| Carmenere Tasting Report |
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If you read the wine trade magazines or if you don’t, but you
happen to notice wine scores listed on bottles at your local
wine store, do you see a high rating on a bottle of wine that
comes from one of the giant producers in the wine industry
and find yourself thinking, “There are a lot of advertising
dollars at work behind that score”? I mean, let’s be honest,
some of these wine industry giants seemed to be more focused
on profits rather than quality wine. These giants are not only
in the US, but indeed in almost every wine-producing nation
throughout the world. In the country of Chile you need not
look any further for a wine industry giant than Concha y Toro
and Casa Lapostolle. Argueably the two largest wineries in
Chile and even South America as a whole by far. Pick up the
latest issue of Wine Spectator and you will find numerous, well-
placed advertisements throughout the magazine from either
one of these wineries. Flip on over to the ratings section and I
bet you’ll find some of their wines with scores ranging from
very good to outstanding. By now you are hypothesizing that
these scores are again a direct result of high dollars spent on
advertising in that magazine, but you know what…you would
be dead wrong!
Well okay, so even these giant wine companies in other parts
of the world make those one or two high-end wines that are
really special, but the rest of their wines are very ordinary,
right? Concha y Toro has Almaviva and Don Melcher, while
Casa Lapostolle has Clos Apalta. All three wines consistently
score in the mid 90’s with wine critics, but I bet the rest of
their wines are pretty un-special, right…RRRNNNTTT!
Wrong again! Thank you for playing!!! No the fact of the
matter is they are quite darn good at almost everything they
do. The irony here in play is that the very thing that makes
many of the wine giants in the industry turn out inexpensive,
but bland wines, is the very same thing that lets CyT and Casa
Lapostolle crank out some very good stuff at affordable
prices. Of course I am talking about green…cash…money!
CyT and Casa Lapostolle invest these big profits back into
their wines. Money that their competitors in Chile don’t have
and cannot invest back into their wines.
So why did I get on this soap-box you ask? I bring up all of
this about Concha y Toro because this month in our
Carmenere tasting, we tasted two of their Carmenere wines
and three from other, smaller wineries in Chile. And to prove
my ranting and raving true, Concha y Toro dominated the
competition. They didn’t just dominate, they trashed the
other wines. They were far superior in every way. Although
the range of scores goes from B- to only B+, I can honestly say
that there were plenty of digits between those +’s and –‘s.
What our staff learned from this tasting, which we did “blind”
as always, was that there was a good reason why Concha y
Toro is the number one selling winery in the country of Chile.
Here are the results:
happen to notice wine scores listed on bottles at your local
wine store, do you see a high rating on a bottle of wine that
comes from one of the giant producers in the wine industry
and find yourself thinking, “There are a lot of advertising
dollars at work behind that score”? I mean, let’s be honest,
some of these wine industry giants seemed to be more focused
on profits rather than quality wine. These giants are not only
in the US, but indeed in almost every wine-producing nation
throughout the world. In the country of Chile you need not
look any further for a wine industry giant than Concha y Toro
and Casa Lapostolle. Argueably the two largest wineries in
Chile and even South America as a whole by far. Pick up the
latest issue of Wine Spectator and you will find numerous, well-
placed advertisements throughout the magazine from either
one of these wineries. Flip on over to the ratings section and I
bet you’ll find some of their wines with scores ranging from
very good to outstanding. By now you are hypothesizing that
these scores are again a direct result of high dollars spent on
advertising in that magazine, but you know what…you would
be dead wrong!
Well okay, so even these giant wine companies in other parts
of the world make those one or two high-end wines that are
really special, but the rest of their wines are very ordinary,
right? Concha y Toro has Almaviva and Don Melcher, while
Casa Lapostolle has Clos Apalta. All three wines consistently
score in the mid 90’s with wine critics, but I bet the rest of
their wines are pretty un-special, right…RRRNNNTTT!
Wrong again! Thank you for playing!!! No the fact of the
matter is they are quite darn good at almost everything they
do. The irony here in play is that the very thing that makes
many of the wine giants in the industry turn out inexpensive,
but bland wines, is the very same thing that lets CyT and Casa
Lapostolle crank out some very good stuff at affordable
prices. Of course I am talking about green…cash…money!
CyT and Casa Lapostolle invest these big profits back into
their wines. Money that their competitors in Chile don’t have
and cannot invest back into their wines.
