We’ve long been drinkers of the $10 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a price performer and a wine that we know what we’re going to get when we pull out a bottle. Jonathan has always loved the Casillero del Diablo just a little more than me, picking up bottles of Merlot or Carmenére to sample. Maybe it was the name that got him hooked, cellar of the devil. I’m just not sure. So a couple of weeks ago he spotted the Reserva Privada and proceeded to tell me that he was going to get it the next time we bought a case. Naturally, I made fun of him for his obsession and accepted that we’d soon be having a bottle of the Reserva Privada.

Well, I may have to eat my words or at least not make fun of Jonathan for a while. For under $20, this was an outstanding wine. We didn’t have time to decant, but I can only imagine this wine would have opened up and really showed some complexity. As it was this was quite possibly the darkest wine I ever drank. It showed deep, dark purple colors. In fact, it looked nearly black and the coloring carried through to the edges of the wine. The nose offered dark fruits of currants, cherries and blackberries. I expected oak or toast, but noticed very little on the nose. I did pick a little pepper.

On the palate, the dark fruits carry over and there is just the slightest appearance of oak. It really offers a nice combination. The tannins are firm, creating a big, powerful wine. The finish was somewhat intriguing to me. I expected a longer finish from such a bold wine, but it was a medium finish with a little lingering. It wasn’t as long or powerful as I expected. Overall, I was very pleased with this wine and would like to try it again, but decant to see how it opens up.

The Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Syrah. The grapes are hand harvested and 70% of the wine is aged for 18 months in American oak. Concha y Toro was founded in 1883 by Don Melchor and his wife Doña Emiliana Subercaseaux. Today, the wines originate from the producer’s own vineyards consisting of 11,200 acres spread through Chile’s major wine regions including: Maipo, Maule, Rapel, Colchagua, Curico and Casablanca.

Several weeks ago, our local wine store tasted the 2008 wine of the year, Casa Lapostolle’s Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005. Before tasting “the wine,” I sampled Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon so I could compare. While it was good, it didn’t compare to “the wine.” However, I mentioned it to Jonathan, and he was set on tasting it since he missed tasting Casa Lapostolle’s Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005.

Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon appears rich with deep burgundy colors. It provided nice aromas of oak, red fruits, currents and leather. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of oak. Just enough was present to add a nice touch. (I’m not a fan of excessive oak.) It was pretty evident from the first sip this was a young wine. Jonathan and I immediately went for the decanter. However, our dinner was almost ready so the wine only had 30 minutes to decant. Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showcased darker fruits and slight hints of spice on the palate. The wine was still very tannic leaving a furry feeling in the mouth. It did have a moderately bold finish. I think this wine needs a little more time before it reaches its prime. Give it a year or two and taste again.

Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Carmenère, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 70% of the blend was aged in used French oak barrels, and 30% was aged in stainless steel tanks. The 2005-2006 growing season was fairly normal, but the late summer temperatures were cooler than usual. This forced vineyards to extend the hang-time of grapes in order to reach proper maturity. Luckily, there was no rainfall during the harvest.

Casa Lapostolle is owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle group, of Grand Marnier fame. The winery was founded in 1994, and owns three different vineyards, growing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère and Syrah.

Winery: Viña Palo Alto

Wine: Reserva 2007

Location: Maule Valley, Chile

Purchased: Friar Tuck Beverage

Price: $8.51

At a recent wine tasting, Jonathan and I tried Viña Palo Alto Reserva 2007. Neither of us were blown away, what do you expect for $8.00? For the price, we decided to grab a few bottles. If nothing else, it could be our second bottle one evening. Trying to decide what bottle to open one evening, I suggested opening a bottle of the Viña Palo Alto Reserva 2007. I wanted to decant the wine since it was young to see if this would make a difference.

We opened the bottle and tasted. The Viña Palo Alto Reserva’s appearance was muted in the glass. The colors didn’t jump out the glass, but showcased light red hues. Most noticeably for me was the lack of fruit on the nose. Aromas of tobacco, earth, leather and oak filled the glass. The flavors on the palate were very similar to the nose with added accents of must, pepper and spice. The wine offered a nice medium finish. So we decanted the wine for an hour.

What a difference an hour makes. We sniffed, swirled and tasted again. The Viña Palo Alto Reserva was starting to open up, highlighting aromas of strawberries and raspberries on the nose. The palate was treated to an increase in pepper and spice. This was not your ordinary bottle of $8 wine. Viña Palo Alto Reserva 2007 is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carmenère and 10% Syrah. Wine Spectator recently rated it an 89. And I’ll be picking up a few more bottles next time I’m at the store.

Every Friday, our local wine store hosts “Friday at Five.” It’s their version of happy hour. They provide several wines by the glass for $5 and a special $10 premium pour. Jonathan and I had never been to a Friday at Five, we usually go to the tastings on Saturday. However, this week’s e-mail stated they would have an ultra premium pour. Wine Spectator’s 2008 wine of the year, Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2005, by the glass for $15. I was sold – I had to taste!

The Corkscrew only had two bottles left so I knew I’d better arrive early. Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2005 is a blend of 42% Carmenère, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. This vintage was the first time Petit Verdot was added to the blend. The grapes were harvested from Colchagua Valley in Chile. The 2005 vintage featured a long, warm and dry growing season. These produced a rich, dense red wine, one of the best vintages in the country’s modern wine history. Harvest produced small, concentrated berries with pickers working well into April.

