Notes from a most interesting tasting last evening. The theme was South American wine, and there was some chatter from some of the quidnuncs that hang around hereabout to the effect that there weren't enough decent South American wines to be going on about. Idle and ill-informed chatter, as anyone that has bothered to investigate the region (and anyone that attended the tasting) can attest to the quality of wines coming from the area.
The tasting was blind and was accompanied by many (I forget just how many) delightful small courses of various food.
2001 Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay - this could have been any Californian Chardonnay - barrel fermented, left on the lees, it has the mark of not always deft influence of oak, but lacks the manic Antipodean levels of quercosity exhibited by some examples from Oz. Under the direction of Michel Rolland as consulting winemaker to this winery, as well as many others, the barrels are Burgundian but the wine is not. Well made and a better value locally at least, than most of the American examples.2000 Torres Cordillera - another European family involved in the Chilean industry, this time Spanish. This wine is a blend of carignane (65%), syrah (15%) and merlot (20%). It is fairly dark (a characteristic of most wines at this event), and bears a big sweet toasty nose with black pepper (courtesy of the syrah, perhaps?). It is smooth in the mouth with soft tannins, and should continue to develop for a couple more years and hold for several more. It entered the local market above $30 a bottle, but has just been dropped to under $25 Can., a relative bargain. I was going to bring an older wine (93 Don Maximiano from Errazuriz) but thought people might like to taste something they could still buy.
1998 Antiyal - less than 400 cases a year of this cabernet, syrah, carmenere blend is made (253 in this vintage). Big sweet nose with some lead pencil, and a smooth presence on palate - it was a good wine that still has time, but drinks very well now.2003 Kingston Family Vineyards Alazan - big jammy nose with a bit of anise, a sweet forward fruit bomb that is ready to roll - the only hint that this was a pinot noir was in the nose. Only 230 cases produced, and if you want to stump someone this is a great candidate. One taster seemed personally offended that they would dare make a pinot noir in this style, but I thought it was very tasty, and probably a bit more pinot-like than some of the oddball examples that find their way into bottles in Australia, which often bear even less resemblance to pinot than this did.
1997 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon - fairly dark and the excellent nose featured mint and an animal element. Lots of tannins here, but the fruit seems to be sufficient. A big wine that needs another 2 - 3 years to settle down.2001 Clos Apalta - this high end blend from Lapostolle is 80% merlot and carmenere in unspecified proportions, and the balance cabernet. Big rich nose but also hot with alcohol, rich and fairly ripe in the mouth with soft tannins and excellent length. Very nice.
1996 Errazuriz Don Maximiano - I didn't have to bring the 93 after all as someone else presented this vintage. a Bordeaux nose on this one, slightly stewy with a tomato element. Soft entry but then it tightened up, and had a bit of a hollow spot in the middle, finishing sweetly.1997 Carmen Winemaker's Reserve - this cab had a big sweet minty nose with a slightly stemmy capsicum note, lots of tannin but fairly soft, and it was balanced and drinking well now. Interesting blend - 20% carmenere (which they call Grand Vedure) 20% petite sirah, 10% merlot.
2000 Achaval Ferrer Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (37%, 32%, 31%) - the Argentinian wine industry has been making great progress in recent years (personally, I'd put it down to the vitality that came from the influx of all the war brides returning with the soldiers from the Falklands - I hear they were hard to bleat….I know, a baaaaad joke). The nose was predominantly cabernet in style, and there was a fair bit of oak. The flavours were well integrated and the wine is ready to drink. An interesting wine and our only Argentine entry (I thought of bringing the excellent 1997 Finca Flichman Dedicado).