My Chilean Wine Picks Reviews #VPIWF 2012

Last week the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival finished, and more work began for me.  Last week was about tasting the wines from Chile and from many other wineries around the world.  This week starts my writing my experiences in seminars and in the International Festival Tasting room.

I made the following recommendations for Chilean wines that I had tried on Thursday:

• Canepa Reserva Privada Sauvignon Blanc 2011
• Emiliana VineyardsWinemaker’s Selection Chardonnay / Viognier / Marsanne / Rousanne 2010
• Vina Errazuriz Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011 
• Lapostolle Casa Chardonnay 2011
• Miguel Torres Cordillera Chardonnay 2011
• Vina Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2010
• Vina Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2011
• Vina Arboleda Chardonnay 2011
• Concha y Toro Gravas del Maipo Syrah 2008
• Emiliana Vineyards Novas Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Vina Errazuriz Don Maximiano 2008
• Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Vina Quintay Clava Pinot Noir 2010
• Vina San Pedro 1865 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Vina San Pedro Cabo de Hornos 2007
• Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Sena 2008
• Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Carmenere 2010
• Vina Ventisquero Vertice Syrah Carmenere 2007
• Veramonte Reserva Pinot Noir 2009
• Veramonte Neyen Carmenere / Cabernet 2008
• Vina Caliterra Cenit 2008
• Carmen Gold Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
• Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2008
• Miguel Torres Santa Digna Fair Trade Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Miguel Torres Conde de Superunda 2005

And now I’ll give you my detailed tasting notes for these recommended wines.

White Wines

• 

  Canepa Reserva Privada Sauvignon Blanc 2011.  Pale lemon.  Medium intsity aromas of gooseberry.  Not overpowering.  High acid with asparagus and green flavours, with jalapeno peppers on the mid-palate. An elegant wine.
  

• Emiliana Vineyards Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay / Viognier / Marsanne / Rousanne 2010. This wine pours thick in the glass.  Light lemon in colour with a really nice nose.  Cinnamon and orange aromas greet you.  Medium body with medium acidity.  Sweet spices. Very fruity.  Medium plus length.
  
• Vina Errazuriz Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011. Watery lemon colour.  Nettles / herbal aromas in the glass. Light body with lower acidity on the palate.  Dry, with herbal and jalapeno flavours.
  
• Lapostolle Casa Chardonnay 2011. This wine is 50% oak aged.  Medium lemon with a greenish tinge. Light citrus and tropical fruit nose.  Medium body, round with lower acidity.  Tropical fruit flavours.  An elegant wine.
  
• Miguel Torres Cordillera Chardonnay 2011. Nice tropical fruit and vanilla aromas. Medium body with tropical fruit, citrus and a touch of sweet spices.  Dry on the palate. Very pretty.
  
• Vina Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2010. Pale lemon.  Light tropical fruit and vanilla on the nose. Round, medium body with citrus, vanilla and tropical fruit flavours.  The Alpha series is not produced every year.  Montes must feel that their grapes have reached a higher level of ripeness and quality before they can be declared an Alpha wine.
  
• Vina Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2011.  Pale lemon colour with a light herbal nose.  Light body with medium acidity.  Herbal flavours.  A dry, easy to drink Sauv Blanc.
  
• Vina Arboleda Chardonnay 2011. Vina Arboleda is Edurardo Chadwick’s personal project to produce handcrafted super-premium quality single-vineyard wines with elegance and freshness fromits cool climate estates in the Aconcagua Valley. This wine was medium lemon in colour.  Smoky, citrusy aromas. Medium body with oak and citrus flavours.  Dry on the palate.  A New World style Chardonnay.
  

Red Wines

• 

  Concha y Toro Gravas del Maipo Syrah 2008. Opaque purple in colour with an earthy, meaty nose.  Full body with cassis flavours and firm tannins.  Good fruit on the palate.
  

