Tasting #157 – July 28, 2014 – 1:00 PM Blend Wines from Chile- Capri Restaurant – McLean VA
1. Presenters, Participants and Birthdays of the Month of July
Type: Blind
Wines presenters: Orlando Mason, German Zinke
Participants: Mario Aguilar, Marcello Averburg, Hugo Benito, Ruth Connoly, Alfonso Caycedo, Clarita Estrada, Jaime Estupiñán, Albertina Frankel, Jorge García, Alvaro López, Orlando Mason, Ítalo Mirkow, Alfonso Sánchez, Jairo Sánchez, Ginger Smart, Carlos Velez, Ricardo Zavaleta, German Zincke, two guests .
Birthday of the Month: Alvaro López, Germán Zinke
2. The Wines
These are the wines for this tasting:
- Anakena Ona 2013, Blanco Reserva especial (Blend)
- Veramonte Primus 2011. “The Blend” Valle de Colchagua.
- Finis Terrae 2009 Causino Macul.(Blend)
3. Menu
- Calamari en salsa blanca y crostinos
- Noquis con salsa de pesto
- Medallones de carne Portobello con salsa Rosemary
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Postre
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Cafe
4. Wines Information
(This information was collected from various publications and Internet materials)
Anakena Ona 2013, Blanco Reserva especial (Blend)
Anakena is a privately owned winery based in the Alto Cachopoal area of the Rapel Valley in Chile. It produces a wide variety of styles, but has perhaps become best known for its ONA range of unusual blendsRare
White Blend is a term Wine-Searcher uses to group together white wines made from uncommon or unusual grape variety blends (see also Rare Red Blend). The category also provides a convenient home for wines whose blend is either unknown or not published by the winery.
There is no particular pattern or formula for establishing which grape varieties will features in these rare blends, nor the proportions in which they will be used. Some will consist of just two components, others may contain ten or more.
This wine is 35% Riesling, 35% Viognier and 30% Chardonnay are fermented separately and blended after 4 months. This aromatic white combines the individual qualities of each grape varietal into a very complex white. The Riesling gives mineral tones, the Viognier floral and ripe apricot flavors, and the Chardonnay gives tropical aromas and balance. Pair with marinated seafood dishes, crab and lobster.
Leyda Valley is a small sub-region of the San Antonio Valley wine region in Chile, located just 55 miles (90km) west of the Chilean capital, Santiago. This cool-climate region enjoys the effects of the cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean, and consequently produces bright, vibrant wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Leyda Valley has traditionally been associated with wheat and barley production, but is rapidly gaining a reputation for high-quality viticulture. The first vignerons appeared in Leyda in the late 1990s, attracted by a terroir that was almost perfect for the production of premium grapes, save for the lack of an abundant source of water for irrigation. A significant investment by a wine-producing family in the area saw the construction of a pipeline five miles (8km) long to channel water from the Maipo River in the south. This opened a world of potential in the area, but the planting of new vineyards has since been limited by the capacity of this pipeline.
Alohol: TBA; Price : $ (TBA)
Experts Ratings: TBA
Veramonte Primus 2011. “The Blend” – Valle de Colchagua
For over 10 years, The Blend has been one of Chile’s top red wines, expressing power and finesse by merging Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Carmenère, the “lost” Bordeaux varietal. Agustin Huneeus, creator of some the world’s best red blends including Magnificat and Quintessa, developed Primus, which leverages winemaking techniques used by Napa Valley’s top Cabernets and Red Blends: Colchagua Valley´s yields are managed to 2-3 tons per acre, grapes are meticulously double sorted before crush, and French oak aging.
Aged in the finest French and American oak for 14 months, this wine delivers world-class quality in the glass featuring rich, dense fruit, exotic spice and a long textured finish.
