Tag Archives: Chile
Laithwaites Inside Story Top Awards At The Wines Of Chile Competitors 2008
Laithwaites Inside Story Top Awards At The Wines Of Chile Competition 2008
Among one of the most prestigious worldwide competitions to rate Chilean wines, the fifth Wines of Chile honors took location this year in the Chilean capital of Santiago. Nine courts from the UK awarded medals to wines from lots of new regions, which reflect the scale as well as variety of Chile’s wine offerings. Laithwaites scooped several top honors at this competitors consisting of Ideal Worth Trophy from the Elqui Valley and also the very best in Program Trophy for a red from the Rapel Valley. With a variety of over 80 wines, Chile has verified deservedly popular with Laithwaites’ team as well as customers.
Falernia Estate, from the little-known northern area of Elqui, won 3 of the competition’s 10 prizes. The Laithwaites exclusive Alta Tierra Sauvignon Blanc from Falernia stunned the courts to win Gold, Finest Worth White Prize as well as the Sauvignon Blanc Prize. This is an amazing result for Falernia that were, till lately, the only manufacturer to be based in the Elqui Valley.
Laithwaites’ producers in even more well established Chilean wine areas additionally attained significant success with the Prize for the most desired honor, Wine of the show going to Viña La Rosa’s Ossa 2004 from Cachapoal, Rapel Valley. Another standard area, Maule Valley, saw its Gillmore Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 win the Cabernet Sauvignon trophy, also readily available to buy at Laithwaites.
An additional winner at the Wines of Chile Awards went to Adolfo Hutardio, Cono Sur’s Principal Winemaker that won the Chilean personality of the year. Cono Sur make most of the Laithwaites Chilean range consisting of the Casa del Rio Verde and Grandmother Valle de Niebla wines The accolade rewards an individual who is “a true character, with a vibrant as well as pleasant individuality, and also who is an excellent ambassador for the modern Chile.”
Vicki Stephens Clarkson, the Laithwaites Chilean wine buyer states: “It is difficult to beat Chile for its large quality as well as value. It is wonderful news that our Chilean wines have actually done so well in this contest. We took a trip to Chile 3 times in 2007 to guarantee that the very best high quality as well as worth wines are provided to our customers’ doors from conventional and new areas”
Laithwaites have one of the largest Chilean ranges in the nation with wines sourced from practically every wine region in the country from Limari in the North to Biography Bio Valley in the South. To acquire wine from this impressive Chilean range phone call 0870 444 8282.
A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon From Chile
Chile can be an excellent country for Cabernet Sauvignon. This one comes from the Central Valley viticultural region, which is Chile’s oldest and most traditional wine producing area. That region is divided into four areas, including the Maule Valley, which is not particularly distinguished, perhaps not surprising given this wine’s modest price tag. In a way it is less expensive than at first glance because it’s kosher, and kosher wine production and distribution inevitably involves additional costs. By now you probably know that kosher wines are not always super sweet. This wine is dry. The bottle’s back label states that it was produced by Vina Carta Vieja, a seventh-generation family winery whose first vineyards were planted in 1825. But a trip to their bilingual website did not turn up any indication whatsoever of this wine. Please excuse me for not calling them (I don’t speak Spanish) to confirm or deny its parentage.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed
Don Alfonso Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2009 12.5% alcohol about $ 10 Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Description : A complex Cabernet filled with aromas of blackberry, cherry and black olive. Dry, ripely fruity with subtle oak notes, no tannins to speak of, but nicely balanced, nonetheless. Medium long, lush and smooth finish. Grilled steak is called for. And now for my review.
At the first sips of this wine I got oak and dark fruit but the wine faded rather quickly. Its first pairing was with slow cooked beef ribs with potatoes in a savory sauce. This Cab was chewy and mouth filling. It was hearty and tasted of black licorice. I also enjoyed a salad composed of carrots, palm hearts, chickpeas, Lebanese cucumbers, red peppers, and canned corn. This fine salad softened and lengthened the wine.
The next meal was a boxed eggplant parmiagana which I slathered with grated parmesan cheese. Here the Cabernet Sauvignon showed light acidity and lots of oak. There were barely perceptible round tannins and some black cherry, tobacco, and chocolate. The wine was refreshing but not powerful.
My final meal was beef stew with chickpeas. The wine was woody with dark black cherries. It presented a good balance between the tannins and acidity.
Prior to the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some schmaltz herring in oil instead of the more common vinegar preparation. The Cab tasted of black cherries and was slightly sweet with some oak. When paired with a local Provolone, the wine was slightly harsh presenting light acidity and black cherries. With a tastier Swiss, the wine was round but not very forceful.
Final verdict. This is definitely a wine worth buying again. Not all its pairings were fine, but many of them were and the price was right, even more so if you are looking for kosher wine. Many people will appreciate the relative lack of tannins, which is rather unusual for a Cabernet Sauvignon.