• Emiliana Vineyards Novas Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Deep ruby coloured with a nice ripe, dark fruit nose.  Silky smooth on the palate.  Medium body with cassis and dark fruit flavours.
  
• Vina Errazuriz Don Maximiano 2008. Darker garnet coloured.  Nice cassis and dark fruit aromas. Silky smooth with tannins kicking in quite quitely.  Very fruity with cherries and other dark fruits.
  
• Vina Quintay Clava Pinot Noir 2010.  As Cabernet was the theme grape this year, I didn’t expect to see many Pinot Noir.  This one stood out for me from Chile.  Light garnet colour.  Nice violets, tea and some earthiness on the nose.  Light body, low tannins, with cloves, violets and red cherry flavours.
  
• Vina San Pedro 1865 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. Medium ruby with earthy nose.  Light body, fruity flavours, in particular cassis.  Smooth with low tannins and a long length.
  
• Vina San Pedro Cabo de Hornos 2007. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend with lesser amounts of Syrah and Malbec. Medium garnet in colour with coffee aromas. Medium body with juicy cherry flavours, dry with firm tannins.
  
• Vina Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Medium ruby with dark fruit nose.  Full body, round on the apalate with dark fruit flavours and medium acidity. Nice.
  
• Sena 2008. Sena was conceived of and handcrafted by Robert Mondavi of California and Eduardo Chadwick of Vina Errazuriz in Chile. Eduardo Chadwick continues to develop this terroir and wine using biodynamic principles. Medium minus garnet in colour.  Dark fruit and cassis nose.  Medium body with light cherries and vanilla.  Tannins come to the fore on the finish.
  
• Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. Light garnet with earthy, cassis, and dark fruit aromas.  Medium body, dry with medium tanning.  Dark fruit and cherry flavours.
  
• Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Carmenere 2010. Medium purple in the glass.  Capsicum on the nose.  Lighter body, dry with lower tannins and cherry flavours.  Nice.
  
• Vina Ventisquero Vertice Syrah Carmenere 2007.  This is an unusual blend, and one you would probably only see from Chile.  This vintage is 51% Syrah and 49% Carmenere. Capsicum and dark fruit aromas.  Very flavourful.  Lots of blueberry flavours.  Peppery and round on the palate with medium tannins.
  
• Veramonte Reserva Pinot Noir 2009. Light body with aromas and flavours of matchsticks and violets.
  
• Veramonte Neyen Carmenere / Cabernet 2008. Their top tier wine is a blend of 80% Carmenere and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby in colour.  Meaty, cassis and eucalyptus aromas. Nice cassis and fruit flavours.  Medium body and acidity.  Very silky on the palate.
  
• Vina Caliterra Cenit 2008. This is a blend of 70% Carmenere and 30% Malbec. Deep purple in colour.  Tar, dark fruit and vanilla on the nose. Fully body, very fruity with dark fruit and plum flavours.  Fine tannins.  Soft mouth feel.  A very nice wine.
  
• Carmen Gold Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Medium garnet.  Darker fruit with chocolate aromas.  Smooth, full body with juicy black fruit, and slight spice. Some cherries on the mid palate.
  
• Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.  For this wine and the Clos Apalta I was enjoying these wines too much to make notes, but I do note that they are top quality wines, and I do not hesitate in the least to recommend either of these wines.  Lapostolle was named Wine Enthusiast’s New World Winery of the Year in 2008.
  
• Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2008. See my note above.
  
• Miguel Torres Santa Digna Fair Trade Cabernet Sauvignon 2009.  Pretty medium garnet colour.  Light dark fruit aromas. Medium plus body, good fruit flavours of plum and cherries.  Some spice.  Round with medium acidity.
  
• Miguel Torres Conde de Superunda 2005.  This is a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Tempranillo and Monastrell, which is aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels. Deep purple in colour.  Lots of dark fruit and vanilla aromas.  Full body with dark fruit, vanilla flavours, and soft tannins.