A Chile Night In Los Angeles.
Last Tuesday was another Taco night at Casa De Neil. I know, we eat too many tacos and tamales at my house. What can I say, I live in LA.
…We lined up at the makeshift taco stand and ordered a dozen and a half… carne asada and al pastor. I made sure to get several little baggies of limes, cilantro/onions, radishes and peppers. And a few little plastic cups of red and green sauce… even tacos need condiments.
My friend Steve had a bottle in his car and I had one in the wine fridge. The subsequent carnage that took place at my dinner table left a lot of empty foil wrappers and two open bottles; both Chilean and both Carmenere.
Carmenere has been called the lost grape of Bordeaux as a wave of phylloxera was thought to have wiped it out from the French growing region in the 1800’s. Whatever didn’t work in Bordeaux works great in Chile, the grape is hugely popular and successful there, and what was once primarily a blending grape is now being bottled all by itself; and it’s good!
I opened the 2007 Caliterra Reserva Carmenere and enjoyed the chocolate-y fruit I was getting on the nose. Those same flavors persist on the palate, with a little bit of a herbal note in the background. It’s smooth and fresh with a long finish; it’s a little bit young, but it’s youth helped it stand up to the carne asada taco on my plate.
Steve opened up his 2006 Viña Carmen Classic Carmenere as I dug into an al pastor taco. This wine was a little lighter than the Calitera, a faint nose of red fruit led to a nice raspberry/cherry jam. The finish was decent, with notes of vanilla-y oak and pepper.
If you’re having taco night at the house, either of these Chilean gems will fit the bill nicely and they’re both very well priced for what they offer.. less than $15 each (I’ve seen the Viña Carmen for closer to ten!)
No wonder why the 2007 Caliterra Carmenere tasted so good. This is what I found in Caliterra’s web page:
Caliterra Reserva Carmenère 2007 was selected as “Chile’s Best Carmenère Blend” in the 2008 version of the “Carmenère Al Mundo” Contest (Carmenère to the World).
With a massive attendance, the 2008 version of the “Concurso Carmenère al Mundo” (Carmenère to the World Contest) was organized by the Chilean National Association of Agronomist and Winemakers.
A jury composed by 10 international and 18 national experts evaluated more than 180 wines that participated in this second version.
The complete panel of judges considered the wines tasted as of great quality and high expression of Chile’s Carmenère. This impression was reflected in the high scores that most wines received and in an unusual
result, being the first time that more gold medals than silver were granted. From many good wines, Caliterra Reserve Carmenère 2007 was chosen the Best Chilean Carmenère.