2011 Cono Sur RIESLING (Valle Central, Chile)

A well-made good value Riesling.  Made in a fuller-bodied Alsace style, but on the slightly sweet end of the spectrum.

Medium gold color.  Loads of up-front fruit on the nose (ripe Delicious apples, pear), along with melted butter and slightly-petrolly minerals.  Mouthfilling fruit, full-body, and with somewhat lower acid than I usually like in a Riesling, but it offers lots of clean, slightly sweet fruit and mineral flavors and has decent balance despite its size.  B, but you have to be ready for the style.  I think this was around $11 from Total Wine in Fairfax.  Imported by Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

2010 Porta RIESLING Reserva (Bio Bio Valley, Chile)

A fantastic value in a crisp, zingy, fragrant, bone dry Riesling.  Can easily compete with entry-level Alsace Rieslings costing 50%-100% more.

Very light silvery-gold color.  Vivid nose of crisp white grapes, lime, and petrol-inflected minerals.  Flavorful, dry, and with mouthwatering acids, there are loads of citrusy, green apple fruit and lots of clean minerality.  Medium-bodied, with a very clean, refreshing, and fairly long finish.  I'm very impressed this wine was this good at $9.99.  B+.  This tastes very young and should continue to drink well for 1-2 more years.  Got this at Total Wine in Fairfax.  Imported by Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY.

2008 Kingston Family Vineyards SYRAH "Lucero" (Casablanca Valley, Chile)

Eh.  So "international" in style I wouldn't have had a clue what it was or where it was from if I couldn't see the label.  Dark, ripe, very oaky, and with a short finish.  It could be an over-oaked, young vine Cabernet, Merlot, or Syrah from California, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, or South America.

Since drinking a really good Chilean Syrah from Chono, I've been looking for another one of that caliber and have invariably been disappointed.

I don't get the point of making or drinking a wine like this.  It's not flawed or anything, it's just terminally uninteresting.  Was $15 and change on sale from zachys.com, and not worth half that.  C-. 

Mom & Dad's visit -- next few rounds

Louis Roederer CHAMPAGNE Brut Premier -- Very nice, toasty, yeasty, apply scented, on the lighter side but with a very long, crisp finish and great persistence of bubbles.

2010 Pascal Granger "La Jacarde" BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES BLANC (!) -- A rare white Beaujolais, from Chardonnay grapes and completely unoaked.  It has a ridiculously fresh, fruity fragrance with crisp peach and ripe apple fruit, and was nicely balanced, medium-light bodied, and as fresh as cotton sheets lined-dried on a crisp, sunny fall day.  ($21 at Houston Wine Merchant).  Get this.

2008 Core GRENACHE Santa Barbara County -- Tasted like freshly crushed plum and raspberry juice.  Very unusual, but good.  After a couple of days an herbal side came out.

2008 Chono SYRAH (Elqui Valley, Chile) -- Previously reviewed here, this wine remains a fantastic value.  (Available at Houston Wine Merchant and at Central Market).

2009 August Kesseler SPATBURGUNDER (Pinot Noir) ROSE (Rheingau, Germany) -- Fragrant, with crisp, light cherry and floral fruit, and surprisingly large -framed for a German wine.  Unique and good.

2006 Ottimino ZINFANDEL "Von Weidlich Vineyard" (Russian River Valley, Cal.) -- Very elegant Zin, showing the classic profile of a Zin with some bottle age, which tends to mute the up-front fruit and bring out a brambly quality.  More depth than the previously reviewed "Ottimino Vineyard" bottling from this producer.

2009 Chono Chardonnay "San Lorenzo Estate" (Maipo Valley, Chile)

Great value in a bright, flavorful, unoaked Chardonnay.

Very light, bright gold color.  Bright, intense nose of crushed limestone powder and crisp apply fruit.  So bright and tingly on the nose it almost makes you want to sneeze.  Smells like a good Macon on steroids and caffeine.  Intensely minerally, stony flavors with puckery lemon juice and green apple fruit.  No traces of oak whatsoever, and all the better for it.  Not complex, but loaded with true character.  B+.  Was $12.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2009 MontGras "QUATRO" (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, and 15% Syrah) (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

I have had several vintages of this dark Chilean red and they have all been very good or better.  This is another winner, and it remains a very good value.

Completely saturated plasma color.  Wonderful nose of blackberry and ripe cassis, along with smoky balsa wood and lemony minerals.  Rich, mouthfilling flavors of blackberry syrup, graphite, and iodine-laced minerals.  Very full-bodied and tannic, but soft enough to drink now.  This wine will easily compete with California Cabernets costing three times as much, but this wine has less obtrusive oak and will go better with food.  Acidity is a bit low, but it doesn't feel flabby or out of balance.  B+.  I got this for around $13 at Kroger's on Westpark/Buffalo Speedway.

