Young and Eager to Please. Or: Chilean Cabernet clobbers California Reserve
Sep 28 '04
The Bottom Line Concha y Toro "Don Melchor" Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 -- Rated "94" by Wine Spectator Magazine. About $30 per bottle, plus tax. Confidently recommended.
While I spend the greater part of my time discussing the merits of a particular limited-release wine from Sonoma's Carneros region, the wine that I shall eventually recommend to my readers is a 2000 release from Chile's Alto Maipo Valley--the Concha y Toro "Don Melchor" Cabernet Sauvignon 2000.
Last month, I had an opportunity to visit a number of wineries in California's Sonoma Valley. The primary goal of my visit was to try a number of Zinfandels from Ravenswood and Cline Cellars, but I also had additional time to amble about the southern reaches of the valley and try some new Cabernet offerings from two large Carneros producers: Sebastiani and Buena Vista--Sonoma County's oldest premium winery.
All the aforementioned wineries are in close proximity to one another, and if you have a day (or two, preferably) to spend in Sonoma's Carneros region, I'd recommend a stop at all four of these fine producers.
Buena Vista was the first winery on a two-day shopping trip, and I spent a fair amount of time at the tasting bar. I visited on a Monday, and the Visitor Center was quiet. I enjoyed an assortment of special Buena Vista wines that were offered outside the normal tasting card, including some reserve wines from the late 1980's.
Having enjoyed a good number of fabulous reds and some enjoyable conversation with my host (I thought the late 80's wines I tried were on the decline, but I continued accepting pours), I didn't want to leave as an ungracious imbiber so I grabbed a half-dozen bottles of various wines before exiting the winery and heading out to my next stop. One of the wines I purchased was a Grand Reserve selection from 1999:
Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Carneros Grand Reserve ~ Sonoma, California
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Alcohol: About 14.2% ABV.
Production: Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Buena Vista's Carneros (Sonoma) vineyard. Aged in 60-gallon oak barrels--predominately French--for 24 months.
Appearance: 5/5. Inky black-purple color from core to the meniscus at the glass's wall. Coats the wall with thick, viscous legs. Young, dense, concentrated.
Aroma: 17/20. Blackberry and black bing cherry fruit punctuated by a spicy, charred cedar aroma and a light hint of mint. Minus a point for a lightly weedy/vegetal character in the nose.
Flavor/Body: 34/40. I allowed this wine 45-minutes of breathing time. On first taste, it was firm--young, rich black fruit--showing some muscle and a curious/awkward tone that tasted of sweet cement with an alcoholic bite that reminded me of... a blanco tequila. It was not what I wanted to experience in a Cab that should be "approachable" nearly two years after its release. I continued to nurse the bottle for a while longer, but the wine persisted with an intensely rich and heavy attack.
Finish: 7/10. Lingering fruity finish, silty tannins, with a slightly acidic weight in the stomach. Consumed too early and easily needing another 3-to-5 years (I presume) to reach a level of maturation to smooth out some of the hard edges.
Overall: 21/25. 3¾ stars--a score of 84. Not particularly recommended at the present moment, and not a particularly good bargain for the price paid. I would not buy more of this particular vintage, so my review shall conclude with a great wine that's available for half the price and twice the accolades....
Price and Availability: Purchased at the winery in Sonoma... and, I believe, available only at the winery. Price: $50, plus tax, per 750ml bottle. Quantities are limited; total case production: 1,055. Buena Vista's other premium offering of this varietal, the Carneros Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, costs roughly half as much. 13,265 cases produced.
Buena Vista is a brand of Allied Domecq Wines USA
http://www.buenavistawinery.com
Brands in the Allied Domecq portfolio include:
Callaway Coastal
Clos du Bois
G.H. Mumm / Mumm Napa
Perrier Jouët
William Hill Winery
Compare to another 1999 "Reserve" wine that I purchased for substantially less:
Snoqualmie Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 1999
Columbia Valley, Paterson, Washington
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Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: Aged 16-18 months in French and American oak.
Appearance: 4.5. Dark ruby color; clear and clean in the glass.
Aroma: 17/20. Black currant, sage; slight hint of green olive.
Flavor/Body: 34/40. Medium-to-full bodied with bright, fruit-forward flavors of cherry and currants. Nice balance, easy on the palate.
Finish: 8/10. Lingering, fruity and nicely framed with a light measure of oak vanillin.
Overall: 21/25. A solid Cabernet with good fruit and an easy drinker.
My Rating: 84. Good. 3¾ stars. I purchased this wine for half of its suggested retail price ($22) from a discount retailer. Rated as "Very Good" (with a score of 88, I believe) in wine Spectator magazine.
Working within a $15/bottle budget and endeavoring to recommend a wine that I consider to be a stalwart "everyday drinker," I'd pick the 1999 Geyser Peak Sonoma Cab over the 1999 Reserve release of Snoqualmie.
But my wine of the week is Young and Eager to Please:
Concha y Toro "Don Melchor" Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
"Vintage 14" Puente Alto, Chile
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Alcohol: About 13.5% ABV.
Production: Fruit (93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc) sourced from the a single vineyard--the "Don Melchor" vineyard in the "Puente Alto" region of the Alto Maipo Valley. Barrel aged for one year in French oak, then allowed one-year's time for bottle aging before release.
Appearance: 5/5. Bold, dark, regal-purple. Concentrated.
Aroma: 17/20. Ripe cherry and blackberry aroma with a brush of dark, dusty fruit skins. Fruit aromas ride on top of some softly phenolic tones of tar and charred oak.
Flavor/Body: 38/40. Medium-bodied with lively cherry flavors with soft touches of vanilla cream, coffee and chocolate. The beauty of this wine is expressed in its balance and softness on the palate. Exceptionally balanced; smooth with no rough edges or unpleasant surprises. Nothing unripe, green, or sharp.
Finish: 9/10. Soft, easy to drink. Young but ready right now.
Overall: 23/25. Easy to recommend. My final score: 92. Excellent. 4½ stars. Rated "94" by Wine Spectator Magazine, a fact that is proudly broadcast on the neck ring of the bottles I purchased.
Price and Availability: I bought this wine for about $33 per bottle at a Costco store in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
This (the Concha y Toro "Don Melchor" Cabernet Sauvignon) is one of the best wines I've tried in the under $50-price class this year. For UNDER $10/bottle... I'd recommend the Concha y Toro "Xplorador" Cabernet Sauvignon. I shared a bottle with my wife last week... and find it to be an excellent everyday drinker. More information at the winery's website:
http://www.conchaytorousa.com/wines/xplorador.html
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
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