Stephen tanzer's international wine cellar cile

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

ISSUE 10131, FEBRUARY 2014

Vina Leyda Josh Raynolds

2012 Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Garuma Vineyard Leyda Valley ($18) Pale straw. High-pitched aromas and flavors of orange, minerals, lemongrass and mint. Sharply focused and energetic, with bright minerality contributing to the impression of lift. Very nicely balanced wine with excellent finishing clarity and lingering minerality.

Strong value here. 90 2012 Sauvignon Gris Single Vineyard Kadun Vineyard Leyda Valley ($18) Light, green-tinged yellow. Fresh melon and pear on the nose, with dusty mineral and lemon pith notes adding vivacity. Bracing and sharply focused, offering zesty lemon pith and orchard fruit flavors and a chalky mineral quality. The dry, focused finish features a strong echo of refreshingly bitter citrus zest. 90 2011 Chardonnay Lot 5 San Antonio Valley ($30) Vivid yellow. A strongly scented bouquet evokes citrus pith, orchard fruits and white flowers, with anise and mineral accents adding complexity. Taut and linear on the palate, offering sappy orange and pear flavors that gain flesh with air. Finishes racy and long, with strong mineral cut and a subtle floral nuance.

91 2011 Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Las Brisas Vineyard Leyda Valley ($22) Bright ruby-red. Cherry, redcurrant, fresh flowers and peppery spices on the nose. Silky, sweet and fine-grained, with nervy flavors of bitter cherry and red berries. Taut, lively pinot with very good energy on the finish; leaves notes of candied rose, cherry pit and orange zest behind. This wine reminded me of something good from Pernand-Vergelesses. 90 2011 Pinot Noir Cahuil Vineyard Leyda Valley ($27) Deep ruby. Intense aromas of black raspberry, cherry-cola and Asian spices, with a hint of sexy oak. Supple and broad, offering ripe, gently sweet dark berry flavors and a subtle floral pastille nuance. Closes on a note of bitter cherry, with bright mineral lift and sneaky, fine-grained tannins adding grip. 91 2011 Pinot Noir Lot 21 Leyda Valley ($40) Vivid ruby. Higher-toned than the Cahuil, displaying scents and flavors of fresh red berries, rose and Asian spices, plus a peppery overtone. Lively and sharply focused, with excellent finishing cut, silky tannins and lingering floral character. One of the most impressive Chilean pinots I've had the chance to taste.

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http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/classic.html?content_id=112819[20/02/2014 10:23:11]

ISSUE 10131, FEBRUARY 2014

Concha y Toro Josh Raynolds

2012 Sauvignon Blanc Terrunyo Block 28 El Triangolo Vineyard Casablanca Valley ($30) Pale yellow. Lively citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by hints of honeysuckle, white pepper and ginger. Dry and tightly wound on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering incisive lemon zest and green apple flavors and a touch of fresh pineapple. The clinging, mineral-tinged finish strongly repeats the citrus and floral notes.

90 2011 Riesling Terrunyo Costa Los Boldos Vineyard Block 6 Casablanca Valley ($39) Pale yellow. Dried pear and honey aromas are lifted by notes of lemon pith and minerals, with a subtle herbal note in the background. Smooth and fleshy but focused too, offering refreshingly bitter citrus and orchard fruit flavors that gain sweetness with air. A tarragon nuance comes up with air and carries through a gently spicy, clinging finish. This riesling has the heft to work with richer foods but there's no excess fat here.

90 2011 Chardonnay Amelia Las Petras Vineyard Casablanca Valley ($50) Light, bright yellow. Smoke- and oak spice-accented aromas of fresh pineapple, pear and honeydew melon, with a suave floral overtone. Shows very good intensity, breadth and clarity on the palate, with an array of orchard and tropical fruit flavors braced by tangy acidity.