2008 Chono CARMENERE Reserva (Maipo Valley, Chile)

A very classically Bordeaux-styled wine from the New World -- pretty rare.  It was very good: elegant, some complexity, not a fruit bomb.

Saturated dark ruby/mulberry color.  Gorgeous nose of cedar, ripe, dark berries, smoky stones, and chocolate powder.  Concentrated, focused, and balanced, with medium-full body.  Mouthcoating (but not heavy) flavors of low-toned berries, accented with minerally sandstone and bitter milk chocolate.  Reminds me of a high-quality, old-school Margaux but at a fraction of the price.  If the finish were a bit longer I would have given it an A, but as is it's an A-.  Imported by North Berkeley Imports, I think I got this for around $13 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2007 Falernia SYRAH Reserva (Elqui Valley, Chile)

Another good Syrah from the Elqui Valley. This wine was intense in a very lean, zero body fat way.

Nearly saturated deep mulberry ruby color. Strong nose of intense crushed black peppercorn, deeply-roasted bitter herbs, and sandstone, overlayed with dark blackberry fruit. The first night is was intense, lean, and austere, with very clingy herbal flavors predominating. On night 2, more fruit and roundness emerged. It displayed ripe blackberry fruit and a high-toned, chalky minerality. The herbal stuff decidedly took a back seat for the ride home on night 2. Good acidity to bring liveliness to the clingy flavors. Still some tannin left. This will hold and maybe improve over the next 2 years. Be sure to let it air out well in advance (pour through a Vinturi into a wide decanter if you can). B+. Imported by Meadowbrook Estates (an arm of Neil Empson's company). Can't remember where I got this, but I think it was around $12.

2008 Chono SYRAH Reserve (Elqui Valley, Chile)

Holy crap! I've never had as strong a sense of "deja wine" as with this one. It reminded me of a 1979 Cakebread Howell Mountain Beatty Ranch Zinfandel I had a couple of bottles of in the early 1980s in my Upper West Side apartment on w89th Street in NY. It almost literally transported me back to that place and time. But enough New Age drivel.

Dark ruby color was not remarkable. But then I stuck my nose in the glass. And the time warp began. Fragrant nose of cracked black peppercorns, smoky gravel, and ripe, flavorful spicy blackberries. Ripe (but not jammy or overblown) dense, clingy flavors of black peppercorns, cassis, and smoky embers. Long, very clingy, low-toned, minerally finish. Full-bodied, yet not overdone, with good acidity for its size and good balance. Will keep and maybe even improve over the next 2-4 years, but, why wait? This is delicious now. A. I got this (I think) for around $13 at Whole Foods on Bellaire. Imported by one of my favorite importers, North Berkeley Imports.

2007 Tabali CARMENERE Reserva (Limari Valley, Chile)

Yet another dynamite Chilean Carmenere.

Completely saturated plasma-like ruby crimson. Rich, ripe, sweet-scented nose of blackberry syrup, incense, and sweet, smoky gravel. Soft, yet weighty, with concentrated flavors of ripe blackberry and graphite, with a long, long finish. Loads of very fine-grained tannin to provide some physical structure. Full-bodied, but with the alcohol seemingly in check. Very, very nice. 90. Imported by SWG Imports, Bend, OR. Still trying to find the receipt. . . .

2006 Tres Valles CARMENERE Reserve (Curico Valley, Chile)

Another very good Carmenere at a fair price.

Completely saturated black ruby, shot-through with violet. Richly-sweet scents of blackberry syrup, moist tobacco leaves, and gravel. Round and thickly-textured, but with very good balance. Loads of sweet cassis and blackberry fruit, augmented with a sweet-smokey, oaky note, and some minerals in the finish. Kind of like an over-the-top Graves. 88. Was $14 and change at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Fleischer International.

(Sorry, no photo) (it's a gold label).

2008 MontGras CARMENERE RESERVA (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

A good, solid Carmenere.

Completely saturated black ruby. Low-toned nose of scorched earth, dark minerals, and iodine-y blackberries. Dense, low-toned flavors too, redolent of cassis, blackberry, and tinged with burnt herbs. Long, dry finish with lots of fairly soft tannin still to resolve. 87+ Was $12 at Kroger's on Buffalo Speedway & Westpark. Palm Bay Imports.

2007 Morande CARMENERE Reserva (Maipo Valley, Chile)

Yet ANOTHER delicious Carmenere at a very good price.

Nearly fully-saturated black ruby with violet highlights. Incredibly fruity nose -- loads of ripe blackberry and cassis fruit, with background components of smoky gravel and bell pepper (just a touch). Round, rich, full, with deep, lingering fruit and very nice balance. This is a full-bodied, potent wine that goes down way too easily. Maybe lacking a bit of complexity but at this price no one can complain. 89. Was $11.99 at Spec's on Richmond (near West Loop).

