The Chilean preview kicked off what is going to be another busy wine tasting season … once again, as they did last year, organizers did a blind preview broken down into 8 flights – with an extra 9th served with lunch – that being the 2 sparkling wines. So without further ado here are my wine picks from this year’s preview tasting:
Flight A – Sauvignon Blancs and Various (8 wines)
1 – Vina Maipo 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Especial ($16.95 - #81216 – Vintages Nov. 22) – apple, grapefruit, crisp and lively, very nice.
2 – Vina Montgras 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva ($11.95 - #58632) – crisp citrus with gooseberry and grapefruit.
3 – Vina Amayna 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($20.95 - #77693) – gooseberry and grapefruit with good bite from the acidity; maybe a touch on the sweet side.
Flight B – Chardonnay (5 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Alicia 2006 Chardonnay Reserve ($10.95 - #414475) – soft and fruity, tasty and balanced, nice apple nuances mixed in with soft woody tones.
2 – Vina Carmen 2007 Chardonnay Classic ($970 - #235663) – buttery, leesy, vanilla and caramel.
Flight C + D – Carmenere (10 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Carolina 2006 Carmenere Barrica Selection ($15.95 - #57133) – minty black fruit with good smoothness on the palate – some tannins and oak flow smoothly across the tongue.
2 – Vina Perez Cruz 2006 Carmenere Reserve ($24.95 - #670539 – Vintages) – sweet blackberries, nice tannins, good mouth presence with a dusting of chocolate and black cherries.
3 – Vina Cono Sur 2007 Vision Carmenere ($15.95 - #59360 – Vintages) – big cherry and black fruit, good nose, a little rough on the flavour side but still nice, good finish.
Flight E – Syrah / Shiraz / Malbec / Merlot / Pinot Noir (7 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Rita 2007 Pinot Noir Reserva ($14.95 - #65458 – Vintages) – sweet and fruity with cherry, mint, milk chocolate and a smell that’s a dead ringer for freshly baked strawberry-rhubarb pie … like no Pinot you’ve ever tried before.
2 – Vina Terra Andina 2005 Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon Altos ($18.95 - #693895 – Vintages) – black fruit, blackberry, simple and easy sipper driven by its silky tannins.
Flight F – Cabernet Sauvignon Blends (4 wines)
1 – Vina Haras de Pirque 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere Albis ($55.00 - #579813 – Vintages) – peppery, black fruit and berry with big alcohol and tannins apparent on both the nose and palate – good ageability potential.
Flight G + H – Cabernet Sauvignon (14 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Carolina 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva de Familia ($19.95 - #684597 – Vintages) – blackberry, chocolate, black cherry, good structure with silky smooth tannins.
2 – Vina Porta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Boldo Reserva Organic ($18.95 - #86587 – Vintages) – minty and chocolaty, tasty and thoroughly enjoyable.
3 – Vina Requingua 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Toro de Piedra Reserva ($14.95 - #39362 – Vintages) – nice black fruit with a port-like palate, cherries and raspberries, good finish – big alcohol taste.
Bubbling under Cabernet Sauvignons – with 14 to choose from you just knew a few would be close to making the top three:
Vina Miguel Torres 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Digna reserve ($14.95 - #177451 – Vintages) – black fruit, woody, nice tannins.
Vina Perez Cruz 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($14.95 - #694208 – Vintages) – sweet fruit both on the nose and in the mouth.
Flight I - Sparkling (2 wines)
This was a no brainer to me, Fresita ($13.85 - #56697), the sparkler made with Patagonian strawberries, always a favourite, perfect for any time of year; a party favourite.
There were some great wines in this preview tasting which bodes well for the real deal on October 1st at the Fermentation Cellar in Toronto’s distillery district. Info can be found here.
Flight A – Sauvignon Blancs and Various (8 wines)
1 – Vina Maipo 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Especial ($16.95 - #81216 – Vintages Nov. 22) – apple, grapefruit, crisp and lively, very nice.
2 – Vina Montgras 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva ($11.95 - #58632) – crisp citrus with gooseberry and grapefruit.
3 – Vina Amayna 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($20.95 - #77693) – gooseberry and grapefruit with good bite from the acidity; maybe a touch on the sweet side.
Flight B – Chardonnay (5 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Alicia 2006 Chardonnay Reserve ($10.95 - #414475) – soft and fruity, tasty and balanced, nice apple nuances mixed in with soft woody tones.
2 – Vina Carmen 2007 Chardonnay Classic ($970 - #235663) – buttery, leesy, vanilla and caramel.
Flight C + D – Carmenere (10 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Carolina 2006 Carmenere Barrica Selection ($15.95 - #57133) – minty black fruit with good smoothness on the palate – some tannins and oak flow smoothly across the tongue.
2 – Vina Perez Cruz 2006 Carmenere Reserve ($24.95 - #670539 – Vintages) – sweet blackberries, nice tannins, good mouth presence with a dusting of chocolate and black cherries.
3 – Vina Cono Sur 2007 Vision Carmenere ($15.95 - #59360 – Vintages) – big cherry and black fruit, good nose, a little rough on the flavour side but still nice, good finish.
Flight E – Syrah / Shiraz / Malbec / Merlot / Pinot Noir (7 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Rita 2007 Pinot Noir Reserva ($14.95 - #65458 – Vintages) – sweet and fruity with cherry, mint, milk chocolate and a smell that’s a dead ringer for freshly baked strawberry-rhubarb pie … like no Pinot you’ve ever tried before.
2 – Vina Terra Andina 2005 Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon Altos ($18.95 - #693895 – Vintages) – black fruit, blackberry, simple and easy sipper driven by its silky tannins.
Flight F – Cabernet Sauvignon Blends (4 wines)
1 – Vina Haras de Pirque 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere Albis ($55.00 - #579813 – Vintages) – peppery, black fruit and berry with big alcohol and tannins apparent on both the nose and palate – good ageability potential.
Flight G + H – Cabernet Sauvignon (14 wines)
1 – Vina Santa Carolina 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva de Familia ($19.95 - #684597 – Vintages) – blackberry, chocolate, black cherry, good structure with silky smooth tannins.
2 – Vina Porta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Boldo Reserva Organic ($18.95 - #86587 – Vintages) – minty and chocolaty, tasty and thoroughly enjoyable.
3 – Vina Requingua 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Toro de Piedra Reserva ($14.95 - #39362 – Vintages) – nice black fruit with a port-like palate, cherries and raspberries, good finish – big alcohol taste.
Bubbling under Cabernet Sauvignons – with 14 to choose from you just knew a few would be close to making the top three:
Vina Miguel Torres 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Digna reserve ($14.95 - #177451 – Vintages) – black fruit, woody, nice tannins.
Vina Perez Cruz 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($14.95 - #694208 – Vintages) – sweet fruit both on the nose and in the mouth.
Flight I - Sparkling (2 wines)
This was a no brainer to me, Fresita ($13.85 - #56697), the sparkler made with Patagonian strawberries, always a favourite, perfect for any time of year; a party favourite.
There were some great wines in this preview tasting which bodes well for the real deal on October 1st at the Fermentation Cellar in Toronto’s distillery district. Info can be found here.
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