Only the bold need apply

Right off the bat I will state that if you’re not a fan of big bold red wines, then don’t bother with this one. Leave it on the rack for those of us not intimidated by the likes of them.

This was a Sams Wine shop purchase. It was my first time entering the dark and concrete-walled liquor outlet attached to my local Sams Club and I’m not so certain I will go again. This wine was one of two bottles that I spotted there that even remotely held my interest. Every name and label and brand of wine was boring and ubiqiutous. And there were cases upon cases of these uninspiring juices, which can only mean one thing; way too many people are drinking way too much boring wine. Live a little everyone!

Concha Y Toro wines are an inexpensive and nearly always predictably good bottle, and when looking for a terrific experience of a Chilean Carmenere, you can barely go wrong for the money. Yes, there are better, but since I am a bargain hunter and thoroughly passionate champion of all things Southern Hemisphere when it comes to wine, I will crow about this one and leave the pricier stuff to those who think it matters. But like I said, if you don’t like the big guns of red wine, then pass on this offering. It isn’t for the faint of heart; Red blends rarely are, and this Chilean beauty gives you all its got from the three varietals inside.

I often tell folks who want to expand their red wine palates away from our Grandaddy Cabernet Sauvignon to try out Carmenere or an Argentine Malbec. Both these wines spill over with terrific flavor but rarely have the tannic and heavy properties of a Cab Sauv. And on top of the Cab and the Carmenere in this bottle, which both offer so much flavor, you’ve got the slightly peppery smoky taste of the Syrah- one of my absolute favorites in terms of red varietals. Blending Cabernet with anything will take the edge off it’s higly tannic and intense flavors; Carmenere provides a softer and smoother berry-flavor profile and the fresh acidity of Syrah, along with the little hint of pepper and smoke give this wine a depth that seems to never end.

My first pour out of the bottle simply assaulted my nose with aromas- a thick woodsy scent, ripe red fruit and a lot of spice. As it sat on the table to open up, I turned back to my Cribbage game with my son who mumbled that my glass of wine was making his eyes water. I allowed him to smell it fully and he declared that it didn’t seem unlikely that one could get drunk off the scent alone. I couldn’t have agreed more. It simply dominated the room. The lush taste on my tongue was like downing a handful of berries that were well on their way to being overripe, and something akin to standing by a heady open fire on a chilly day taking in the aroma of the wood smoke while the flames chase the cold away. The wine is only 13.5% on the alcohol range, certainly manageable, but with the wealth of flavor leaping from the glass, it intoxicates you in a completely different way.

Enjoy it if you dare. It’s inexpensive- right around $10.00 for the bottle- and from a dependable and steadfast producer. I can’t argue with those merits at all.

Details:
2006 Winemakers Lot, Concha Y Toro, DO Maule Valley, Chile
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere, 10% Syrah
Winemaker: Hector Urzua