2007 Viu Manent CARMENERE Reserva (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

Jeez, I'm really getting to LOVE this varietal. Carmeneres mostly fall in the $10 - 15 range, and have a flavor profile that goes well with the stews, braises, and pasta dishes I love to cook.

This is yet another winner from Viu Manent, although it is a little less overtly fruity than other vintages, maybe due to the slightly cooler year Chile had in '07.

Fully saturated black black ruby color. Intensely low-toned nose that got sweeter with air time, displaying cassis, iodine notes, pencil lead, and sweetish, smoky cinnamon component. Soft, ripe, mouthcoating flavors of cassis, blackberry, and lightly scorched earth. Extremely long, rich finish, displaying lots of soft tannin. This wine could benefit from another 2-4 years of cellaring. 89+. Was $14.99 at Whole Foods. Imported by Bacchus International (Longview, TX).

2007 La Playa "Block Selection" CARMENERE (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

This was an excellent value in a full-flavored, complex red.

Almost completely saturated black ruby color. Great nose of sweet cigar smoke, gravel, ripe blackberries, and cassis. Very much like a really good red from the Pessac-Leognan/Graves area of Bordeaux. Rich and weighty in the mouth, with deep, dark berry and earth flavors. Full-bodies, but not overly alcoholic. Lots of tannin, of the medium-soft variety, in the long, rich finish. Will clearly improve over the next 1-2 years. 88. Was $10.99 at Spec's on Westheimer. Imported by Cabernet Corporation (whatever that is).

2007 MontGras "QUATRO" (30% Cabernet Suavignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Carmenere, 15% Syrah) (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

Outstanding. I believe this is the third vintage I've had of this wine, and they've all been excellent. Stylistically, it seems to be a hybrid of New World and Europe.

Almost completely saturated black ruby. Big, rich, ripe chocolatey nose filled with deep-toned cassis and blackberry fruit. Mouthfilling flavors of dark chocolate, ripe blackberry, and smoky, dusty gravel. It had a hair less weight and jamminess in the mouth than the nose led me to expect, but avoiding "fruit bombiness" is not a bad thing. It's flavorful, concentrated, with everything seemingly in balance. Long finish. 90. I believe I got his one at Whole Foods on Bellaire a while back for about $15, and I recently saw it at Kroger's on Buffalo Speedway and Westpark for the same price. (Spec's doesn't stock any MontGras wines.)

2008 Hacienda Araucano CARMENERE (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

Another excellent, good value Carmenere. This one is $11.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.



The color was a nearly saturated, sultry black ruby. Unlike a lot of Carmeneres I've had, this one showed off its nose as soon as I opened it (usually I find that young Carmeneres are closed-nosed until they've been open a while). Lots of rich, tobacco-y, coffee grounds scents with loads of ripe blackberry syrup and gravelly earth. In the mouth it displayed a soft but dense texture, and low-toned flavors of cigar box, blackberry extract, and loamy earth. Good weight and balance, with lots of soft tannin adding some nice structure. Nice now, this will be even better in a year. 88+. (Importer: Winesellers Ltd., Skokie, Ill.)

2006 Cono Sur CABERNET SAUVIGNON "Vision" (Maipu Valley, Chile)

A fruity and direct (and very modern) style of Cab. Not bad for the price but a bit lacking in lacking complexity and depth.

Saturated black ruby color with violety highlights. Lots of toasty oak and milk chocolate notes on the nose, overshadowing the simple plummy fruit. Sweet cassis and blackberry flavors, with a cedary, minerally component in the background. Soft and mouthfilling, but relatively superficial in appeal. 86. Was $10 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2008 Terra Andina PINOT NOIR "Reserva" (Central Valley, Chile)

I had higher hopes for this, but it turned out to be a very simple, straightforward wine.

Lots of direct, cherry and herbal scents, followed by soft, well-balanced, but simple fruity flavors. Kind of like a basic Beaujolais, but made of Pinot Noir. 80. Was $12.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2006 Viu Manent CARMENERE Reserva (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

Like lots of other Carmeneres I've had, this wine really needs time to breathe before it starts to show its true colors. Once it airs out a bit, it's a beauty.

Eye: Completely saturated blood plasma color.

Nose: Before airing, it had a very pungent bakers' chocolate nose. After being opened a couple of hours, rich ripe cassis and plum scents wafted out, along with mocha-coffee notes and a smoky/sweet gravelly component.

Mouth: Rich, broadly-flavored, and soft, this wine has loads of ripe blackberry, gravel, and tobacco flavors. Long, lingering finish. Very nice.

Score: 90.

Cellar or drink? This is drinking really well now, but has the stuffing to hold another 2-3 years.

Price/store: Lost the receipt, but I think this was about $15 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.