Fun Rosé – 2008 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah

Last night we made a quick dinner of “pork” barbecue (fake soy bbq of course) sandwiches with a side of mac n cheese, a dinner suited for a fun Rosé from say… Chile. The 2008 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah ($13.99) is made from 100% of the varietal, grown in the Colchagua Valley of Chile. Cherub, which means young angel, is fitting as the label dons a cartoon diapered angel representing Montes founding partner and beloved friend Alfredo Viadurre.

Aurelio Montes explains why he chose to make his Rosé from Syrah:

“I decided to make a rosé from Syrah grown in our Archangel Estate in Marchigüe, in the Colchagua Valley. Our vineyards here are in a coastal area which provides the perfect temperature and conditions for producing a lovely, ripe rosé. I chose Syrah because this grape has a wonderful purple-red color and gives fresh yet structured wines that can be enjoyed as an apéritif or with food”

Quick Wine Facts –

Appellation: Archangel Estate, in Marchigüe, located only 11 miles (18 kms) from the Pacific Ocean in the highly reputed Colchagua Valley

Oak Aging: None

Yield of Vineyard: 8 tons per hectare (about 1.9 tons per acre)

Grape Variety: Syrah 100%

My Tasting Notes –

Color: deep pink almost ruby

Nose: strawberries, raspberry jam, quince paste

Taste: strawberry, orange peel, Rosé , fuji apple

Mouthfeel: full body, dry and crisp

Finish: long, fruity, with a hint of minerality but mostly refreshing red fruit

Fun but serious Rosé that got right down to business with it’s deep rich pink color and very aromatic nose of classic strawberry and raspberry. Paired very nicely with the food, and would be great with the plethora of foods that arrive at summertime cookouts. Chill it down a little be extra and it would be a great dry wine for enjoying on a hot summer day or at the beach and the screw cap enclosure makes that even easier.

Cheers!

Oops, I did it again! Chilean style!

No, this post is not about a new remix to Britney Spears song “Oops I did it again”, it is instead about two Chilean wines from the Colchagua and Central Valley’s. The other night I popped the 2008 Oops Cheeky Little White Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Oops Spicy Splendor Carmenere. Both of these varietals were of some of the biggest movers from Chile up twenty and twenty-three percent respectively. According to Rob Bralow of RF Binder and Wines of Chile: “Overall, Chilean bottled table wines increased by 2% in 2008, especially in December where imports of Chilean bottled table wines increased by 25% over December 2007. Most other countries saw a sharp decline in 2008.“ I would imagine that this in part because of the economic decline in the last and first part of this year here in the US and the incredible value that wines from Chile offer.

On to the wines…

2008 Oops Cheeky Little White Sauvignon Blanc

Grapes: 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Carmenere

Fermentation: Stainless steel

Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile

Price: $12

My Tasting Notes –

Nose: grassy, cat pee (normal and not offensive), lime-aid

Taste: lime, citrus , green pea and a touch of grapefruit at the back of the palate

Mouthfeel: nice medium bodied with good acidity up front and across the mid-palate

Finish: nice lingering flavors of grass and asparagus but the acidity that greeted me up front seemed to disappear a bit too quickly

This a nice Sauvignon Blanc, very reminiscent of SB’s from New Zealand and may be a nice alternative for people who like that style as the NZ SB’s prices have been on a steady incline. That isn’t to say that there aren’t great values from New Zealand as well. The nose on this wine was ridiculous, jumping out of the glass with classic Sauv Blanc aromas. I think the wines only down fall was the finish as the acidity fell off at the end after being so present up front.

2007 Oops Spicy Splendor Carmenere

Grapes: 100% Carmenere

Fermentation: Stainless steel with 50% being aged in French and American oak for 8 months

Region: Central Valley (Curicó, Maipo, Maule, Rapel), Chile

Price: $12

My Tasting Notes-

Nose: blackberry, boysenberry, and “candy shop”

Taste: black pepper, leather, blackberry, pepperoni

Mouthfeel: full bodied and spicy

Finish: long and fruity

I am starting to see more and more 100% Carmeneres pop up in wine shops and this another good example of what can be done with the varietal. The people at Oops weren’t lying about this wine being spicy, it was loading with black pepper notes as well as black pepper spiciness. Great dark fruit aromas on the nose and palate with nice earthy hints of leather and spiced meats. Again a great value at $12.

Cheers!

Monday Quick Sip – 2006 Morande Edicion Limitada Carmenere

2006 Morande Edicion Limitada Carmenere

 

Grapes – 85% Carmenere, 15% Merlot

Cooperage – oak casks for 16 months

Region – Maipo Valley, Chile

Price – $22

Nose – black currant, mint, black cherry and chocolate

Taste – blackberry, blueberry, “spice”, cedar and licorice

Mouthfeel – medium to full body, nice acidity, peppery and slightly “hot”

Finish – long with moderate tannin levels, smooth and dry

 

This was a very nice wine and it paired well with our broccoli risotto. I am not sure why I was picking up some heat on the wine although at 14.5% alcohol it is on the high side, I have definitely had higher with no heat to speak of.  Other than the heat issue, the wine was very well balanced but definitely filled with lots of mature dark fruit flavors. I feel with the smooth tannins and round mouthfee, combined with the great fruitiness of the wine, it would do fine if you chose do drink it on its own.

 

Cheers!