2006 Viña Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Root:1

Type: Red
Producer: Viña Ventisquero
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Root:1 [The Original Ungrafted]
Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
SubRegion: Rapel Valley
Appellation: Colchagua Valley





Night One

The nose opens with blackcurants and blackberries, but has several underlying aromas, and they are not all pleasant. On the up-side, there is some birch root and some cardamom. On the down-side, though, there is a slight smell of old bell peppers sauteed too long in rancid butter.

There is no mistaking this for anything but an under-$20 South American cabernet. If you don't know what I mean by that, find a green pepper, cut the top off and scrape out the insides, bake it in a hot overn for five minutes, let cool. While it's cooling, go to the grocery store and find a California Cab, not Napa, not Sonoma, "CALIFORNIA." Bring it home and pour it into the cooked green pepper. Drink.

Or don't.

Blackberries and blackcurrants (in green pepper) are on the attack. Vanilla and sour plums (in green pepper) are on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty, the finish cloying.

Can you tell I'm not loving this?

Night Two

The nose opens far more favorably on Night Two. It starts with black fruit- blackcurrants and blackberries, plus some tobacco leaf and, at the end of a deep whiff, some menthol.

Black fruit starts the attack, but with a background of green pepper. On the mid-palate there is some mocha, followed by a bit of vanilla and brown sugar. The finish falls off fairly quickly.





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Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Casablanca Valley, Chile
13% alcohol

My kids' Webkins got jealous of all the attention to the Wooden Guys. They did not get to drink the wine. They are too young. The Little Wooden Guy, on the other hand, liked this tropical/citrus summery white.

From the bottlenotes:

Los Vascos, one of Chile's oldest wine estates, is controlled by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), who began a comprehensive modernization and investment program in 1988. the 500-hectare vineyard is located in the Colchagua province which offers a healthy microclimate for its ungrafted pre-phylloxera Bordeaux rootstock. Under the direct technical supervision of the Domaines, Los Vascos is committed to producing the finest consistent and balanced wines whose elegance and harmony are to be shared with discriminating connaiseurs around the world.

Night One

Color is a very light pale straw, clear and bright.

The nose is very citrusy, mostly lime, and a little white grapefruit grapefruit, plus just enough of a tiny hint of "gooseberry" (better known to most as "litterbox") to say clearly it is Sauvignon Blanc. After a few seconds a softer tropical smell also comes through, reminiscent of lychee.

On the palate, just at irst, for perhaps half a second, banana is the primary flavor. That transitions almost instantly to citrus, then softens and sweetens on the midpalate, finishing with the taste of pears.

Second Night

The nose on the second night was softer, more tropical, opening with pineapple, key lime and lemons, along with the ubiquitous hint of cat.

The palate, too, is softer and more tropical. Pineapple, banana and lemon open before it turns into pure citrus, lemon and white grapefruit. The finish adds just the smallest flavour of pecans to the pears from the first night.

If you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, if you think litter box is the apex of this varietal, this is not the wine for you. But if you like clean citrus and soft fruit this is a nice bottle of wine at a good price.