Chardonnay from Chile    16.5+/20
Fruit from Casablanca and Limari Valley, 65% stainless-steel fermented with 35% in barrel to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 6-8 months. Bright, full, light golden-straw colour. Delicate, fine citrus fruit aromas are well-balanced by nutty, hop-like oak and minerally elements on the nose. Dry and medium-bodied, this is elegant in proportion with refined, subtle citrus fruit flavours. Bright and lively acidity enlivens the fruit and a little nutty oak and creaminess adds interest. This has a good palate line that has drive, leading to a crisp, dry finish with a good fruit and oak mix. This is a light, refreshing Chardonnay showing light oaking. Match with seafood over the next 2-3+ years. 16.5+/20 Jun 2012 RRP $15.99
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Syrah from Chile    17.5/20Very full, dark, near saturated black-red colour with purple hues. Fresh ripe raspberry and blackberry fruit aromas feature on the bouquet, unfolding dark herb, game and spicy oak notes, along with black pepper. Medium-full bodied, spicy, dark raspberry and black pepper fruit flavours are interwoven with herbs and oak spices. The fruit has richness, enhanced by fresh acidity. Soft supple tannins are in support and provide a full, rounded mouthfeel and texture, and the flavours are sustained on the long finish, with pepper and oak elements lingering. This is a full, spicy and rich Shiraz to serve with hearty, grilled red meat dishes over the next 4-5+ years. Fruit from the Rapel Valley fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 8 months in American oak barrels. 17.5/20 Jun 2012 RRP $15.99
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Merlot from Chile    16.5/20
Very full, very dark, near impenetrable black-red colour with purple hues. This has an elegant nose of ripe blackcurrant and black plum aromas, underlined by dark herbs, all up-front and openly expressed. Medium-full bodied, dense and concentrated, rich black fruits reveal some currant and pepper flavours, with herbal notes. The fruit is framed in good tannin extraction, with soft acidity lending soft textures and some plumpness. There is a good care that carries to a rounded finish with plums, spices and coffee-like oak. This full, soft, but dense and textured Merlot will match casseroles and slow-cooked meat. Fruit from the Rapel Valley, fermented to 13.5% alc., 60% aged 8 months in American oak barrels. 16.5/20 Jun 2012 RRP $15.99
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Other Red from Chile    18.5-/20
Full, near impenetrable black-red colour with youthful purple hues. This has a soft and full nose of dark plums and green olives, near ethereal and quite refined, with layers of floral fragrances with oak toast. Full-bodied, complex flavours of dark curranty fruit with layers of olives, dark herbs and pepper feature. Savoury spice elements emerge in the glass and fill the palate adding interest. The fruit is supported by very supple, fine-grained tannins that build, resulting in concentration and depth. The acidity is fresh and bright, and carry through to a zesty and sustained finish of dark plum fruit, oak toastiness and cedar. This is a fresh, lively Carmenere with classical supple structure and fine textures. Serve with roast lamb or beef over the next 5-7 years. Hand-picked fruit from the ‘Peumo' vineyard in the Rappel Valley, fermented to 14.5% alc., the wine aged 16 months in French oak barrels. 18.5-/20 Jun 2012 RRP $27.99
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Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile    18.5+/20
The ‘flagship' wine of Concha y Toro, a single vineyard wine from the ‘Puente Alto' site in the Maipo Valley. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc hand-picked and fermented to 14.8% alc, the wine aged 15 months in French oak barrels. Very full, saturated black-red with some garnet hues on edge. The nose is softly full and densely packed with ripe, savoury blackcurrant fruit laced with a touch of dark herbs and game, all quite intricate and subtle in expression. Medium-full bodied, this is very tightly bound and concentrated with richly sweet blackcurrant fruit flavours forming a deep core. The tannin extraction is significant and provides an excellent, firm structure supporting the fruit. The tannins are very fine-grained, and along with balanced acidity, there is freshness and detail. The palate is near unctuous and builds in weight. Layers of fruit and some oak spice show on the long finish. This is a rich and seriously constructed Cabernet Sauvignon that will develop greater inter interest over the next 10-12+ years. Match with roast lamb or beef, or serve with hard cheeses. 18.5+/20 Jun 2012 RRP $99.99
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