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2009 Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenère

Ryan Reichert
Tasting Notes
1
Clear, medium intensity ruby with purple. Aromas of violet, bell pepper, dark fruits, and cedar. Dry on the palate with medium-high acidity, medium-full body, and light tannin. Flavors of cooked blackberry, hickory, molasses, and smoke. Pair with a hearty dish like chili. Recommended. RR
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2008 Veranda Cabernet-Carménère

Gary Thomas
Tasting Notes
A well-made wine that shows both component grapes off very favorably. Intriguing nose of cedar, blackcurrant, thyme, and allspice. Blossoms open on the palate (after about 15 minutes to breathe, perhaps longer) with gobs of ripe fruit ferrying cranberry and blackberry overtones. A bit short in the mid-palate, with the lean Carménère a bit more dominant, but has a long, luscious finish. An interesting wine at a good price. Try with glazed pork chop or roast. Recommended. GT
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2009 Vintisquero Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva Queulat

David Honig
Tasting Notes
This is a pretty impressive Sauvignon Blanc. Pink grapefruit, white flowers, and cut grass waft up out of the glass. The pink grapefruit is joined on the mid-palate by softer, more tropical fruit, perhaps mango, white flowers, again, moving toward white grapefruit on the finish. Drink with fresh flounder. Highly recommended.
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2007 De Martino Las Cruces Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines

Joe Roberts
Tasting Notes
2
Winemaker Marcelo Retamal is developing a well deserved reputation as one of Chile’s visionaries, and this field blend red (made mostly from Malbec vines planted in the mid 1950s) shows why. This wine is the full package: tobacco smoke, meat, chocolate, dark plum, juicy and silky—which basically means that the tannins are rounder and approachable now. Focused, expressive, and sure to be empty at your dinner table in before-you-know-it timeframes.
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2007 Morandé Edición Limitada Carignan

Joe Roberts
Tasting Notes
1
Morandé’s winemaking director Pablo Morandé is often regarded as the godfather of Chile’s modern winemaking industry, and he’s not afraid of taking risky chances when the pay off is a result like this great wine, made from a variety that might have originated in Spain but is best known as the main ingredient in dark wines from France’s Languedoc region. Morandé’s Carignan is inky-dark, with intense blackberry action that’s kind of brambly, followed by plums, baking spices, herbs, and violets. It’s bold but smooth, has great balance as well as tons of character and concentration that actually seems to have a purpose. Chalk it up to the bush trained, dry farmed vineyards—planted in the 1950s by the grandfather of “the grandfather.”