Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 73

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
90 | J. Bouchon

wines typical of this region in Argentina's
north. This wine's vigor, its generous red
fruit, notes of flowers and tense acidity make
it seductively easy to drink, especially if there
is slow-cooked lamb osso buco on the menu. §
Vino del Sol, Corralitos, CA

PINOT NOIR
122686

91 | Bodega Chacra

$30

2017 Patagonia Barda Pinot Noir ^ This is
Chacra's young-vine pinot noir, from vines
planted 20 years ago in the sandy soils of Río
Negro. Its juicy raspberry and cherry flavors
show a crunchy and fresh side of the grape.
It shines in its simplicity and vigor, ready for
roast duck. § Kobrand, Purchase, NY

CHI L E RE D
BLENDS
121167

94 | Errázuriz

$38

2014 Aconcagua Valley The Blend Collection ^ This blend of grenache, syrah, malbec
and mourvedre grows on the rocky soils of
Las Vertientes, in the western coastal hills
of the Aconcagua Valley. The floral side of
the grenache plays a leading role at first, but
then everything seems to be fruit and more
fruit, aligned with spices and herbs to create a
wine with a high dose of drinkability. § Vintus,
Pleasantville, NY

$15

2017 Maule Valley Viejo País (Best Buy) ^
This comes from century-old dry-farmed
vines, the wine fermented in cement before
going straight to the bottle. It's a clear expression of país: light bodied, with earthy notes
of red fruit and flowers, and enough tension
in the tannins to serve with grilled sausages. §
Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA

PETIT VERDOT
122507

93 | Pérez Cruz

122557

92 | Viña Ventisquero

$30

90 | Oveja Negra

$27

2014 Colchagua Valley Vértice Apalta
Vineyard ^ Vértice blends the spicy, herbal
notes of carmenère with the black, succulent
fruit of syrah, both grown on Apalta's granite-and-clay hillsides. It's a powerful wine,
with firm tannins designed to age; even so,
the fruit is mouthwatering enough to enjoy
now, with pulled pork. § Austral Wine Merchants, Atlanta, GA
122251
2014 Maule Valley The Lost Barrel ^ Generous in pomegranate and black cherry flavor,
this wine has the charming tannic rusticity of
carignan (61 percent of the blend). The fresh,
herbal notes of cabernet franc and petit verdot add spicy black fruit. With its intense tannins and fresh acidity, it's ready to decant for
blood sausages. § Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA

$40

2014 Maipo Valley Chaski Petit Verdot ^
Pérez Cruz farms 600 acres of vines on rocky
soils in Huelquén, in the Andean Maipo. This
petit verdot is a steakhouse red that meets all
the requirements to accompany a hefty piece
of meat off the grill. It's generous and full,
shamelessly displaying its tannins, with the
variety's firm acidity to add tension and illuminate the wine's ripe black fruit. Give it five
years in the bottle. § Massanois Imports, NY

PINOT NOIR

CARIGNAN
122568

91 | Terranoble

122556

92 | Viña Ventisquero

$40

2015 Atacama Valley Tara Red Wine 1 ^
Towards the coast of the Atacama Desert,
next to the small channel of the Huasco
River, Ventisquero has planted pinot noir on
white soils of salt and chalk. The climatic conditions are extreme, limiting yields, allowing
the team to harvest fruit with great concentration and, at the same time, great freshness, thanks to the cold influence that comes
from the Pacific Ocean, eight miles west. This
has the floral red fruit of pinot noir, along
with an intriguing salinity that accompanies
firm tannins and a prolonged sensation of
acidity. A rarity from the extreme north of
Chile. § Austral Wine Merchants, Atlanta, GA

$17

2016 Maule Valley Gran Reserva Carignan
(Best Buy) ^ Rather than ripe, black and concentrated, this carignan offers a new look at
the variety in Maule, capturing a cooler, more
red-fruited character. With floral notes, high
acidity and firm tannins, it's ideal for charcuterie. § MundoVino/The Winebow Group, NY

PA I S
122712

90 | J. Bouchon

$20

2017 Maule Valley País Salvaje ^ Over the
last five years, the país grape has gone from
being dismissed by most Chilean winemakers to finding a place in the portfolios of
some of the country's most important wineries. Bouchon farms this from vines that
grow up trees instead of trellises, producing
a delicate wine with notes of red fruit, sharp
acidity and the earthiness that's characteristic of the grape. It's the kind of wine that
might have quenched the thirst of the Spanish conquistadors who brought país to Chile. §
Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA
122711

121611

93 | Kingston Family
Vineyards

$24

92 | Leyda

$40

2016 Casablanca Valley Tobiano Pinot
Noir (Best Buy) ^ The Kingstons farm vines
on the clay and granite hills of Las Dichas,
in southwestern Casablanca, close to the sea.
That marine influence is clear in this pinot,
with saline notes and shades of red fruits and
flowers. The acidity is crunchy, the tannins
firm and elegant. Easy to drink, this lasts on
lively herbal notes and refreshing red fruit. §
Kingston Family Vyds., Portola Valley, CA
122181
2016 Leyda Valley Lot 21 Pinot Noir ^ A
selection from two vineyards in the chalky
clay soils of Leyda, one of those vineyards
faces south, the other to the warmer north.
This is floral at first; then intense and refreshing red fruit flavors take charge, mixed with
touches of herbs. The acidity is crunchy and
mouthwatering, asking for duck confit. § MundoVino/The Winebow Group, NY
121160
WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2018

73
http://www.vinaventisquero.com/en/ https://www.kingstonvineyards.com http://www.vinaventisquero.com/en/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2018
