A Wine For A Special Occasion

People have a wine, or wines, that they have set aside for a special occasion. The Purple Angel from Montes is one of those wines for me.

Montes has been producing the Purple Angel since 2003 and I was fortunate enough to buy one from that first release. Funny thing was, I was in Vietnam on my honeymoon when I found it. My wife and I were in an amazing little wine bar and browsing the cellar when we saw the label. Purple is one of our favourite colours and it had that kool splatter effect on it that reminded me of Ralph Steadman’s art. Plus, the bottle is heavy, with broad shoulders and a deep bunt – all things I’m a fan of.

We held onto that bottle for 5 years and when we had it, we were floored. Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for more. Ultimately, that bottle had a lot to do with us choosing Chile as a vacation destination for our anniversary – we wanted to go there and try more wines!

Anyway, since then, I’ve picked up a few bottles from each release and have stowed them away for special occasions.

The Purple Angel is composed of 92% Carmenère and adds 8% Petit Verdot to round it out.

Visually it had a deep violet colour, almost black-red and on the nose it displays an intermingling of black pepper, oak, coffee, lavender, vanilla, earth, and a mixture of berries. On the palate, the fruit flavours were lush and concentrated. The acidy may have been a touch high, but the overall balance was excellent, and really chalky tannins rounded out a really long finish.

Speaking of that finish, it seemed to go on for minutes. I took my time between sips to savour the length, to chew on it, to take it all in – I did not want this bottle, that experience, to end.

I have to add this link because this guy is just great.

The drinking window on this wine is anywhere from now (definitely decant it if you’re drinking it now) to 2022 (although I’d wait another year or two to crack the 2007 and not wait until 2022 to enjoy it). All vintages of the Purple Angel have been scoring well – and the 2009 is no different. Like I said, this wine is something we bring out on special occasions as the price has ranged from $50 to $75. I definitely recommend this wine.

Update: Just purchased 4 bottles of the 2010 vintage!!!

***** 5 Stars

Quick 1-Star Ratings

* Stocco Refosco Dal Peduncolo Rosso 2009 – Italy – Vintages 289561 – Price: $14.95

