Al Spoklie
By The Glass
A well-made wine is one of life's little pleasures. Here are three of the pleasures I have tried these past few weeks, each wine from a different continent, and each with its own history and expression of its terroir. I hope you will find a little pleasure in at least one of them.
Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (337238) Chile $19.98
In 1883, Don Melchor, the seventh Marques de Casa Concha, took French noble grape varieties from France to plant in Chile, and so began the Concha Y Toro Winery. Today this Chilean winery is a publicly-traded company with its roots firmly planted in the past. The current Marques of Casa Concha, Alfonso Larrain Santa Maria, became the company's president in 1999.
The Marques de Casa Concha wines have had ratings of 90 points or higher for the past decade, and have been given best-buy designations from the likes of Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate and the Wine Spectator.
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception, with a rating of 90 points out of a possible 100 from the Wine Spectator. This Cabernet from the Puente Alto vineyard near Santiago has had 14 months of aging in French oak barrels before its release. In the glass, the colour is purple with garnet highlights, giving an indication of what might be coming. The aromas are varied, from the expected currant, to bright red cherry and hints of chocolate or coffee. In the mouth it felt full and rich with blackberry fruits, a touch of dried fruit, and a nice touch of coffee in the finish. The label on the back suggests this wine has kind tannins, but they were still chewy enough to please me. This Marques de Casa Concha 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (337238) is $19.98 - a good price for a 90-point, full-bodied wine with layers of aromas and flavours. This would be terrific with any big red meat dish, especially a grilled beefsteak.
Montecillo 2007 Crianza Tempranillo (425298) Spain $17.49
In Spain, the word Crianza indicates that the wine has been aged for two years, with at least six months of that in oak barrels, before it was released. So the Montecillo Crianza 2007 (425298) has only been available for one year. This wine is from the Rioja region where the red grape Tempranillo is king. Bodegas Montecillo winemaker Maria Martinez-Sierra has resisted the urge to super-size the wines she makes and instead makes good, honest wine true to the region and varietal. So the Montecillo Crianza is an excellent illustration of a Rioja red.
This medium- to full-bodied wine is ruby, leaning towards garnet in colour, with aromas of raspberry, cherry, almond and olives. On the palate I found it lively with fresh plum, cherry and an acidity that made it feel younger and fresher than I expected. I would guess a bottle of this to age well over the next few years if cellaring is your thing. It is $17.49, which is a great price if you are planning to keep a few bottles and taste its development over the years to come. Or, if you are having it now, any red meat will match it perfectly, whether it is lamb, beef, or spicy sausage.
Painter Bridge 2008 Zinfandel (600148) California $13.99
Since Jerry Lohr planted his first vineyard in 1966, he has become the sixth-largest player in the American wine market. He has vineyards in many California counties, and his 2008 Painter Bridge Zinfandel (600148) comes from the Paso Robles vineyard.
The grapes for this wine were sourced from four different blocks, each fermented on its own before being blended and matured in Hungarian Oak. The Zinfandel varietal makes up 88 per cent of the bottle, while three other grape varietals - Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache Noir - round out the bottle.
All of this creates a wine that is inky purple with aromas of blueberry, saskatoon (a species of juneberry), and raspberry. In the mouth this wine has a juicy quality to it with the taste of brambleberry bushfruit, which is full and rich on the palate.
The acidity is low and the tannins very light and fine in this medium-body wine that at times has a slight sweetness to it. At $13.99 this wine is an easy sipper that will pair with roast chicken, pizza, grilled beef or pork ribs.
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Al Spoklie is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre. The bracketed numbers are the product codes for the B.C. liquor stores.
