2016 Casas Del Toqui' Barrel Series Reserve

2016 Casas Del Toqui’ Barrel Series Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCarménèreChileKevin VogtSouth America

CASAS DEL TOQUI’

2016 CARMENERE
BARREL SERIES RESERVE

2016 Casas Del Toqui' Barrel Series Reserve
The Carménère grape originates from the Medoc region in Bordeaux and is revered for producing deep, robust red wines with striking aromatics. It’s those classic attributes that made Casas del Toqui’ Carménère stand out in a tasting of around 100 more expensive wines. At $19.99, it’s a great example Carménère from Chile’s Cachapoal Valley, and with 93 Points and the Best Buy designation from tastings .com, you really should try it…
 
Casas del Toqui is a joint partnership between the Court family and historic Bordeaux producer Chateau Larose Trintaudon. The vineyards are located in Alto Cachapoal, where alluvial soils combined with a Mediterranean climate are perfect for ripening Bordeaux grape varietals.
 
Carménère might be a member of the Cabernet Sauvignon family and now rarely found in France, it’s found a stronghold in Chile, where it reigns as king. Interestingly, Chilean growers inadvertently preserved the grape during the last 150 years, mistaking it for Merlot until a couple of decades ago.
 
CASAS DEL TOQUI’
2016 CARMENERE
BARREL SERIES RESERVE
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
“Dull garnet black color. Aromas and flavors of toasty blueberry handpie, grilled veggies, eucalyptus, and violet with a velvety, crisp, fruity medium body and a silky, amusing, medium-length finish that presents touches of grilled watermelon and grenadine with medium, silky tannins and no oak flavor. A silky Carmenère with a touch of sweetness; perfect for spicy fare.”
93 Points, Best Buy
2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Argentina Malbec

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbecSouth America

MATIAS RICCITELLI  2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

 
Every great winemaker has at least one mentor that helped guide them in their career.  When  your father is the head-winemaker at Bodegas Norton, and the first South American to ever be named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, it can come with a few advantages… Matias Riccitelli had both the connections and the drive to spend a decade working 2 harvests each year, one in Argentina, and the others in New Zealand, Napa Valley, Europe and Australia.  During that time he soaked up every bit of winemaking knowledge in order to achieve his goal of creating a brand of that could express the full potential of Argentine terroir.
 
Carved from exceptional vines ranging 20-80 years in age and grown in Perdriel and Vistalba in the Lujan de Cuyo and El Cepillo in La Consulta,  Riccitelli’s 2013 Vineyard Selection Malbec is stunningly complex and loaded with hedonistic aromas of dark black fruits, scorched earth, blue violets, licorice and hints of wild game.  Many of you tasted and loved Riccitelli’s The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree Malbec that we introduced last year, and with the Vineyard Selection Malbec, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
MATIAS RICCITELLI
2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Retails at: $55/btl
 
 
From Vinous: “(made from three small vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley): Bright medium ruby. Showing more balsamic cedar and herbs on the nose than the 2014 The Apple . . . Malbec; plenty ripe but less dark-fruity and chocolatey and more minty and herbal… this intensely flavored wine is much less sweet than The Apple, with its currant and blackberry flavors complemented by a saline quality and nicely framed by healthy acidity. A bit less forthcoming, drier and more classic on the end, showing suaver tannins.“
2014 Primus Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Primus Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonChileKevin VogtMaipo ValleySouth America

PRIMUS 2014 Primus Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE

 
Did you know that Chile’s Maipo Valley has a Mediterranean Climate, similar to Napa Valley? Wine regions with a Mediterranean climate are characterized by their long growing seasons of moderate to warm temperatures and they’re perfectly suited for ripening Bordeaux varietals.  Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Valley even shares some of the similar flavor characteristics to Napa Valley Cabernet with prominent black current and black cherry fruit.  One glaring difference between the two is the price of land and labor is significantly lower, and because of that, winemakers are able to devote any necessary resources to create high quality wines at exceptionally low prices.  A perfect example is the 2014 PRIMUS Cabernet, which is ridiculously great at under twenty bucks.   
 
