Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Notes on wines I have tasted

April 16, 2013 · 11:36 am

Mendel – 15/12/2011

2010 Malbec
Nice floral dark fruits, fruit not obvious but serious, subtle lavender notes. Vibrant bright and tight, not heavy but concentrated, balance and weight.

2009 Malbec
Rounder dustier and earthier, more savoury and less fruit. Different balance and length, fruit seems to have quietened, structure and lines, acids carry nicely.

Unus 2010
Elegant and well-contained, amazing structural balance, quite savoury and harmonious blend.

Finca Remeta Malbec 2010 (old-vine Uco Valley)
Spectacular balance, chocolate and black cherry, exquisitely balanced and long. Sensational.

Mendel tasting

Mendel tasting

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April 16, 2013 · 11:27 am

Terrazas de los Andes – 15/12/2011

Reserva Torrontes 2010
Bright floral apricots, textural weighty body, quite warm, plenty of apricot and quince fruit, bold without being over-ripe.

Reserva Malbec 2009
Dusty dark fruit, quite hot and full with soft tannins, oak has been paired back, acidity and length.

Afincado Malbec 2007
Darker more subtle savoury nose, depth balance and soft velvety tannins, oak adds savoury dimension, extremely luscious yet concentrated.

Cheval des Andes 2007
Classic bordeaux aroma, gorgeous earthy leather, huge power and intensity, grainy tannins, marriage of terroir and vine, exceptional length.

Terrazas de los Andes tasting

Terrazas de los Andes tasting

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April 16, 2013 · 10:25 am

Finca Flichman – 14/12/2011

Misterio Malbec 2011
Very soft and oaky yet quiet. Plum and pomegranate, juicy tight soft tannins with hints of savoury meat.

Caballero de la Cepa Malbec 2011
Toasty burnt ochre, spiced plum and cranberries. Soft and mellow, juicy plumpness, freshness and brightness.

Gestos Malbec 2011
More perfumed but darker brooding chocolate notes. Sweet oak tannins, generous full fruit but still fresh.

Expressiones Reserva 2009
Earthy dusty dark fruit, juicy blackcurrant. Good texture and weight, some interesting complexity from oak and the cabernet fruit, full but not too heavy, malbec softens tannins.

Paisaje de Barrancas 2008
Purple and intense, dirty dusty earthy old vine style. Intensity of fruit, tannins bold but not oppressive, very clean precise and balanced lines, depth without complexity.

Tupungato 2009
Chalkier dustier floral aromas. Very soft smooth and voluptuous tannins, layers of velvety fruit, not as hot or dense as previous wines.

Finca Flichman tasting

Finca Flichman tasting

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April 15, 2013 · 10:10 pm

Almaviva – 13/12/2011

Almaviva 2005
New world bottle development, dried cranberries, very dark carob. Great balance, nicely aged, oak still quite prominent, slightly hollow mid-palate, good earthy tar length.

Almaviva 2007
Tighter more brooding and oaky, really intense, oak totally dominates. Fruit very shy and subtle, classic cassis and leather, very ripe.

Almaviva 2009
Very dusty, slightly smoky, great harmony between fruit oak and alcohol. Great vibrancy, velvety and accessible, Freshness of fruit yet complex, beautiful and soft.

Almaviva

Almaviva

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April 15, 2013 · 10:03 pm

Antiyal – 13/12/2011

Kuyen 2009
Strawberries and cream, good earthy red currants, almond oil. Extremely intense, very tight, full flavoured but not hot, harmonious fruit balance.

Antiyal 2009
Dusty cilantro cumin and cassis, very closed, somewhat volatile. Luxurious velvety tannins, extremely bright black fruit, leathery earth late on the palate, good dirty grainy tannins, juicy red raspberries and blueberries.

Antiyal 2009

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April 15, 2013 · 9:58 pm

Perez Cruz – 13/12/2011

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2010
Nice dustiness with earthiness but slightly sweet, not heavy, very tight, oak pretty locked up.

Carmenere Limited Edition 2010
Hints of cocoa and violets, slightly spicy and herby, sensational balance, incredible length and structure, gorgeous fruit, nice red currants, acids are harmonious.

