Wine & Spirits - February 2013 - (Page 58)

Year’s Best Chilean Cabernet & Carmenere Our blind panels tasted 141 new-release Chilean cabernet and carmenère wines over the past 12 months. Patricio Tapia, our critic for Chilean wines, rated 33 as exceptional (90+) and 5 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. Cabernet Sauvignon 110519 2010 Maipo Valley Terrunyo Block Las Terrazas Cabernet Sauvignon ^ The 2010 vintage will be remembered in Chile for the earthquake that struck near Concepcion; the year also happened to deliver one of the best harvests in recent memory. A cool, dry season ripened the grapes at a leisurely pace, sustaining the tense acidity in this cabernet, grown at Las Terrazas, an alluvial terrace above the Maipo River in Pirque. The aromas are layered with herbs, red fruit, spice and a hint of menthol. The wine is substantial, at first dominated by nearly electric tannins, but in the end, the fruit comes back, the tannins suddenly transformed to juicy black cherries. § Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY 108867 2008 Puente Alto Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This is a complex wine and a relatively approachable vintage of Don Melchor. The menthol scents of the Alto Maipo meld with vibrant red fruit, while the toastiness of the oak needs a few years to integrate. It’s juicy and easy to love now, yet it’s also layered and compelling, a wine that will only get better with five years in the cellar. § (W&S, 6/12) § Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY 108865 2008 Pirque Terrunyo Block Las Terrazas Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This grows at Pirque Viejo, in alluvial soils on a terrace above the southern bank of the Maipo River. The 35-year-old vines created a generous 2008 with scents of turmeric and cinnamon; its flavors of figs meld with notes of black cherries in a big, imposing wine. For steak. § (W&S, 6/12) § Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY 108712 2008 Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ A postcard from the Alto Maipo, this cabernet is filled with menthol and cherry jam scents lifted by refreshing acidity. It has the gentle, gracious feel that distinguishes the top Maipo cabernets: Seductively spicy and 58 WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2013 95 | Concha y Toro $38 relatively light in texture, it offers complexity while holding its freshness. For spring lamb. (W&S, 6/12) § Global Vineyard Importers, Berkeley, CA 108429 2008 Alto Cachapoal Valley Gran Toqui Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Bottle age has brought a savory complexity to this wine. Scents of herbs and dried leaves meld into the suave texture, while acidity keeps it firm. An ideal wine for slow-cooked red meats that take on the same aromatic and flavor complexity as this wine offers. § (W&S, 6/12) § Orvino Imports, Pampano Beach, FL 108674 2009 Valle del Maipo Novas Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ^ With black cherry flavors at its core, this is embellished on all sides by scents of herbs and mint, a pure Andean cabernet. It’s also firm and tense, encased by tannins that need time to evolve, while its sense of place remains intact. § (W&S, 6/12) § Royal Imports, Old Brookville, NY 108817 2008 Alto Cachapoal Valley Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This has the delicacy and elegance of Alto Cachapoal wines, grown in the foothills of the Andes. It blends herbal scents with notes of dried cherries, a combination of roundness, crisp acidity and light, earthy tannins that compels another sip. Delicious now with lamb stew, this will continue to evolve for at least four years. § (W&S, 6/12) § Winery Direct, Lawrence, KS 109817 2010 Colchagua Valley Parras Viejas Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Matías Rivera set out to make as fresh a cabernet as he could, with the depth of flavor that century-old vines in Colchagua can give. The cool 2010 season allowed him to achieve a suave wine with acidity pointing up the mix of fruit and earth flavors. Ageing in old barrels for 14 months contributes to that smoothness, bringing out a sweet spice rather than toastiness. For carne asada. § Misa Imports, Dallas, TX 92 | Casas del Toqui $20 109856 92 | Emiliana $16 93 | Concha y Toro $95 2009 Maipo Valley Family Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Grown in the newly designated Maipo Costa, about 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean, this cabernet is draped in tart red fruit freshness, with hints of mint. The acidity keeps it firm and a little nervous, tightly structured and finely polished in its delicacy. § Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY 92 | Tres Palacios $16 92 | Ríos de Chile $20 93 | Concha y Toro $38 108359 92 | Santa Helena 92 | Undurraga $25 $39 93 | Domus Aurea $60 2009 Alto Maipo Pirque T.H. Cabernet Sauvignon ^ The scent of this wine is definitively Alto Maipo, with its notes of eucalyptus, grasses and cherries. The structure is elegant, with a seductive sweetness and gentleness to balance the pointedly firm tannins. Those needling tannins carry a message from Pirque, the highest and coldest sector of the Maipo Valley. § (W&S, 6/12) § Vision Wine & Spirits, Secaucus, NY 108755 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.vinatrespalacios.cl/ http://www.th-wines.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2013

Wine & Spirits - February 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Austral Spirits
Petite Conversion
Sydney’s Sommelier Hangouts
Pinot Noir at the 46th Parallel
Extreme Patagonia
W&S Centerfold – Kimchi & Red Wine
Extreme Values
Introduction
Rhône Valley Reds & Whites
US Syrah
US Zinfandel
Catalan Wines
Chilean Cabernet & Carmenère
Argentine Malbec & Blends
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
New Books

Wine & Spirits - February 2013