So why did I get on this soap-box you ask? I bring up all of
this about Concha y Toro because this month in our
Carmenere tasting, we tasted two of their Carmenere wines
and three from other, smaller wineries in Chile. And to prove
my ranting and raving true, Concha y Toro dominated the
competition. They didn’t just dominate, they trashed the
other wines. They were far superior in every way. Although
the range of scores goes from B- to only B+, I can honestly say
that there were plenty of digits between those +’s and –‘s.
What our staff learned from this tasting, which we did “blind”
as always, was that there was a good reason why Concha y
Toro is the number one selling winery in the country of Chile.
Here are the results:
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| Concha y Toro 2004 Casillero del Diablo – Rapel Valley, Chile |
Notes – Spicy tobacco and bell peppers
accented by black pepper spice on the
nose. On the palate, this Carmenere was
very Bordeaux like with rich, earthy and
complex flavors following to the finish.
The wine is a little hot, but still very good.
Comments – It was the fourth wine of the
tasting and after the first three, many of
us were thinking, thank god! The price of
this wine is no indication of the quality,
first rate indeed. Hands down, the best
buy of the evening and an exceptional
food wine to boot!
accented by black pepper spice on the
nose. On the palate, this Carmenere was
very Bordeaux like with rich, earthy and
complex flavors following to the finish.
The wine is a little hot, but still very good.
Comments – It was the fourth wine of the
tasting and after the first three, many of
us were thinking, thank god! The price of
this wine is no indication of the quality,
first rate indeed. Hands down, the best
buy of the evening and an exceptional
food wine to boot!
| Score - B+ |
| Price - $10.00 |
| Concha y Toro 2001 Terrunyo – Peumo Vineyard Block 27 – Cachapoal Valley, Chile |
Notes – the nose was bursting with
candied raspberries, pronounced mint and
loam with a touch of licorice for good
measure. On the palate, complex and
solid, this wine delivers a tannic backbone
with red fruits, mocha and licorice leading
the way to the ample finish.
Comments – Okay, clearly the class wine
of the bunch, that was obvious to me, but
at three times the price of the other CyT
wine, the Casillero del Diablo is a much
better buy. If I was given the choice on
whether I wanted a glass of the Terrunyo
or the Casillero, yes, I would pick the
Terrunyo, but that is if I wasn’t paying for
it! This was the only wine in the tasting
that was able to completely shake that
obnoxious Bell Pepper aroma entirely,
giving us a clear representation of the
fruit in the wine. Also on the plus side
here, if you have one of those wine snob
friends that thinks that Cabernet’s are the
only wines worth drinking, slip’em this
wine and tell them afterwards that it is a
Carmenere from Chile. Boy, that will
burn them up!
candied raspberries, pronounced mint and
loam with a touch of licorice for good
measure. On the palate, complex and
solid, this wine delivers a tannic backbone
with red fruits, mocha and licorice leading
the way to the ample finish.
Comments – Okay, clearly the class wine
of the bunch, that was obvious to me, but
at three times the price of the other CyT
wine, the Casillero del Diablo is a much
better buy. If I was given the choice on
whether I wanted a glass of the Terrunyo
or the Casillero, yes, I would pick the
Terrunyo, but that is if I wasn’t paying for
it! This was the only wine in the tasting
that was able to completely shake that
obnoxious Bell Pepper aroma entirely,
giving us a clear representation of the
fruit in the wine. Also on the plus side
here, if you have one of those wine snob
friends that thinks that Cabernet’s are the
only wines worth drinking, slip’em this
wine and tell them afterwards that it is a
Carmenere from Chile. Boy, that will
burn them up!
| Score - B+ |
| Around - $30.00 |
| La Playa 2001 – Colchagua Valley, Chile |
Notes – Big beefy bell peppers with feint
traces of cherry and a little coffee note in
the nose. This wine is soft and mellow on
the palate, wild and a little earthy and
closing with a little black pepper on a very
rapid finish.
Comments – This was the first wine of our
tasting and I was already starting to roll
my eyes, aye! Carmenere! After
drinking this green bell pepper, I was
ready for some wine to wash it down!
traces of cherry and a little coffee note in
the nose. This wine is soft and mellow on
the palate, wild and a little earthy and
closing with a little black pepper on a very
rapid finish.
