Two South American Wines
Los Vascos
Cabernet Sauvignon
Colchagua, Chile
2005
The most distinguishing thing about this cabernet is that its label reads "Domaines Barons De Rothschild (Lafite)" at the top. At first glance I somehow assumed this meant I was drinking genuine Chateau Lafite Rothschild. When I actually had a sip however, I knew this could not be Old World wine. I re-checked the label and, indeed, at the very bottom in light gray microscopic print it reads "Produced by Vina Los Vascos - Peralillo - Chile." Apparently this is a wine estate in Chile owned by the Lafite Rothschild domaine in France. In this case, they get an A+ for clever branding, and probably sell a good deal of this wine simply because it bears the Rothschild name.
And right that they should sell a lot of it, because the wine itself is quite surprising for a young, Chilean cabernet. Its most distinct feature is a strong aroma of pepper--not the spice, but the vegetable--which follows through onto the tongue, giving it that distinctive hot flavor of many New World cabernets. It manages not to be overpowering however, like some wines of its ilk, and has a mouth-coating dryness with a slightly bitter finish that put me in mind of tea. One could drink this wine without food, but it would probably be best paired with something...in this regard I have no suggestions. I had it with lentil soup and fried sausage and it held up fine. Overall, a fairly well-balanced Chilean cabernet that, if anything, errs too much on the high, peppery end of the spectrum. There is nothing offensive here however, and I can recommend it without reservation.
I decanted this and let it sit for about 10 minutes before drinking, and it didn't seem to open up much throughout the meal, so 10 minutes must have been enough. I think a year or two of aging couldn't hurt, but it might not hold up to more than that.
*****
Sur De Los Andes
Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina
2006
For a $9 bottle of wine, you almost cannot beat this particular label. As a disclaimer, I'm a huge fan of Argentine Malbec. It has got to be one of the best kept secrets in wine these days. Or perhaps its not a secret, and I'm just finding out about it. Still, for $9 you almost can't afford not to try this winner.
The first thing one must understand about Malbec is that only in relatively recent history has it come into its own as a grape; meaning that it was formerly only used in combination with other grapes to make wines such as those that come from Cahors in France. The Malbec grape grows extremely well in South America, particularly Argentina, and wine made 100% from the Malbec grape is now quite popular around the world. The reason it was used as a mixing grape was partly because it is a bit rough in character, which is exactly what makes it so good in my opinion.
This label is, to me, the archetype of what a young Argentine Malbec ought to be. It has a strong, perfumy, floral aroma of violet and with even a hint of citrus. It is thick and almost rough on the palate, with deep berry flavors characteristic of this grape. I've heard the word "chewy" used to describe wine, and although I usually steer clear of it, it seems apt here; there is a lot to "chew" on, like with all of these young Malbecs. Part of the pleasure of this wine is its beautiful rich violet aroma that persists even after it is in the mouth, enhances its relatively uncomplicated structure. There is not much of a finish, but it also is not very acidic, which is a plus. Once you've drunk it, it is gone and doesn't come back to haunt you.
I've had more complex and better-rounded Malbecs, but I would buy this one any day of the week. In fact, I think it is going to become my new go-to wine. Tonight I drank it un-decanted, with some pepper-crusted dry salami. The salami seemed to be the perfect antidote to the wine's sometimes overpowering aroma and robustness. Maybe it is the fat and salt in the salami. A slice of apple, on the contrary, greatly diminished the wine's flavor and brought out its acidity.
This is a good wine to drink with some kind of strongly-flavored food, and is probably not the kind of wine you want to drink unaccompanied by food in general. It is just too powerful and unbalanced for that. However, as I said, that is the charm of these young Malbecs. In a price zone that tends to fetch acidic, uninteresting, and sometimes just bad wines, these really stand out with their own distinct character. I haven't gotten tired of them yet, and this one is absolutely worth a try.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Colchagua, Chile
2005
The most distinguishing thing about this cabernet is that its label reads "Domaines Barons De Rothschild (Lafite)" at the top. At first glance I somehow assumed this meant I was drinking genuine Chateau Lafite Rothschild. When I actually had a sip however, I knew this could not be Old World wine. I re-checked the label and, indeed, at the very bottom in light gray microscopic print it reads "Produced by Vina Los Vascos - Peralillo - Chile." Apparently this is a wine estate in Chile owned by the Lafite Rothschild domaine in France. In this case, they get an A+ for clever branding, and probably sell a good deal of this wine simply because it bears the Rothschild name.
And right that they should sell a lot of it, because the wine itself is quite surprising for a young, Chilean cabernet. Its most distinct feature is a strong aroma of pepper--not the spice, but the vegetable--which follows through onto the tongue, giving it that distinctive hot flavor of many New World cabernets. It manages not to be overpowering however, like some wines of its ilk, and has a mouth-coating dryness with a slightly bitter finish that put me in mind of tea. One could drink this wine without food, but it would probably be best paired with something...in this regard I have no suggestions. I had it with lentil soup and fried sausage and it held up fine. Overall, a fairly well-balanced Chilean cabernet that, if anything, errs too much on the high, peppery end of the spectrum. There is nothing offensive here however, and I can recommend it without reservation.
I decanted this and let it sit for about 10 minutes before drinking, and it didn't seem to open up much throughout the meal, so 10 minutes must have been enough. I think a year or two of aging couldn't hurt, but it might not hold up to more than that.
*****
Sur De Los Andes
Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina
2006
For a $9 bottle of wine, you almost cannot beat this particular label. As a disclaimer, I'm a huge fan of Argentine Malbec. It has got to be one of the best kept secrets in wine these days. Or perhaps its not a secret, and I'm just finding out about it. Still, for $9 you almost can't afford not to try this winner.
The first thing one must understand about Malbec is that only in relatively recent history has it come into its own as a grape; meaning that it was formerly only used in combination with other grapes to make wines such as those that come from Cahors in France. The Malbec grape grows extremely well in South America, particularly Argentina, and wine made 100% from the Malbec grape is now quite popular around the world. The reason it was used as a mixing grape was partly because it is a bit rough in character, which is exactly what makes it so good in my opinion.
This label is, to me, the archetype of what a young Argentine Malbec ought to be. It has a strong, perfumy, floral aroma of violet and with even a hint of citrus. It is thick and almost rough on the palate, with deep berry flavors characteristic of this grape. I've heard the word "chewy" used to describe wine, and although I usually steer clear of it, it seems apt here; there is a lot to "chew" on, like with all of these young Malbecs. Part of the pleasure of this wine is its beautiful rich violet aroma that persists even after it is in the mouth, enhances its relatively uncomplicated structure. There is not much of a finish, but it also is not very acidic, which is a plus. Once you've drunk it, it is gone and doesn't come back to haunt you.
I've had more complex and better-rounded Malbecs, but I would buy this one any day of the week. In fact, I think it is going to become my new go-to wine. Tonight I drank it un-decanted, with some pepper-crusted dry salami. The salami seemed to be the perfect antidote to the wine's sometimes overpowering aroma and robustness. Maybe it is the fat and salt in the salami. A slice of apple, on the contrary, greatly diminished the wine's flavor and brought out its acidity.
This is a good wine to drink with some kind of strongly-flavored food, and is probably not the kind of wine you want to drink unaccompanied by food in general. It is just too powerful and unbalanced for that. However, as I said, that is the charm of these young Malbecs. In a price zone that tends to fetch acidic, uninteresting, and sometimes just bad wines, these really stand out with their own distinct character. I haven't gotten tired of them yet, and this one is absolutely worth a try.
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