Chile’s new wine mantra: quality(2)
Luis Felipe Edwards Dona Bernarda 2007
Score: 91 Price: $35.99 at B.C. private stores only
Named after founder Luis Felipe Edwards’s wife, whose face graces the label, this red is based mainly on cabernet, blended in most years with carménère, syrah and petit verdot. Big and juicy, it offers a core of pure cherry and cassis coated in fine-grained tannins. Match it with steak or cellar it for up to 10 years.
Undurraga Altazor 2007
Score: 91 Price: $49.99 at B.C. private stores only
It’s hard to guess the grape constituents here – the mark of another offbeat and intriguing blend. For the record, they are: cabernet sauvignon, syrah, carménère and merlot. This concentrated red serves up loads of dark-skinned fruit, bitter chocolate and soothing eucalyptus, and it begs to share a table with rack of lamb or prime rib.
Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Score: 90 Price: $15.50 in Ont., $21.99 in B.C., $18.25 in Que.
This is the sort of home run that has been drawing exacting consumers to Chile’s mid-range (yet still attractively priced) wines. Full-bodied and succulent, with a sweet explosion of cherry and cassis flavours, it carries through with chocolate, fine-grained tannins and a dry finish. Medium-rare steak would pair beautifully.
Carmen Gran Reserva Carménère 2009
Score: 90 Price: $21.99 in B.C.
An opulent carménère, oozing superripe, prune-like fruit, with added nuances of vanilla and coffee, it would make fast friends with barbecued ribs.
Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Score: 89 Price: $13.95 in Ont., $15.99 in B.C., $15.10 in Que.
A long-standing favourite of bargain hunters, this full-bodied red continues to deliver impressive value. Textbook cabernet flavours of cassis and black olive are joined by chocolate, charred oak and invigorating mint. It would mingle gloriously with steak. And, remarkable for a wine at this price, it could improve with up to eight years in the cellar.
Montes Alpha Syrah 2009
Score: 89 Price: $19.95 in Ont., $23.55 in Que.
A ripe, full-bodied red with flavours of plum, chocolate and black pepper, it’s built on a spine of solid acidity and smooth tannins. Think of northern Rhône syrah – with more opulent, sunny fruit. Try it with hearty red-meat stews.
Cono Sur Viognier 2010
Score: 88 Price: $10 in Ont., $10.99 in B.C. and N.S.
A star brand of the past decade, Cono Sur specializes in organically grown grapes. This entry-level white, part of the Bicycle range, lacks the certified-organic designation but is grown with minimal intervention. The orange-and-floral character of aromatic viognier comes through nicely, carried on a silky frame with a sweet, almost off-dry core. Perfect for Indian curries.
Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir 2009
Score: 87 Price: $14.95 in Ont.
Light medium-bodied, this red delivers recognizable pinot flavour, unlike most pinots at its price. The cool Casablanca Valley, with its maritime influence, does justice to the delicate variety. Plum jam and herb flavours culminate in a crisp, balanced finish. This is a good red for fish, especially grilled salmon.