The Blend includes Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Complex notions of dark cherry, autumn leaves and earth make way for a seductively smooth and velvety wine brimming with dark fruit and a drop of vanilla, culminating in a spicy tobacco and black pepper finish. Source: Vintages Wine Panel, Oct. 2013
Colchagua Valley, in central Chile, is one of South America’s most promising wine regions. It forms the south-western half of the larger Rapel Valley region; to the north and east of it lies the less famous but equally promising Cachapoal Valley. Some of Chile’s finest red wines are made in the valley, mostly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah.The Blend indeed. This includes Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Complex notions of dark cherry, autumn leaves and earth make way for a seductively smooth and velvety wine brimming with dark fruit and a drop of vanilla, culminating in a spicy tobacco and black pepper finish. Source: Vintages Wine Panel, Oct. 2013
The Colchagua Valley boasts a textbook wine-growing climate: warm, but cooled by ocean breezes and dry, but refreshed by rivers and occasional rainfall. The region’s desirable terroir, combined with persistent, focused marketing has made this one of Chile’s most important wine regions, along with Maipo Valley in the north. Several of Chile’s most prestigious wines come from the Colchagua Valley: ‘Clos Apalta’ by Casa Lapostolle, the ‘Folly’ Syrah from Montes and ‘Altura’ by Vina Casa Silva are obvious examples. And if there were any doubt that the valley is well regarded both in Chile and overseas, this is easily put to rest by the presence of the Los Vascos winery in Peralillo, a joint venture between Santa Rita and the Rothschilds of Bordeaux.
The official Colchagua Valley viticultural area stretches south-east to north-west for 70 miles at its widest point. Its western boundary is formed by the coastal hills which seem to run the entire length of Chile’s vast Pacific coastline. In the east, the vineyards are naturally limited by the foothills of the Andes, into which they creep further and further each year. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Syrah from 80-year old vines apropos the Cabernet, the 2009 Finis Terrae is aged in French oak barrels for 14 months (65% new.) That oak is nicely integrated on the nose with blackberry, raspberry and cassis laced with tobacco and cedar. The palate is rounded and chewy on the ripe entry and builds nicely towards a supple blackberry, spice and white pepper finish that belies the structure underneath. “
Alohol: TBA; Price : $ (TBA)
Experts Ratings: WA 90 pts.
Finis Terrae 2009 Causino Macul.
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Syrah from 80-year old vines apropos the Cabernet, the 2009 Finis Terrae is aged in French oak barrels for 14 months (65% new.) That oak is nicely integrated on the nose with blackberry, raspberry and cassis laced with tobacco and cedar. The palate is rounded and chewy on the ripe entry and builds nicely towards a supple blackberry, spice and white pepper finish that belies the structure underneath. ” – Wine Advocate
Finis Terrae is a clear reflection of the Maipo Valley terroir expressed through the finest of Cousiño’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah from each vintage. It is a blend created by tasting hundreds of combinations of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah to achieve the ideal balance of fruit, acid, tannin, alcohol and oak.
The 2009 season was marked by a cold winter with normal rainfall and a warm and dry summer. We harvested all grapes by hand, within the estimated dates; the resulting wines were of a remarkable quality, with intense aromas and flavors, excellent concentration and great body
The grapes were harvested when they were physiologically ripe and the tannins were ripe and smooth. The winemaking process started with cold maceration to extract the aromas. To add complexity, Chilean yeast and prisse de mousse were used for fermentation, and the must was pumped over 3 to 4 times a day.
Post-fermentation skin contact was done to obtain more complexity. Once pressed, the wine was racked to French oak barrels from different cooperages.
Finally, the wine was clarified and a light filtration was applied before bottling.
TASTING NOTES
With a bright and clean deep purple color, this wine offers a complex nose, in which notes of wild berries, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry can be felt, as well as a subtle French oak aroma, in perfect balance with the fruit.
In the mouth plum and strawberry, accompanied by a slight sweetness, principally from the merlot, can be found.
It’s intense, balanced and round, with ripe tannins and a long finish.
PAIRING
Due to its high complexity, this wine has a wide range of dishes for pairing. Possessing a great body and structure it’s a great complement for any red meat. The subtlety of aromas and flavors would be a perfect partner for Italian pastries, like a potato and pumpkin gnocchi gratin with Roquefort cheese sauce and parmesan.
TECHNICAL DATA
Varietal Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Syrah
Appellation: 100% Maipo Valley
Aging: 15 months in new French oak barrels.
Alohol: TBA; Price : $ (TBA)
Experts Ratings: WA 90 pts.
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