Finishes spicy and very long, with lingering ginger and smoke notes and a touch of anise. This is consistently among the very best white wines made in Chile. 91 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Marques De Casa Concha Puente Alto Vineyard Maipo Valley ($26) Deep ruby. Highpitched, smoke- and spice-accented cherry and cassis aromas show very good clarity and a hint of licorice. Sappy, penetrating and focused on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering sweet dark berry and spicecake flavors along with a subtle tobacco nuance. Closes on a smoky note, with good energy and dusty, youthfully gripping tannins. 90 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Terrunyo Block Las Terrazas Old Pirque Vineyard Maipo Valley ($50) Glass-staining ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berry liqueur, cola, mocha and cured tobacco, with a smoky nuance that builds with air. Fleshy and broad, offering lush cassis and blueberry flavors and a hint of licorice. Finishes sweet and long, with a touch of vanilla and gentle tannins adding shape. Plenty rich but shows very good focus and vivacity. 91

2012 Merlot Marques De Casa Concha Puemo Cachapoal Valley ($26) (aged in one-third new French oak): Deep ruby. Cherry-vanilla and floral pastille scents are complemented by woodsmoke, cola and musky herbs. Supple and sweet on the palate, offering pliant dark berry and bitter cherry flavors and a repeating vanilla note. Smooth tannins shape the finish, which lingers with very good, sweet tenacity. 90 2012 Marques De Casa Concha Carmenere Peumo Cachapoal Valley ($26) Youthful purple color. Ripe blackcurrant and floral pastille scents are accompanied by vanilla, mocha and licorice. Fleshy, round and expansive on the palate, offering black and blue fruit flavors enlivened by a peppery, spicy element. Dusty tannins add shape and grip to the long spicy, floral finish, with the licorice note repeating.

90 2009 Syrah Terrunyo Costa Los Boldos Vineyard Block 3 Casablanca Valley ($50) Dark purple. Textbook syrah aromas of dark berries, violet, olive and woodsmoke, with a peppery element adding vivacity. Rich and weighty but lively on the palate, displaying sweet blackberry and blueberry flavors and hints of bitter chocolate and fruitcake.

Finishes sweet, spicy and long, with smooth tannins coming on late and fading into the wine's plush fruit. 91 2009 Carmenere Terrunyo Peumo Vineyard Block 27 Cachapoal Valley ($50) Saturated ruby. Musky, earthy aromas of dried cherry, cassis, licorice and pipe tobacco. Subtly sweet and expansive, offering chewy black and blue fruit flavors and an emerging smoky nuance. Finishes on a bitter chocolate note, with mounting tannins and a lingering blueberry quality. 91

ISSUE 10131, FEBRUARY 2014

Vina William Fevre Chile Josh Raynolds 2011 Chardonnay Gran Cuvee Espino Pirque Maipo Valley ($19) Pale yellow-gold. Ripe pear and honeydew on the fragrant nose and palate. Plush and broad but shows surprising energy and an exotic touch of anise. A bitter citrus pith note adds cut and grip to the taut, focused, impressively persistent finish. Very Old World in style and suited to a wide range of rich or lighter foods. 91 2011 Chardonnay Gran Cuvee Espino Pirque Maipo Valley ($14) Bright yellow. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of candied citrus and pit fruits, with a smoky topnote. Silky and expansive on the palate, offering vibrant nectarine and orange pith flavors and a touch of toasty lees. Closes supple, spicy and very long, with a touch of chalky minerals adding lift and bite. 90 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Cuvee Espino Pirque Maipo Valley ($19) Saturated ruby. Pungent cherry and redcurrant aromas are complemented by notes of licorice and vanilla. Sappy and precise on the palate, offering vibrant bitter cherry and rose pastille flavors and subtle vanilla and chewing tobacco nuances. Finishes with very good clarity and cut and silky, fine-grained tannins. Distinctly elegant Chilean cabernet with the balance to age. 90 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Chacai Mountain Maipo Valley ($35) (includes 10% cabernet franc; aged in 50% new French oak): Opaque ruby. Dark berries, vanilla, woodsmoke and licorice on the perfumed nose. Suave, seamless and appealingly sweet, offering energetic black and blue fruit flavors and a touch of chewing tobacco. At once plump and lively, finishing with building spiciness, supple tannins and very good persistence.

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