Carménère found new life in Chile, where as of 2004 nearly 15,000 acres are covered in vines. Originally from the Médoc region in Bodeaux, and widely planted in Graves until the vines were struck with oidium. It was used to produce deep, red wines and occasionally used for blending. Today, finding Carménère vines in France is nearly impossible. Many of the vines were wiped out by the phylloxera plague in the late 1800s, and thought to be extinct for some time. When the vines were replanted in France, they were difficult to find and more difficult to grow compared to other common varieties.

 

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Winery: Concha y Toro
Wine: Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada 2006
Location: Central Valley, Chile
Purchased: The Corkscrew
Price: $17.99

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.

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To wrap up this week, I decided to combine two features. My wine book club is starting a new book so I wanted to give my final analysis of A Hedonist in the Cellar and mention a few other things I’ve been reading.

 2009 Southern Hemisphere Harvest: The new vintage below the equator holds plenty of promise

While grapes are just starting to bud in North America and Europe, wine is already fermenting south of the equator. Both Australia and South Africa had to deal with deadly wild fires this past year, which could lead to some smoke-tainted grapes. Here is a quick rundown of the major wine regions and the outlook for the 2009 harvest:

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Winery: Casa Lapostolle
Wine: Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Location: Rapel Valley, Chile
Purchased: The Corkscrew
Price: $13.99

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.

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We spent Saturday afternoon enjoying one of our favorite pastimes – tasting wine. The Corkscrew provided a stellar lineup of wines presented by H2Vino from Chicago. This was one of my favorite tastings from the past year. Here were a few of my favorites:

 

Bellanotte Armonico (Italy)

Bellanotte Armonico is a 50-50 blend of Tocai and Malvasia grapes from the region of Friuli. It offers aromas of citrus fruits, apples, peaches and pineapples. On the palate the wine presents good acidity and displays many of the same flavors from the nose.

 

St. Gregory Pinot Noir (Mendocino County)

I’m hit and miss with Pinot Noir. This one was a huge hit! It displays dark purple colors with rich aromas of black cherries, cola and earth. It’s on the palate where this wine stands out above the rest. Flavors of cola and pepper give this wine a little punch, but ripe tannins and soft acidity add finesse to the Pinot Noir.

 

Chono (Chile)

I picked this wine up while Jonathan was out of town, and made a note we needed to purchase again. Surprise, surprise, it was part of the lineup at the Saturday tasting. This wine is a Carménère, a variety I’ve tasted more of recently. The nose showcases dusty, earthy smells, and the palate is treated to flavors of bell pepper and spice.