Skoglund is one of the best importers I have seen for wines under $20! (90 pts.)