After attending the Toronto Drink Chile event in November 2022 sponsored by the Wines of Chile I made an effort to sample the wines of the participating wineries and was well rewarded with stellar wines from Las Veletas, Perez Cruz, Miguel Torres Chile and San Pedro Tarapaca. Since then it has been a slide downhillContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Breaking a Recent String of Chilean Red Wine Mediocrity? Cardboard and Cement?”
Category Archives: Wine
RKS 2023 Wine: A Rescue from the Chilean Stumble? CODE RED
Red wines from Chile commenced 2023 virtually flying high then a very bad spill with a Viña Del Pedregal Kidia Reserve Carménère 2018. Real bad. Then a weak recovery with a Viña Marty Pacha Reserva 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. As Bogart said in Casablanca, “Here’s looking at you, kid.” I am looking at a Vistamar GranContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: A Rescue from the Chilean Stumble? CODE RED”
RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon: Viña Marty Pacha Cabernet Sauvignon
After tasting some excellent Chilean Carménère I recently hit a wall at high-speed facing a disappointing Viña Del Pedregal 2018 Kidia Reserve Carménère which I opined should be returned to sender. One rogue wine will not deter me from pursuing the Chilean path. So switching to a Cabernet Sauvignon from Viña Marty, a Pacha CabernetContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon: Viña Marty Pacha Cabernet Sauvignon”
RKS 2023 Wine: Chateau Perbal Carménère: Chile Chugs Along
This Carménère is from the Maule Valley in Chile’s Central Valley Region. The Maule Valley, unlike many Chilean wine producing regions, does not have any maritime influences. Maule Carménère is reputed to be spicy with aromatic intensity. So what does the Chateau Perbal 2018 Carménère have in store for us? Aromatics: Telltale Carménère aromas ofContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chateau Perbal Carménère: Chile Chugs Along”
RKS 2023 Wine: Perez Cruz: A Tsunami of Winners: Confessions of a Carmenère Convert!
At the Drink Chile 2022 event held last November in Toronto I tasted the Perez Cruz Limited Edition Carmenère and it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps Chilean red wines had turned the corner and escaped their minty characteristics of a decade ago. That was one reason I took a Chilean red wine hiatus forContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Perez Cruz: A Tsunami of Winners: Confessions of a Carmenère Convert!”
RKS 2023 Wine: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
It is quite remarkable Chile can offer us excellent Cabernet Sauvignon in the under $25 category. Why muck about with Californians in that price range. You’ll often be disappointed. Years ago one might have avoided Chilean red wines due to that minty touch on the palate as one would avoid South African reds due toContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon”
RKS 2023 Wine: South African Chenin Blanc: A Signature Grape/Wine?
In today’s wine world can one properly speak of a signature wine or grape? Given most wine producing countries produce a variety of wines how can you select a signature grape? By volume produced? By sales? By quality? By exports? The categories are many and varied and who can agree on them? At best oneContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: South African Chenin Blanc: A Signature Grape/Wine?”
RKS 2023 Wine: Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc
There are more Chilean red wines than white in the Ontario market and most overperform other Non-Chilean reds at the same price point. But don’t forget the white wines. We try a Casas del Bosque 2021 La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc from Valle de Casablanca. That’s right, “Play it again Sam.” You won’t find Humphrey BogartContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc”
RKS 2023 Wine: Casas del Bosque 2019 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
As we roll through Chile reasonable prices and high quality prevail but did I really need to relate that to you? The LCBO has been quite generous in listing Chilean wines in their Vintages releases. So get ready for a big Chilean invasion in 2023 in Canada. Can we push matters a bit and sayContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Casas del Bosque 2019 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon”
RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carignan: Undurraga T.H. (Terroir Hunter)
The Undurraga 2019 T.H. Carignan is from the Maule Valley of Chile which is Chile’s largest viticultural region and one of the most geographically and climatically diverse, encompassing the Andes to the east and the rolling costal hills to the west, which makes it possible for both red and white varieties to thrive. Unlike manyContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carignan: Undurraga T.H. (Terroir Hunter)”
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