Chaski Petit Verdot 2008
Ribena spice, hints of tomato leaf and oregano, luxuriously inviting nose. Deep dark rich, very intense spicy and dark fruit, fairly hot, not enough length.

Perez Cruz wines

Perez Cruz wines

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April 15, 2013 · 9:43 pm

Anakena – 12/12/2011

Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Leyda)
Lovely bright fresh style, clean crisp quite fruity, has some herb notes on nose, but not on palate.

Single Vineyard Viognier 2009 (Rapel Valley)
Nicely developed on the nose, picking up some spiced dried apricot and crushed herbs. Lovely textural richness, great development in the bottle.

Single Vineyard Riesling 2010 (Leyda)
Very clean and crisp, good acids and citric notes, lacks minerality and depth, no texture or residual sugar for weight.

Single Vineyard Carignan San javier 2010 (Maule)
Very closed nose, quite flat and broad, too hot for the variety, nor structure or depth.

Single Vineyard Syrah 2009 (Colchagua)
A bit chocolatey, slightly cooked dark plum, hints of spice, plummy juicy, lacks drive.

Ona Malbec 2009 (Rapel)
Good weight and depth, nice dark fruit broodiness, a little soft and broad, pretty good for the price.

Ona Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere Syrah 2009
Red fruit currants, intriguing blend, texture and mouthfeel, still lacking something.

Anakena wines

Anakena wines

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April 15, 2013 · 9:25 pm

Viu Manent – 7/12/2011

Segreto Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Casablanca)
Combines herbaceousness and tropicality, juicy fig kiwi and guava, nice herb and spice, great varietal character.

Segreto Viognier 2011
Lighter colour and body, freshness of fruit, texture and a bit of volume, nice white florals.

Segreto Pinot Noir 2010 (Casablanca)
Nice dark sweet fruit, nice soft full yet light, dark fruits.

Segreto Carmenere 2010
Nice soft plump dark fruits, good length and balance, mellow yet structured, nice firm and supple tannins.

Segreto Malbec 2010
Spicier and brighter, more intense yet lighter.

Gran Reserva Malbec 2010
Perfect example of blending, powerful depth, velvety rich and structured, sumptuous and supple.

Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Bold tannins and structure, not heavy, great tannins, long living, age of vines impacts.

Single Vineyard Malbec 2010
Extremely intense, very fruity and youthful, still new-world exuberance.

Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lovely dusty earthy, full bodied yet dark, really beautiful juicy and dark, amazing depth and soft, generous tannins.

El Incidente Single Vineyard Carmenere 2009
Good structure but a little hot, intensity and balance, not enough vibrancy.

Viu Manent tasting room

Viu Manent tasting room

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April 15, 2013 · 9:06 pm

Casa Lapostolle – 7/12/2011

Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Rapel Valley)
Nice bright fresh clean, nice tropical notes with some pear and peach. No green notes, plenty of broadness, a little fruit sweet, warmish compared to NZ.

Cuvee Alexandre Merlot 2008
Nice structured focus, good finesse and length, very unjammy.

Clos Apalta 2009
Dark floral lavender nose, very rich black intensity. Very concentrated, huge depth of fruit, big bold and oaky, much longevity.

Clos Apalta winery

Clos Apalta winery

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April 15, 2013 · 8:54 pm

Amayna – 6/12/2011

Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Very bright and fresh, green kiwi. Quite rich volume and weight, very textural and warm spice, developing in the glass, waves of texture and cream notes.

Chardonnay 2009
Creamy citrus approaching pisco sour, rich nose, minimal oak. Nice minerality crispness, some texture without weight, length and balance, almonds and vanilla.

Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Crushed herbs and ginger, richer fatter tropical shellfish. Wild rich nutty texture, walnuts amazing length, full citric lemon curds, astonishingly good food wine.

Pinot Noir 2009
Earthy slightly spicy dark cherry pomegranate. Great volume and depth, quite warm, fruit character difficult to articulate, full robust yet soft tannins, fairly juicy.

Amayna wines

Amayna wines

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