WIne Tasting Note: Penalolen Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003, Maipo Valley, Chile.
Posted on November 26, 2005 by Andrew Barrow in Wine Notes
This is growing on me. Unimpressed on initial sample – yeh, it’s a cab. minty, blah blah… accompanied a simple meal of venison sausages and chive-spiked mash potato… umm, nice… even in the heat-less cottage (the heating has packed up; on the coldest fecking day of the year).
Wine Tasting Note: Peñalolen Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003, Maipo Valley, Chile.
Listed by Oddbins for £6.99.
A smidgen of mint invades the medley of black fruits that dominate the palate. Tannins are fine and dandy, thank you very much, while the length is just as impressive. Serve with food is my conclusion. Lovely and smooth with those venison sausages. An inky twist on the finish. I don’t agree with the Oddbins claim that this is the best value red on their shelves; it ain’t bad but wild claims are the Oddbins norm. A Bordeaux blend with 88% Cabernet, 8% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol 14.5%. Warming. Steak and Kidney pudding… venison… cottage pie… something equally hearty on these cold nights.
Scribblings Rating – 88/100
The label is interesting; I brought the bottle for the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday but succumbed before the deadline. Means I can go buy something else now! It appears to be a mouth-less wooden head of some description. Frightening.
Scribbles on Photos
jens says:
Post Author 30/11/2005 at 2:40 pmYou can’t use this one for WBW #16 as I was going to pick the same wine! A friend, Jeff Jarvis, is the Mid-west rep for Global Vineyards and had brought this around for a wine tasting in the shop with a few other new Chilean reds. A very good portfolio of wines with the Maquis Lien the favorite. Oh well, I guess I will keep looking!!
jens at cincinnati wine garage
Andrew says:
Post Author 30/11/2005 at 3:40 pmI shall find something else then… something more colourful and not as scary on the label perhaps?
Any idea what the figure is on the label?
Julia says:
Post Author 10/07/2007 at 5:20 pmThe image on the bottle is a ceramic sculpture by Benjamin Lira, a Chilean artist who is fairly famous. He makes these amazing ceramic heads, generally about 3 feet tall. They’re more impressive if you see them in real life, but they’re quite beautiful.
I liked the wine too…much better than their sauvignon blanc, which I wasn’t too impressed with.
Andrew says:
Post Author 10/07/2007 at 7:24 pmNot seen the SB around but no great loss it would seem Julia; fascinating story though, so thanks for the explanation.