2007 Errazuriz Carménère Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate

Type: Red
Producer: Errazuriz
Variety: Carménère
Designation: Single Vineyard
Vineyard: Don Maximiano Estate
Country: Chile
Region: Aconcagua
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.



The Big Wooden Guy is a little hesitant to recommend this, but thinks it might have some cellar potential for improvement.

Night One

The first impression of the nose is "spicy," with black pepper and anise. Black cherries and blackcurrants also waft up from the glass. The palate offers similar flavors, with obvious use of wood, including vanilla and brown sugar, taking over on the mid-palate. Tannins are slightly gritty.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two was far more complex, starting with black cherry, black pepper and nutmeg, then adding blackberries and birch bark. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry and plums were the fruit on the attack. Vanilla and brown suger again appeared on the mid-palate. Tannins were smoother, less gritty, than on Night One. The mid-length finish was very sweet.

Conclusion

The improvement from Night One to Night Two might give a clue that this will improve with some time in the cellar. Will it ever be great? No, I don't think so, but it retails for less than $20.






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2007 Santa Carolina Carménère Reserva de Familia

Type: Red
Producer: Santa Carolina
Variety: Carménère
Designation: Reserva de Familia
Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
SubRegion: Rapel Valley
Appellation: Rapel Valley
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.



The Big Wooden Guy is a bit hesitant. it has some promise, and it has a great QPR, but ultimately it's just not that terrific. "Pretty good, but a great value" is accurate, but, at least to me, underwhelming.

Night One

Imagine melting a stick of butter over a bowl full of dark fruit, then sprinkling it all with black pepper, and you will know the nose of this wine. The fruit in the bowl is dark and rich, mulberry and elderberry, with a tiny tell-tale hint of green pepper in the background that announces this wine is from Chile.

On the palate, the same dark fruit and butter appear on the attack, with obvious high alcohol, but high enough acidity to give balance. The "Chile!" green pepper appears on the mid-palate, along with some vanilla, but not an overpowering amount indicative of too much wood. This is a big, fruity wine. Tannins are sweet and silky, and it has a very good mouth-feel.

Night Two

The nose is similar to Night One, with the same butter over dark fruit, but now the green pepper is far more pronounced. The fruit on the palate is bit more tart than on Night One, more blackberry than mulberry, with a little bit of elderberry still there, along with black pepper. There is not as much green pepper as on the nose. Some vanilla, and now brown sugar, appear on the mid-palate. The finish falls off rather quickly.

This is a good QPR wine, but not really a great wine. It is also a pop-n-pour, not something to cellar for a long time or decant over several hours. With additional time the green pepper becomes more pronounced and the wood treatment more obvious and more cloying.






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TerraNoble Gran Reserva Carmenere 2007

Type Red
Producer TerraNoble
Variety Carménère
Designation Gran Reserva
Country Chile
Region Central Valley
SubRegion Maule Valley
Price $16.99 in Indianapolis



The Big Wooden Guy liked this Chilean charmer. We only took notes on Night One, since it was one of the Thanksgiving wines, and it did not last through to Night Two.

The nose was startling in its clear, unmistakable coffee smell, like fresh espresso. That was followed by some blackberries. Coffee was prevalent on the palate, too, with dark chocolate and blackberries. Tannins were very slightly dusty, but not obtrusive. This was a very enjoyable rich wine, a good food wine, and a great QPR.

2005 Viña Santa Rita Carménère 120

Type- Red
Producer- Viña Santa Rita
Variety- Carménère
Designation- 120
Country- Chile
Region- Central Valley
Appellation- Rapel Valley
Price- $5.99



If the Little Wooden Guy is running away you should too.

It's Wine Blogging Wednesday again, and WBW#52 comes from Cheap Wine Ratings, and the subject is Value Reds from Chile. Is this a "value red"? Well, it's $5.99, but it also isn't worth $5.99, or $4.99, or $3.99, or even $0.99. Value? Perhaps not.

Night One

The nose has some chocolate, some Slim Jim, loads of green- tomato leaves and green bell pepper. Smoked meat, blackberries and green flavors of arugula and tobacco leaves. Not much of a mid-palate. Finish is short.

After an hour or two more fruit is evident on the nose, mostly blueberry and some blackberry.

Night Two

The nose has green peppers, creosote and cherries. The palate, well, let's just say "not good."