Quick 4-Star Ratings

**** Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – California – Vintages 291914 – Price: $37.95

**** Dinastía Vivanco Reserva 2005 – Spain – Vintages 293431 Price: $24.95

**** Bastianich Adriactico Friulano 2010 – Vintages 277467 – Price: $ 18.95

**** Folie À Deux Zinfandel 2008 – Vintages 147231 – Price: $ 24.95

**** Oveja Negra The Lost Barrel 2008 – Vintages 273979 – $24.95

**** La Capilla Single Vineyard Viu Manet Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Quick 2-Star Ratings

** Union Squared Red 2010 – Ontario – Vintages 292359 – Price: $17.95

** Di Majo Norante Contado Riserva Aglianico Del Molise 2009 – Italy – Vintages 967208 – Price: $15.95

**1/2 Château La Grave Expression 2009 – Vintages 277053 – Price: $ 13.95

**1/2 Tossals Junior 2006 –Vintages 278135 – Price: $ 18.95

**1/2 Santa Ema Reserve Merlot 2009 – Vintages 642538 – Price: $ 16.95

**1/2 Alta Vista Premium Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Vintages 129957 – Price: $ 14.95

**1/2 Château Des Capucins 2009 (Blend) – Vintages 279992 – $19.95

Quick 3-Star Ratings

*** Bodegas Lan Reserva 2007 – Spain – Vintages 42929 – $21.95

*** San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – Chile – Vintages 37911 –Price: $19.95

*** Concha Y Toro Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2009 – Vintages 337238 – Price: $ 19.95

*** Marqués De Cáceres Antea 2010 – Vintages 518985 – Price: $ 14.95

*** Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (V) – Vintages 316570 – Price: $ 18.95

*** Ramón Bilbao Reserva 2005 –Vintages 281097 – Price: $ 17.00

*** Secreto de Viu Manet Sauvignon Blanc 2011

*** Alamos Torrontés 2011 – Vintages # 81539 – $13.95

*** McManis Chardonnay 2010 – Vintages 265983 – $19.95

*** Ghost Pines Winemaker’s Blend Chardonnay 2010 – Vintages 308122 – $19.95

*** Tawse Sketches Of Niagara Chardonnay (V) 2010 – Vintages 89037 – $19.95

*** Finca Antigua Crianza 2008 – Vintages 981613 – $15.95

*** The Lackey Shiraz 2009 – Vintages 5199 – $17.95

***1/2 Torres Celeste Crianza 2009 – Vintages 210872 – Price: $21.95

***1/2 10Cabernet Sauvignon (Ernie Els Wines) – Vintages 278358 – Price: $ 23.95

***1/2 Summers Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Vintages 279380 – Price: $ 29.95

***1/2 Shingleback Shiraz ‘Haycutters’ 2009 – McLaren Vale, Australia – $23

***1/2 Château Sénéjac 2005 – France – Vintages 286443 – Price: $36.95

***1/2 Summers Ranch Reserve Merlot 2008 – California – Vintages 279372 – Price: $34.95

Bellaria Assunto Brunello Di Montalcino 2006

When I saw the rating that this wine received in relation to its price, I was intrigued. You generally can’t find a Brunello, or even a “good” Brunello under $50. And when I saw the Bellaria Asssunto Brunello Di Montalcino 06 (Vintages 206854) for $36.95, I took the bait.

In the glass it had a deep ruby red, almost garnet colour. On the nose I noticed concentrated blackberries, dried cherries, liquorice and overall it was intense on the nose. In the mouth it was balanced and powerful; this was a wine of excellent structure, complexity and depth; it should age very well. This wine could/should be cellared for at least a few more years, but it will definitely be worth the wait. It’s believed that the optimal drinking window for this Brunello should be 2019 to 2027. I think this Brunello presents great value, even at $37, and I’ve already picked up 3 more.

**** 4 Stars

Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red 2008

This time I chose the Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red 2008. It’s made of a blend of Merlot (71%), Malbec (25%) and Cabernet Franc (4%). And honestly, I made this pick primarily on pedigree – this wine comes from a subsidiary of Craggy Range (of which I’m familiar and drank some of their higher end products before).

Stylistically, the Malbec-Merlot represents New World winemaking; but this same blend can be thought of as a mini-Bordeaux blend as it shares three of the six permitted grape varieties used in many Bordeaux blends.

First off, if you can get past that this wine is sealed with a screw cap (this is still a put off for some people and a topic for another time) I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I was expecting something very jammy, really fruit forward, but that wasn’t the case. On the nose, it had a little too much alcohol for my liking when I opened it (and it didn’t seem to dissipate as the bottle flowed), but I carried on nonetheless. I read that others found mint, blackberry, milk chocolate, cassis and paprika in the bouquet – I didn’t.

It had a deep, dark purple colour and on first sip I was stuck with the minerality. It wasn’t overly fruity (a little vanilla, some spice and plums), but it was nicely balanced and finished with a little chalkiness. For me, this wine blended Old World and New World sensibilities. I enjoyed it, it was easy to drink – my first glass was with ribs at dinner and my last was on its own relaxing shortly afterward.

The Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red 2008 can be found at Vintages (product code 163600) for $17.95. Enjoy it now to 2015.

*** 3 Stars

Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Block 27 Carmenère

In this review I’d like to cover the Carmenère grape. Believed to originally come from France, but now is rarely found there. In the 1800’s it was transplanted in Chile, and because of Chile’s relative seclusion, the taste profile slightly changed. And now, Carmenère is considered Chile’s distinctive varietal. The flavour has been aligned as a softer Cabernet Sauvignon and it even has been confused as a Merlot over the years.

Simply put, it was sublime. For me, it’s one of the better bottles I’ve had in a long, long time. Looking at it in the glass; it had a deep, dark purplish colour. On the nose it was soft, yet deep; had current and blackberry overtones, a hint of oak and spice. In the mouth, it was smooth – oh, so, smooth. It was perfectly balanced, with a medium to long finish. At $29.95 it’s a little expensive for an everyday wine. This would easily be $75 to $100 in a restaurant or more.

From my research on prior vintages and what I’ve read up on the current one, all six previous vintages have scored between 93 and 97 points with Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate.

I’ve had the 2007, I have a 2008 and I will be getting at least one of the 2009’s.

They’re saying to decant it if you want to drink it now, but can easily hang onto it for 5-10 years. You can find the 2009 using the Vintages catalogue number 562892.

**** 4 Stars

Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon – J. Lohr

The Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon from J. Lohr (California) delivers a dry, yet very accessible wine that is generally a crowd-pleaser. I’ve been drinking the Cabs from Lohr for a number years now and this vintage is on par, if not exceeding, what they have been offering in the recent past. It’s no secret why its part of the VINTAGES Essentials Collection.

You get a medium to full-bodied, deep dark red Cab that is lightly oaked and has smooth tannins that provide decent finish. On the nose you’ll find it slightly jammy with hints of black currants, plums, mint, black cherry, vanilla and spices.

For me, the price-point of $21.95 is ok. It breaks my $20 threshold for a day-to-day wine, but this wine has pretty good value – you know what you’re going to get. Plus, it compliments a wide range of foods and can easily stand up on its own without food. I can easily recommend this wine.

*** 3 Stars