CARMEN VALLE DE CURICO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will recall that every Christmas Eve my family sits down to a delicious crab dinner. This year my dear old dad selected Carmen Valle de Curicó Sauvignon Blanc to accompany this magnificent feast. This was a delicious wine that complemented the crab beautifully. The body was very smooth and rounded, with well balanced citrus notes. It would easily stand up alone as a sipping wine with strong notes of grapefruit and hints of pineapple. The long finish was very pleasurable; I was sad to see the empty bottle.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON - SANTA RITA RESERVA 2005

This cabernet from Chile's Maipo Valley is representative of how great Chilean wines are. It is as good a red as you will find for a decent price. If you regularly read this blog you already know that I am particular to Santa Rita wines, and this one simply reinforces my fondness for them.

On the nose, blueberries and vanilla. The color is a deep crimson that barely lets the light through. The taste is timid at first, but then really opens up with nice tannins and a hint of oak. A hint of sweet chillies.




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SANTA RITA PINOT NOIR RESERVA 2006

Chalk full of flavour, this Pinot Noir is a very tasty wine. High alcohol on the nose, tastes of berry, and the slightest hint of oak. I've still got two bottles sitting on my rack that I look forward to opening. Santa Rita Pinot Noir Reserva is from the Leyda Valley region of Chile.

I have been very impressed by the consistency of Santa Rita wines. I think the Floresta I had back in September was some of the best wine I have ever tasted. In addition to the two Pinot Noir Reservas, my wine rack includes a bottle of Cab Sav Reserva 2005. The ultimate would be a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real, a mere $60 at the BC Liquor Store. One day...

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CONO SUR TOCORNAL Chardonnay 2007

I'm back! I took a trip to Thailand, where is wine is sparse and expensive. Unbelievably there is such a thing as Thai wine, and I did sample some. Surprisingly it was decent, and my hands didn't turn purple. One such wine was from Monsoon Valley Wines. I think Thai wines still have a long way to go in establishing any sort of reputation.

Today I tried Cono Sur Tocornal Chardonnay. It comes in a big 1.5 jug and is an excellent value table wine. Fairly simple palate, partly because it is unoaked. Notes of kiwi and grapefruit.

Score: 82
BCL SKU #376855 / UPC #07804320357058

SANTA RITA FLORESTA PETITE SIRAH SYRAH 2003

I bought this as a birthday present for myself. Julia and I enjoyed it immensely as we sat on our hotel patio in Whistler gazing up at the mountains.

If you have ever heard someone say that only cheap red wine leaves your mouth red, don't believe them. This wine was expensive and delicious, and it left our mouths a deep purple. It may have been a result of the high juice concentration - this wine had legs! As I swirled my glass, I could see it slowly drip down the sides.

The Floresta had flavours of plum and leather, with spicy notes. It was very dry, so much so that Julia said her mouth was like a desert. She also called it a man's wine, and was able to pick out the oak (I didn't until I read the label). It was definitely an indulgence and worth the price.

Score: 93

BCLS: SKU #24513 / UPC #00686586000445

P.S. Gismondi on Wine reviewed this wine recently and gave it the same score. Maybe I have a new career in reviewing wine! (Oct 8 '07)

GATO NEGRO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

The inaugural red of this blog is Gato Negro. I was served this wine at a Greek restaurant, and they must have kept the bottle near the kitchen because the wine was warm! I think this was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to wait and let the wine breath. Right out of the bottle it tasted watery and acidic, but after ten minutes it mellowed out.

The Gato Negro Cab Sav has a nice spicinesses with cherry and plum flavours. The tannins are still quite prominent so I expect that aging it a couple of years would be beneficial. I liked this wine, but didn't love it.

Score: 84
BCL SKU #188193 / UPC #07804300010638

SANTA RITA 120 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007

Today's selection is an excellent value wine that came recommended from a few wine reviews I have recently read. It is another Chilean white, this time from Santa Rita, "one of Chile's most admired and innovative whine estates" (according to the label).

Julia thought the bouquet smelled of peaches and apples. I found hints of these flavours, as well as celery and lemon. Goes well with fish, fresh fruit or a light dessert. Overall we agreed that it was a very complex and delicious Sauvignon Blanc. At $9.99, Santa Rita 120 is an excellent value.

Score: 89
BCL SKU #275586 / UPC #00089419007091

CONO SUR GEWURZTRAMINER 2006

Hello and welcome to Cheese Toast's Wine Reviews. My name is Chris, and along with my girlfriend Julia we intend to post reviews of various wines that we happen to sample. We are by no means wine experts, but we appreciate a good glass and want to develop our palates. Hopefully people reading this will be able to use our reviews to help find a decent bottle. Since we live in North Vancouver, our main source of wines is the BC Liquor Store. We will post a BCL SKU whenever possible.

Our inaugural wine is a 2006 Gewürztraminer from Chile called Cono Sur. Julia and I both really like Gewürztraminer, especially accompanying any Asian or Indian cuisine. The slightly sweeter and stronger flavour holds its own against the spiciness. Unfortunately this particular vintage was a little disappointing. It seems this wine was a perhaps a bit young, but in any event, it tasted sour. Not many flavours came through for me. Julia agreed that it had quite a sour note, was acidic, and was not complex enough.


Score: 75
BCL SKU #494708 / UPC #07804320753904