Our Hosts ...
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| Marcela Burgos (L) and Chris Waters (R) |
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| Who presented a slide show of the new DOs |
Costa - coastal to the mountain ranges, influenced by the Humboldt current which goes from south to north; within this appellation there are lots of limestone soils.
Entre Cordilleras - central valley with a Mediterranean climate; within there are a mosaic of terroir and sedimentary soils.
Andes - located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains; diurnal temperature bring cool temperatures from the mountains in the evening and overnight; alluvial soils that are rocky and stony.
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| Look right for a closer look at the wines from each region we'll be tasting with lunch. |
There were a number of wines presented in a pre-lunch walk around tasting here are the ones that "floated my boat" (in no particular order):
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| Arboleda 2011 Chardonnay ($19.95) vanilla and buttery nose touch bitter on the palate with citrus, apple and hints of melon rind (*** 1/2+) |
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| Bisquertt 2011 La Joya Gran Reserva Syrah ($15.95) nice minty and peppery notes with chalky raspberry and good acidity (****) |
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| Carmen 2010 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.95) balanced with a minty strawberry aroma and a palate full of juicy raspberry, strawberry and spice (*** 1/2+) |
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| Casa Marin 2012 Cartegena Pinot Noir Tres Vinedos ($22.95) this one has nice character if not altogether typical; olives and smoke, with raspberry and hints of cherry: fun, funky and interesting (****+) |
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| Concha y Toro 2008 Carmin de Peumo ($120.00) never seen a Concha with this price tag but this is a single block Carmenere, blended with 8.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc: creamy smooth, chocolate cherry, hints of pepperyness - rich and full, tasty and so sippable (****) |
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| Concha y Toro 2011 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.95) deliciously full and dark fruited with cassis, blackberry, black cherry, vanilla, cinnamon and spice; always great value for what you get (****+) |
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| Concha y Toro 2011 Marques de Casa Concha Pinot Noir ($19.95) a real juicy Pinot which has tons of raspberry, hints of the expected earthy, but always with lots and lots of red berries. (*** 1/2+) |
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| Errazuriz 2011 Max Reserva Syrah ($18.95) raspberry, white pepper, juicy and tasty with touches of spicy-pepper on the finish, there's also a nice hint of vanilla (****) |
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| Errazuriz 2010 Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.95) chocolate and blackberry with touches of mint and herbal notes; finish is rich but with good balancing acidity (****+) |
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| Luis Felipe Edwards 2012 Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($13.95) juicy, plummy and cherry with a touch of semi-sweet chocolate; smooth, sexy and easy drinking (****) |
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| Maquis 2009 Maquis Lien ($28.00) a blend of Carmenere, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec; nice balance of fruit and spice with sweet herbal and lots of juicy red fruit (*** 1/2+) |
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| Perez Cruz 2011 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.95) vanilla, cherry and a touch of earth with hints of mint thrown in for good measure; look for a nice juicy entry which leads to a white pepper finish (****) |
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| San Esteban 2009 In Situ Carmenere Gran Reserva ($16.95) 90% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah: herbal, blackberry, peppery element with a raspberry finish (****) |
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| Santa Alicia 2010 Gran Reserva Carmenere ($19.95) plenty of herbal, hints of chocolate-mint with concentrated dark fruit and white pepper finesse and touches of smoke (****) |
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| Santa Carolina 2011 Reserva Chardonnay ($11.95) tasty with vanilla, buttery, poached pear and baked peaches thru the palate; finish is loaded with peach, caramel and vanilla (****) |
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| Santa Rita 2009 Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.95) chocolate, cherry, strawberry with a touch of mint; sexy, smooth and so typically Chilean, just what the doctor ordered (****) |
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| Concha y Toro 2008 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon ($79.95) the iconic Cab of Chile: complex spice and chocolate notes along with cassis, blackberry, black cherry and so much extra - a real beauty (****+) |
The Lunchtime Food and Matched Wines...
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| Seafood Chowder with shrimp and clams, micro garnish matched with two Sauvignon Blancs |
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| Filet of Salmon with terragon sauce and fresh vegetable julienne matched with a chardonnay and a pinot noir |
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| Spicy Crisp Roast Cornish Hen with turmeric jus and pistachio quinoa matched with a red blend and a carmenere |
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| Braised Short Ribs with smoked paprika jus matched with cabernet sauvignon |
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