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Scores soar high in Wine & Spirits
THIS YEAR’S FIRST INSTALLMENT of Wine & Spirits had excellent things to say about various Concha y Toro wines. Terrunyo Carmenere 2001 received enormous praise with 92 points and an according review: “A solid ripeness carries through this voluptuous Carmenere-based red”. Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 also glowed with an excellent 91-point score. “Pirque’s sharp tannins give fine structure filled with cinnamon and clove scents and ripe red cherry flavor”. Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc 2003 - with 91 points as well – was described as “pure expression of Casablanca Valley” and a wine of surprising ripeness. The Puente Alto vineyard received plenty of attention thanks to its awarded offspring: the Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, which scored 91 points and was rated an “Exceptional Value”. Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, in turn, achieved an 88-point score.
WINE & SPIRITS SCORES (January - February 2004 issue) Terrunyo Carmenere 2001
92 points
Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
91 points
Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc 2003
91 points
Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
91 points (exceptional value)
Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
88 points
Best selling Chilean wine in US restaurants
FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, Concha y Toro conquered the ranking of best-selling Chilean wines in US restaurants, according to a Wine & Spirits survey (April Edition). Besides being the leading Chilean wine, Concha y Toro occupied the 17th position in the “Most Popular Wines under US$25” selection, a distinction won by Casillero del Diablo Merlot. Concha y Toro was also the only Chilean winery in the “Wines by the Glass” category, ranking 23rd with Marques de Casa Concha Merlot and in the “Most Popular Merlot” category with both Casillero del Diablo Merlot and Marques de Casa Concha Merlot.
Ignacio Recabarren, one of the world´s 50 most influential winemakers AMONG HIS CREATIONS are Amelia, Terrunyo and TRIO; no wonder winemaker Ignacio Recabarren caught the attention of Wine & Spirits. The magazine features Ignacio Recabarren in its Fall 2004 issue, in recognition of his exceptional wines and the influence his work has had on the world of wine. Recabarren was commended for his contribution to the viticultural discovery of the Casablanca valley, as well as for his dedication to Sauvignon Blanc as represented in the Terrunyo range, one of the best Chilean exponents of this variety. Recabaren’s imprint also reaches the sphere of Carmenere, a variety that is only commercially produced in Chile. “Terrunyo Carmenere is a wine
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that, rather than simply talking about the variety, speaks of Recabarren’s talent and the way he understands this grape, one so complicated to work with but so seductive when you taste it”, comments Patricio Tapia, wine writer in his piece on Ignacio Recabarren. Tapia adds that the winemaker not only has the talent to make exceptional red and white wines, but also “the ability to discover that small crack in the wall, the exact point in which a wine expresses most clearly its own origin”. This recognition joins the “Winemaking Career Award” given to Recabarren last July by Chilevid, the Association of Fine Wines for Export Producers, for his outstanding career devoted to developing the wine industry in Chile.