Comments – This was the first wine of our
tasting and I was already starting to roll
my eyes, aye! Carmenere! After
drinking this green bell pepper, I was
ready for some wine to wash it down!
| Score - B |
| Around - $14.00 |
| Apaltagua 2002 – Colchagua Valley, Chile |
Notes – Oh, jalapeno pepper, just to be a
little different I guess, and black pepper
with a little plum fruit on the nose. This
wine is spicy with pepper, mocha and plum
flavors that actually are not too shabby
and the finish was pretty decent as well.
Comments – I think that Megan and I like
this wine more than everyone else. To
me, it was the only wine out of the three
that were not CyT that put up a fight.
This would make and interesting food
wine as well.
little different I guess, and black pepper
with a little plum fruit on the nose. This
wine is spicy with pepper, mocha and plum
flavors that actually are not too shabby
and the finish was pretty decent as well.
Comments – I think that Megan and I like
this wine more than everyone else. To
me, it was the only wine out of the three
that were not CyT that put up a fight.
This would make and interesting food
wine as well.
| Score - B- |
| About - $12.00 |
| Calina Reserva 2003 – Valle del Maule, Chile |
Notes – Sulfer, soil (I believe my glass
had a worm in it), truffle and earth, a nose
resembling a stale fart. On the palate,
now here’s a shocker folks, are you sitting
down? Leafy greens and BELL
FRIGGIN PEPPERS!!! Whoa, what a
wild ride down the vegetable aisle at
Central Market this wine is! Hey, if this
is the reserve wine from this winery,
wonder what the regular crap tastes like!
Since the reserve only costs $7.00, I bet
the regular offering from this winery is
classified as a “Bum Wine”.
Comments – If all you have in your wallet
is the $7.00 it would take to buy this wine,
go out to your closest street corner and
stand there with a “Will Work for Wine”
sign until you raise an extra three dollars.
Then go by the wine store and buy the
Concha y Toro wine instead! I think that
pretty much covers my opinion of this
wine here!
had a worm in it), truffle and earth, a nose
resembling a stale fart. On the palate,
now here’s a shocker folks, are you sitting
down? Leafy greens and BELL
FRIGGIN PEPPERS!!! Whoa, what a
wild ride down the vegetable aisle at
Central Market this wine is! Hey, if this
is the reserve wine from this winery,
wonder what the regular crap tastes like!
Since the reserve only costs $7.00, I bet
the regular offering from this winery is
classified as a “Bum Wine”.
Comments – If all you have in your wallet
is the $7.00 it would take to buy this wine,
go out to your closest street corner and
stand there with a “Will Work for Wine”
sign until you raise an extra three dollars.
Then go by the wine store and buy the
Concha y Toro wine instead! I think that
pretty much covers my opinion of this
wine here!
| Score - B- |
| Price - $7.00 |
Shane's Preference Order
- CyT Terrunyo
- CyT Casillero
- Apaltagua
- La Playa
- Calina
Mark's Preference Order
- CyT Casillero
- Apaltagua
- CyT Terrunyo
- La Playa
- Calina
Megan's Preference Order
- Apaltagua
- CyT Casillero
- La Playa
- CyT Terrunyo
- Calina
Brad's Preference Order
- CyT Casillero
- CyT Terrunyo
- La Playa
- Apaltagua
- Calina
Todd's Preference Order
- CyT Casillero
- CyT Terrunyo
- La Playa
- Apaltagua
- Calina
Cindi's Preference Order
- CyT Casillero
- CyT Terrunyo
- La Playa
- Calina
- Apaltagua
Ronda's Preference Order
- CyT Casillero
- La Playa
- Apaltagua
- Calina
- CyT Terrunyo
Just for the sake of fun, I decided to introduce the guys to snuff. Yes I know, it's
gross, spare me the lecture! Anyway, if you have never sniffed snuff before, it really
burns your nose hairs off the first couple of times you try it. Needless to say, I get a
big kick out of seeing people's reactions to it! The ladies, who have more common
sense then us men do, decided to pass on the snuff. Look at the sequence of Brad's
pictures of him doing the snuff from left to right. Simply priceless!!!
gross, spare me the lecture! Anyway, if you have never sniffed snuff before, it really
burns your nose hairs off the first couple of times you try it. Needless to say, I get a
big kick out of seeing people's reactions to it! The ladies, who have more common
sense then us men do, decided to pass on the snuff. Look at the sequence of Brad's
pictures of him doing the snuff from left to right. Simply priceless!!!
