2015 Lagar De Bezana Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Cachapoal Valley Chile
When the first wines from Chile and Argentina arrived on the shelves here in America they were good solid bottles at a great price. There are still good everyday bottles in the sub $10 range, and many wineries have now added a reserve bottling, and some offer a "Grande Reserve" or single vineyard bottling.
I can tell you from experience that not all of the "Reserve" or "Grande Reserve" bottles are worthy of that designation, I suspect the word is added to the label to make the consumer think he/she is purchasing a special bottle of wine. As always, do a little bit of research with a quick google search and see what you can find for reviews of that particular product. There are reputable wineries and some that are just pumping out wine to make a sale....
As demand for the wines from South America increased, wineries have branched out into more areas surrounding the original growing regions. They are figuring out which grapes to plant where, and which area will give them the characteristics in the grapes that the Winemaker is looking for.
The Cachapoal Valley is located between the Maipo Valley, and the Colchagua Valley. It is mostly sheltered from the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean, the Carmenere grape is grown on the Pacific side of the valley as it likes the bit of cool air that comes in at night. Cabernet grows best on the west side of the valley at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the climate is more Mediterranean. Warm days and lots of sunshine combined with slight elevation make for smaller grapes with good flavor, balanced tannins, and acidity.
The Lagar opens with notes of mint/eucalyptus, cherry, mixed berries, and a bit of spice in the nose. The palate tastes like a mix of black and blue berries, I can taste the mint along with a plum note on the finish, the tannins are fine grained, and it has a slightly tart finish.
The second day offers a more integrated nose of all the initial scents, including a nice hint of mixed berry pie. The flavors have blended together on the palate, and it's smooth, there's a nice slightly thick feel to it, with the fruit notes fading pleasantly in the mouth.
This wine is 5 years old at this point, and could hold in your cellar for a couple of more years if you wanted to buy a case for drinking over this time. If you want to enjoy it now I recommend decanting it for an hour before serving. If you're going to pull the cork and serve it, try chilling it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour it and see how it evolves in the glass...
I enjoyed this with homemade beef stew, I think it would pair well with grilled meats, meat lasagna, red sauce pizza, grilled Italian sausage with peppersand onions, herb crusted pork roast also comes to mind.
Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, and there is a 15% case discount this month on powerbuy wines. That makes each bottle $8.50... Additionally, for every $150.00 you spend you also get a $25 gift card..... this is a good time to stock up on some wines for enjoying out on the deck or patio this summer.
Cheers!
Ed
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