On St.
Patrick’s Day evening, 40 members of Toronto Vintners Club and guests gathered at the University of
Toronto Faculty Club, not to drink pints of Guinness or glasses of whiskey but
to taste 8 great Chilean reds. The wines promised to provide a real treat – new
world wines, many influenced by old world Bordeaux techniques and blending
styles. Today Chilean reds are considered some of the best in the world, even
beating out top French wineries for top honours in 2004. Of the 8 Chilean’s in
the tasting, 4 were from the 2007 vintage which according to our guest speaker Howard
Kaman of Charton Hobbs, was considered a vintage of the century.
Guests were
also treated to a bonus, as part of the Club’s 40th anniversary, a 9th
mystery wine which turned out in the end to be a 1997 Chateau la Croix duCasse, Pomerol. It was a fitting end to the tasting and provided a real
contrast to the younger Chilean wines in terms of nose, palette and colour. Such
was the contrast, the group didn't have much difficulty identifying it as the
mystery wine.
Following a
brief introduction to Chile by Howard where he identified some of the regions
and the grapes primarily used in the production of its wine, the group got down
to the business of the tasting.
The wines in pouring order were;
The wines in pouring order were;
1. 2005 Altair Tinto. Cachapoal Valley. $ 42
“From a
small, very classy winery focused on high end blends only, this combines 85%
cab sauvignon with syrah and carmenere. It’s a super rich red with a saturated
nose of cassis/rhubarb jam, mincemeat and chocolate fudge. It’s full bodied,
very dense, soft and supple with great fruit. Chilean to its core. Excellent to
outstanding length. It should age well for a decade but it’s not a requirement
for enjoying it. (They need to lose the overweight bottle). Best 2012 to 2020.
Tasted February 2011. 94 pts.” David Lawrasson, www.winealign.com
2. 2006 Perez Cruz, Quelen Special Selection. $49
“. . .
blend of Petit Verdot, Cot (Malbec), and Carmenere. It offers up an inviting
nose of licorice, tar, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. Dense, rich, and
muscular on the palate, this is a large-scaled effort with impeccable balance
and exceptional length. It will require 4-6 years of additional cellaring to
reveal its full potential but has the balance to become something special.” 94
pts”. Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, #192, Dec. 2010
3. 2010 Santa Rita, Casa Real. Maipo. $60
Cabernet
Sauvignon “After a rooty, spicy opening that includes aromas of tree bark,
leather, marzipan and ripe berry fruits, this perennial winner shows superb
balance, mouthfeel and overall integration. Flavors of cassis, cherry, plum,
dry spice and chocolate finish long, lightly herbal and with complexities.
Drink through 2020. 93 pts.” Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2013 4. 2007 Montes Alpha, Alpha M. Santa Cruz. $79
“Blend of
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, with the balance Merlot and Petit
Verdot aged for 18 months in new French oak. It exhibits a striking perfume of
pain grille, pencil lead, herbs, spices, a hint of balsamic, and assorted black
fruits. Dense, structured, and incipiently complex, this velvety textured wine
conceals enough structure to evolve for another 5-6 years. It offers a drinking
window extending from 2017 to 2027.” 94 pts Jay Miller, Feb. 2012,
erobertparker.com
5.
2007 Concha y Toro, Don Melchor,
Puente Alto. $80
“Blend of
98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in French oak (78% new) and
one-year old oak. It has a rounded, smooth tobacco and cedar scented bouquet
with plush red fruit. The palate is full-bodied with chalky tannins, smoky
black tarry fruit and a reserved, slightly austere finish with dark chocolate
lingering on the aftertaste. It has Old World sensibility and is well crafted.
Drink now-2016. 90 pts.” Neal Martin. erobertparker.com #204, Dec. 2012 6. 2009 Viña Errázuriz, Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve, Aconcagua Valley. $80
“Blend of
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmenere, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc
from the Maximiano vineyard, aged for 20 months in new French oak. It has a
more elegant, fresher nose than the 2008 with a red rather than black fruit
profile: wild strawberry, raspberry, kirsch and a touch of shortcake. The
palate is medium-bodied with finer tannins than the 2008, with ripe graphite
infused black fruit and a masculine, tannic finish that is still continuing to
show too much oak in proportion to the fruit. Drink 2015-2022. 88 pts.” Neal
Martin. erobertparker.com 
7. 2007 Viña Seña, Aroncagua Valley. $85
“57%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere, 12% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Franc
and Petit Verdot. It puts forth an enthralling bouquet of sandalwood,
underbrush, exotic spices, incense, floral notes, blueberry, and blackcurrant
that borders on kinky. Already remarkably complex on the palate, with layered
flavors, a plush palate feel, and precision balance, this beautifully rendered
offering will evolve for another 6-8 years and provide a drinking window
extending from 2016 to 2032. 96 pts.” Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, #192, Dec.
20108. 2007 Cousiño-Macul, Lota. Maipo. Blend $ 87
“Cabernet
Sauvignon & Merlot. The “LOTA” project started in 2003, when the Cousiño
family decided to create a world class wine to celebrate the 150th anniversary.
“The 2007 Lota, again raised entirely in new French oak, has a ripe blueberry
and cassis nose augmented by orange zest and shoe polish. There seems to be a
little more volatility here. The palate is sweet and peppery on the entry. It
has ripe, plump tannins, plenty of spicy fruit and aniseed. It is endowed with
a dense, oaky finish that is balanced and clean, offering a sweet kirsch-tinged
aftertaste. Drink 2015-2025. 88 pts.” Neal Martin. erobertparker.com #204, Dec.
2012
Pour Order |
Name | Group Rank | Speaker Rank |
| 1 | Altair Tinto | 8 | 7 |
| 2 | Perez Cruz | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | Santa Rita Casa Real | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | Montes Alpha | 6 | 5 |
| 5 | Concha y Toro Don Melchor | 7 | 3 |
| 6 | Vina Errazuriz | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Vina Sena | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Cousino-Macul Lota | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | 97 Ch La Croix du Casse (Pomerol) Mystery Wine | 9 | NR * |
* No rank
The assembled group agreed that all of the Chilean wines were well balanced and structured with no faults. All were drinking well now but still had a number of years of good drinking left in them. The same however could not be said about the mystery wine which the group ranked last out of all the wines. May be it was a result of being overpowered by its far fresher Chilean predecessors, but the majority of the room felt this Pomerol was past its prime in terms of drinkability.
Chile beats Bordeaux once again!!!
About the guest speaker
Howard
Kaman has worked in the wine industry for over 20 years, the past 10.5 years as
the Specialty Brands Manager (or Vintages Specialist) at Charton Hobbs – agents
for Perez Cruz winery whose Quelen we are tasting this evening. He has worked
as a Cellar Hand in both the Languedoc (at Mas de Daumas Gassac) and in the
Willamette Valley in Oregon (at Amity Vineyards), and also spent a year in
Niagara as an Assistant Winemaker and two years in Harrods’ Wine Department, in
London England. He is a graduate of the Diploma program of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