I wasn’t shocked when I saw this wine in the glass and found it nearly black. It was like velvet sheets wrapping the inside of the glass, thick, rich and smooth. The aromas offered flavors or licorice, currant, figs and slight hints of pepper and spice. There seemed to be an overall thickness and intensity to this wine that just pulled at the drinker. Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2005 showcased passion and a few notes of spice on the front, but finished softer on the palate than I expected. It was a delightful wine with excellent balance and smoothness.

As I savored this wine over the next few minutes and continued to swirl. It softened up and the flavors became a little more subdued. This wine should cellar well over the next decade.

 

Winery:  Veramonte

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2006

Location: Colchagua Valley, Chile

Purchased: wine.com

Price: $9.99

Veramonte Estate began with less than 100 acres of grapevines in the Casablanca Valley of Chile in 1990. Coastal mountain ranges surround the estate creating a diverse microclimate. The valley’s cool floor is similar to Carneros in California, while the foothills are warmer, similar to Napa Valley. Today, Veramonte is one of the largest contiguous vineyards in Chile. It features over 1,100 planted acres of grapes. The vineyard is surrounded by 12,000 acres of natural, unplanted greenbelt that is habitat to native plants and animals, and a natural lagoon, which is home to more than two dozen species of migrating birds. The winery sits just 20 miles from the Pacific coast.

The winery utilizes the latest viticultural technology, including vertical trellising and dense vine spacing to balance growth and fruit production. Although, Veramonte’s vineyard produces lower yields than other grape growing regions in Chile, the grapes are more intense and concentrated.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a blend, featuring 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It aged for eight months in French and American oak. The Colchagua Valley experienced perfect growing conditions this season with excellent ripening in March and April. The grapes saw extended hang time on the vines. This resulted in ripe flavors and soft tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a phenomenal wine, especially for the price.

Veramont’s Cabernet Sauvignon offers deep, ruby red colors in the glass. The fruit smells are noticeable the minute the wine emerges from the bottle. Strong aromas of blackberry, cherry and raspberry tickle the nose. However, a sip of this wine presents the drinker with notes of spice, cinnamon and mocha. The wine is exquisitely smooth and balanced. It’s  plush, velvety and creamy. The finish is long and bold. The intricacies of this wine are surprising, but delightful. Jonathan and I both enjoyed this wine and will make it a regular purchase.

Winery:  Concha y Toro

Wine: Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Location: Central Valley, Chile

Purchased: Friar Tuck

Price: $8.99

One of our regular favorites is an inexpensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. Concha y Toro’s Casillero del Diablo Cabernet provides an excellent drink for the price. In fact, we prefer this Cabernet over many other more expensive wines.

The appearance of this wine is bright ruby red, seeming quite translucent for a Cabernet. The nose presents toasted oak, black currant, blackberries and plums,with just the slightest hint of cloves and licorice. As for the taste, this Cabernet tickles your palate with a medium body, but smooth tannins. It has an intense, lingering finish that leaves your mouth wanting more. It pairs very well with robust cuisines such as red meats, stews, spicy pasta dishes and hearty cheeses.

Casillero del Diablo consists of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Carmenere. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, 70% of the wine is aged in small American oak barrels for six to eight months, while the remaining 30% is aged in stainless steel barrels. If you haven’t tried this wine before, it’s definitely one to give a swirl, plus the price is irresistible.

Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife, Dona Emilana Subercaseaux founded Vina Concha y Toro in 1883. Don Melchor planted his first vines in the Maipo Valley and built his home. Concha y Toro became the first Chilean winery traded on the New York stock exchange in October 1994. They are one of the quality leaders in Chilean winemaking dedicated to producing wines that demonstrate the potential of Chile’s natural resources. 

Winery: Santa Rita

Wine: Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Location: D.O. Maipo Valley, Chile

Purchased: Friar Tuck Beverage

Price:  $9.99

Wow! This was one of the most acidic and unbalanced wines I’ve had in a long time. It definitely made my lips pucker from tartness when sipping. Jonathan and I are tempted to buy another bottle and let it age a few more years to see if that helps any. It may have just been a young wine and needed to age a little longer.

The color was typical for a Cabernet Sauvignon, ruby red. The nose is where it begins to get a little interesting with aromas of blackberries and plums. There are also subtle hints of vanilla and cloves. However, there was one other smell that I couldn’t quite place and it was pretty predominant. I finally gave in and read the back of the wine bottle. It was herbs. I’m not sure I would have guessed that at any point in the evening.

As I mentioned earlier, this wine was extremely tart with high acidity. Sixty percent of the wine was aged eight months in American oak barrels, but I didn’t detect even the slightest hint of oak in the wine. However, Jonathan noticed a slight hint of creaminess in the texture giving it a little richness. The surprising factor of this wine is that it did have a lingering fruity finish that was extremely pleasant.

Santa Rita was founded in 1880 by Domingo Fernandez in Chile’s Maipo Valley. He was a pioneer in planting European grape varieties in Chile. Today, the winery is owned by Ricardo Claro, and they have seen continued success. Santa Rita has vineyards in most of Chile’s important appellations and exports wine to over 70 countries around the world.