Today’s dish is just something I put together with ingredients I just happened to have on hand. It has no special culinary roots, and, really, is just vaguely a sort of east-west fusion type of creation. I did, however, get to use some of the Turmeric Puree I featured in another post not long ago … Continue reading “Spicy Basil Shrimp”
This Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (actually a blend) is classified as a ‘Gran Reserva’ from the Maipo DO in the Valle Central wine region. The Gran Reserva classification is meant to denote a wine of superior quality, and, for the price, this particular product and vintage certainly merits the distinction. I purchased it at our local beer and wine store and was told, when I placed my order, that it was a very good wine. I am happy to say that the recommendation was more than just sales pitch… Continue reading “Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva 2013”
This Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is another selection from the wine and beer store recently opened here in Iqaluit (and the very first in the whole territory). The range of wines available isn’t huge but, some of them, as is the case with this one, are pretty decent…
This wine is a very dark almost inky ruby in color and has a vibrantly fruity nose with strong raspberry up front, along with a faint hint of vanilla. It is off-dry with mild acidity and smooth tannins that only become pronounced at the end. The fruit is less vibrant in the mouth than on the nose and there is a vegetal quality and some peppery spice. Plum comes through more strongly than the raspberry and there are oaky notes just near the end. The beginning is very nice but it does not round out as well as expected and the finish is a bit short. Of note, though I sampled this a second time the following day with a supper of spicy squid rings. The wine did not overwhelm the squid at all and the squid allowed for a very interesting blackcurrant component to come through that was not apparent before.It isn’t exactly a great wine but still worth buying to have on hand for those who like robust, rather rustic reds.
A while ago, I sampled the 2014 vintage of this particular wine and I was sufficiently impressed to order some more. I didn’t notice, however, that I was actually purchasing the 2015 vintage but, as it happened, this year turned out to be every bit as good as the 2014…
The pertinent details for this selection are as follows:
The color of the wine is a very dark, cherry red, and it is fairly full bodied with an almost crisp mouthfeel. It is quite dry, somewhat north of moderately acidic and it has robust, yet smooth tannins that last well into the nice long finish. The nose is very aromatic with vibrant red berries and there is a faint grassy note lurking in the background. Dark plum and blackcurrant dominates in the mouth, and there is a peppery spiciness with woody notes and a definite empyreumatic quality.
Sadly, I am now on my last bottle and I will have to decide whether I will order more. I am tempted, as this is a terrific wine to have on hand, given the price, but doing so will mean I have to forego the opportunity to try other wines. I do very much like this one, though, it is a ‘big’ wine, of the sort I favor, and is not only great for sipping, but stands up well to rich, hearty dishes. It well deserves the five stars I gave it.
Well folks, this is the very first wine review I have attempted here at Sybaritica. I am going to be tweaking the format a little as I go, so I would appreciate any suggestions you might have to offer.
Anyway, today’s selection is a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, and the pertinent details are as follows:
As you can see, I have given this wine a 5 star rating. I don’t expect this to be a common rating in my reviews and, as we shall see anon, this particular rating is somewhat qualified… Now, on to the review:
The color of the wine is a very dark, purple red, and it is fairly full bodied with a smooth, but not quite velvety texture. The nose immediately strikes you with a generic red berry fruitiness that quickly develops a deep blackcurrant quality, and there are some floral highlights and a background vegetal quality that expresses itself most with a slightly sharp hint of stinging nettles.
The overall effect is off-dry, with moderate acidity, and tannins that are largely smooth throughout, but which produce a mild astringent effect near the end. On the palate, blackcurrant definitely dominates, but what I liked best about this wine was a fruity tang near the end that was very reminiscent of the wine-gum candies I used to love as a kid. There is a little spice component, that complements the candied wine-gum quality, and also, lurking in the mix, a very faint touch of licorice.
It is not a classically ‘great’ wine, by any means… the finish is a bit short and a rustic roughness makes it difficult to qualify it as well-rounded, but it is eminently drinkable, and, when you factor in the very low price, I would raise it from a four to a (qualified) five star rating. as being something I would buy to have on hand.
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