With no expense spared in the winemaking, the grapes are double hand sorted before making their way into stainless steel fermenters.  The 2014 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in French oak barrels for a full year before bottling.  On the palate the wine is firmly concentrated and loaded with classic black currants, dark cherry, mint, and sage.  I highly recommend stocking up… 
 
PRIMUS
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl
 
From James Suckling: “A fine and silky red with fresh mint and herb as well as light currant aromas. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a clean finish…” 92 Points
 
Customers who enjoy PRIMUS Cabernet Sauvignon may also enjoy these two stunning Cabs…
2016 Shottesbrooke Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
 2016 Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon
SHOTTESBROOKE
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
LANGHORNE CREEK, AUSTRALIA
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 

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From James Halliday: “While not particularly deep, the hue is youthful, and the fragrant eucalypt nuances that accompany the fresh cassis of the palate are regional (and shared with Coonawarra). The finely spun tannins are a feature of a medium-bodied cabernet made to be drunk whenever the idea pleases you. Screwcap. 14.5% alc. To 2030”  95 Points
FAMIGLIA BIANCHI 
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 

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Winery Notes: “A classic Cabernet Sauvignon that can compete with the best from around the world, this wine displays a deep ruby color and great “legs.” Spicy and complex aromas of black pepper, licorice, toasty coffee grinds and hints of fresh mint mingle with cassis and wild berries. Ample and persistent in the mouth, with a harmonious structure that highlights its personality and pedigree.“
2014 Luca Paraje Altamira Malbec

2014 Luca Malbec Paraje Altamira

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaMalbecSouth AmericaUco Valley

LUCA 2014 Luca Paraje Altamira Malbec

2014 MALBEC
PARAJE ALTAMIRA

A winemakers vision can sometimes transform a category of wines for an entire region and propel them to an even higher level.  Laura Catena did just that and it began with a vision to create a new breed of Argentine wines that would express individual terroirs from low-yielding, high-elevation vineyards in some of Argentina’s best wine growing regions.  It didn’t take long for consumers and critics to catch on… Their wines have had a string of stellar reviews and her 2012 Malbec was featured as the #19 wine on the Wine Spectator top 100 list in 2014.  Luca offers a truly vivid interpretation of high-elevation Malbec that’s expressive, profound and hedonistic, yet manages to do so while staying true to the varietal and region from which it was hewn.
 
Paraje Altamira is a small sub-appellation within the renowned Uco Valley, which is an area that has likely produced more 95 – 100 Point wines than any other region of Argentina. The fruit was grown at 3,600 feet in elevation and in rocky, alluvial soils and offers stunning power, depth and superior focus.  When tasting this wine it’s almost hard to believe the realistic price level…
 
LUCA
2014 MALBEC
PARAJE ALTAMIRA
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “There is a big jump in quality from the 2013 to the 2014 Malbec Paraje Altamira that matured in 500-liter oak barrels for eight months. There is much more freshness here, the fruit is a mixture of red and black and there are violets and some spices. The palate is juicy and soft with clean flavors that are easy to drink. The nose grows in the glass to become more floral. Delicious Malbec...” 91 Points

 
Customers who enjoy Luca Malbec may also enjoy these two terrific Argentine Reds…
2016 Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Catena Cabernet Franc
FAMIGLIA BIANCHI 
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 

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Famiglia Bianchi is our number one selling International brand of all time, by far… So much so, that it may never be surpassed. When you taste them, each wine in the brand offers a palpable sense of value that’s absolutely unmistakable, and we were recently reminded of that in a glass of their new 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine offers luscious dark fruits, followed by a cavalcade of dark spices, black chocolates, slate and minerals that unwind methodically across your palate. 
CATENA
2014 CABERNET FRANC
SAN CARLOS
APPELLATION SERIES
Retails at:  $30.00/btl
 
Your Price: $22.99/btl 

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From Vinous: “Enticing aromatic lift to the aromas of purple fruits, violet and brown spices. Suaver than the Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon, offering exhilarating cut and penetration and an ideal balance between sweetness and suppleness of fruit and acidity. Savory, plush and ripe for all its energy. Finishes with big but thoroughly ripe, dusty tannins and excellent breadth and length. Terrific berry intensity here.”  91 Points