Gang of Pour - Larry Meehan's Tasting Notes

I often visit with my friend Mark Horvatich (left) when in Chicagoland. The experience is always pleasant and enjoyable, but I did suspect that Mark was trying to test my "who cares about the wines, it is about the people" maxim, when he told me he had a number of Chilean (etc.) wines upon which he'd like to get my opinion. Of course I said "that's great", knowing that very few wines from South America have ever impressed me -- damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

I arrived at Mark's place, nibbled on some crumbly aged gouda, and chatted with the always affable Joe Pinto (his wife Sue would join us later). In between preparing the night's dinner (venison meat loaf, squash filled pasta, sautéed fennel, etc.) Mark told us he had obtained a number of samples from his friend Jim Powers, who is a principal in Global Vineyard Wine Importers. The wines (hailing from Chile and South Africa) were all soon to be released...the group represented a number of price points and stylistic notions in their line. Mark did not tell us the prices on any of the wines, so I include some "blind" comments as to value, and then later learned the full retail pricing.

2003 Apaltagua "Envero" (85% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon) <$15 -- light and fresh scents, with dusty dried cherry and pleasant herbs. Flavor wise it has juicy red fruits sandwiched between earth/herb character at the attack and close...also a sun baked quality at its core. The wine develops more fruit sweetness and smooth texture with time. I'd call it an excellent value if priced around $10...better than "decent" at $15.

2003 De Martino "Legado Reserve" Carmenere Maipo Valley <$15 -- a bouquet of lime skin, chocolate, and dark fruit. It has a smooth, lush mouth feel. Juicy black fruits and a bit of cocoa meet dried earth and herbs at the core. The finish has a sticky, medicinal linger...also black licorice when I checked back on it later. The tannins are polished and unhindering, while the acids are fairly low. It easy to drink, though not especially engaging. If priced anywhere less than $15 it is a fine deal...though I'm guessing it is priced more along the lines of $25.

2002 Penalolen Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley <$17 -- the nose here offers pungent lime and plenty of mint...oregano and basil become more discernible with air. This bottling is medium bodied and shows off a smooth, suave demeanor. While sipping it, I was moved to call out 'Peppermint Patty", as it showed minor gobs of chocolate, mint, and dark plum fruit. There is plenty of barrel associated flavor here -- vanilla, cream, and coffee. Eucalyptus is especially prevalent in the finish. This is a low acid sipper, and not a wine I'd buy for personal consumption, but easily recommendable for those desiring such a beverage, assuming it is $20 or less.

2002 "Kuyen" Maipo Valley ( 70% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) $17 -- this is funky, with plenty of animal and a bit of mint...citrus becomes more prevalent with time, as does lavender and lilac -- giving it a bit of brightness in the bouquet. Cool, wet blackberry flavors are dense and perhaps just a bit syrupy. There is a substantial core of licorice, dark earth and minerals...interesting funk throughout. Aside from the telltale citrus, it seems like a very good, well structured Languedoc. It is very nice and quite appealing...well worth seeking out if it is $20 or so.

2003 "The Wolf Trap" -- A South African red wine that smells like a white? High toned scents of apricot and white peaches...light earth tones, too. The fruit flavors are light and on the sweet side (grape soda and apricot), but still offering a little balancing acid. Tannins are fairly minimal. We all assumed it to be Pinotage, though it was not apparently listed on the label. Joe brought this along and added it to the mix to offer kinship to the other South African in the lineup, so it was not a Global Vineyard wine. I believe this was priced around $12... it is a decent, albeit simple sipper.

2002 Cedarberg Shiraz South Africa <$25 -- it initially shows a good bit of volatile acidity (VA) on the nose, but seems less apparent over time. Ripe blackberry scents are accented by vanilla and clove...flowers and orange peels. Sue noted a "grilled hot dog bun", sort of charred note. It is a fat and juicy sip, possessing a syrupy texture and slightly warm resolve (15%abv). There is plenty of black fruit, chocolate, and clove...just a bit of raw wood. It is a step back from an over bearing fruit bomb (this being more of a "fruit grenade"), giving a nod to some relative balance. This would compete very favorably to similarly styled California and Oz Syrahs at $25 or less. Mark called it a "Pax (Mahale) Lite".

2003 De Martino Syrah "Single Vineyard" Colchagua Valley <$25 -- ahhh, back to the lime skin of Chile...licorice, wild flower and lavender scents, too. This Syrah has ripe and juicy black fruit, Indian spice and anise, but all framed by gum tingling tannins. It has less body and lush texture than the above Cedarberg, but probably its equal in density of fruit. It turns tangy on the finish, along with a soft kiss of alcoholic heat. The wine seems somewhat reserved and tight...probably in need of a short stay in the cellar or decanter. It was curious to see this labeled "single vineyard", but there was no indication as to what that vineyard might be anywhere on the label.

2002 "Antiyal" Maipo Valley (45% Carmenere, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah) <$50 -- the bouquet is effusive with fresh ground coffee, dark berries, lime zest and a bundle of Provencal herbs. Juicy cassis and blackberry flavors pop out on the attack, but it seems to settle more into a dense, medium bodied wine through the center... featuring dusty, warm, earth and mineral tones. In the early going, I found it to lack some length and nuance for a wine of this price and pedigree, but with food and in the hours after dinner, it really began to shine. It shows firm tannins and better than average acids...impressive balance.

Where I found his Kuyen ("moon") to be quite compelling, this Antiyal ("sun") is truly the centerpiece of winemaker Alvaro Espinosa's wine cosmos. I'm told this is the first "garage wine" made in Chile, but colorful euphemisms and rising prices aside, I find this to be excellent, unique wine, with its best days ahead. There were less than 5500 bottles produced.

2002 "Grial" Colchagua Valley (100% Carmenere) <$40 -- some initial dust and spice tickles my nose, but the offered scents are mostly tar, anise and high toned vanilla. Syrupy black fruit slides easily across the tongue, but then turning more primary (sticky and grapey) in the middle and finish. Black pepper, mint, vanilla, cherry concentrate, and chocolate all appear inside the oaky shell that encases the wine. It is not notably tannic, but shows a reasonable sense of structure throughout. This Grial is very young and in an early point of evolution. I'd not be surprised if it managed to soak up some of the wood tones, but it would be a somewhat pricey experiment for my personal preferences. This is another of Espinosa's wines -- employing Chile's oldest Carmenere vines.

Global Vineyard Wine Importers is an importer based in Berkley, California, with an eye on lesser known regions and family owned estates. One of the three partners lives in Chile -- if this lineup of wines is any indication, I'd say they are putting this resource to fine use. I have long heard about the promise that Chile holds, but this is the first time I can say I have sampled a group of wines that reflected such hopes in a number of reasonably priced, interesting expressions.

Label graphics and Global Vineyards Wine Importers logo courtesy of Global Vineyard Wine Importers