Laithwaites Scoop Top Awards At The Wines Of Chile Competition 2008

Among one of the most respected worldwide competitors to rate Chilean wines, the 5th Wines of Chile awards happened this year in the Chilean capital of Santiago. 9 go by the UK awarded medals to wines from lots of brand-new regions, which mirror the scale as well as diversity of Chile’s wine offerings. Laithwaites scooped numerous top honors at this competition consisting of Best Worth Prize from the Elqui Valley and also the very best in Program Prize for a red from the Rapel Valley. With a variety of over 80 wines, Chile has confirmed deservedly prominent with Laithwaites’ team and also consumers.

Falernia Estate, from the little-known north area of Elqui, won 3 of the competition’s ten prizes. The Laithwaites unique Alta Tierra Sauvignon Blanc from Falernia stunned the judges to win Gold, Best Worth White Prize as well as the Sauvignon Blanc Prize. This is an incredible result for Falernia who were, until just recently, the only manufacturer to be based in the Elqui Valley.

Laithwaites’ manufacturers in more well established Chilean wine areas likewise accomplished considerable success with the Trophy for the most coveted award, Wine of the program mosting likely to Viña La Rosa’s Ossa 2004 from Cachapoal, Rapel Valley. An additional conventional region, Maule Valley, saw its Gillmore Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 win the Cabernet Sauvignon trophy, likewise readily available to acquire at Laithwaites.

Another winner at the Wines of Chile Honors mosted likely to Adolfo Hutardio, Cono Sur’s Principal Wine maker who won the Chilean personality of the year. Cono Sur make several of the Laithwaites Chilean variety consisting of the Casa del Rio Verde and also Grandma Valle de Niebla wines The accolade rewards an individual that is “a real character, with a vibrant and also nice character, as well as who is an excellent ambassador for the contemporary Chile.”

Vicki Stephens Clarkson, the Laithwaites Chilean wine customer claims: “It is difficult to defeat Chile for its large high quality and also worth. It is fantastic news that our Chilean wines have actually executed so well in this contest. We travelled to Chile 3 times in 2007 to guarantee that the very best high quality and worth wines are delivered to our consumers’ doors from standard and brand-new regions”

Laithwaites have among the largest Chilean arrays in the country with wines sourced from nearly every wine area in the country from Limari in the North to Bio Biography Valley in the South. To acquire wine from this excellent Chilean variety phone call 0870 444 8282.

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon From Chile

Chile can be an excellent country for Cabernet Sauvignon. This one comes from the Central Valley viticultural region, which is Chile’s oldest and most traditional wine producing area. That region is divided into four areas, including the Maule Valley, which is not particularly distinguished, perhaps not surprising given this wine’s modest price tag. In a way it is less expensive than at first glance because it’s kosher, and kosher wine production and distribution inevitably involves additional costs. By now you probably know that kosher wines are not always super sweet. This wine is dry. The bottle’s back label states that it was produced by Vina Carta Vieja, a seventh-generation family winery whose first vineyards were planted in 1825. But a trip to their bilingual website did not turn up any indication whatsoever of this wine. Please excuse me for not calling them (I don’t speak Spanish) to confirm or deny its parentage.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed

Don Alfonso Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2009 12.5% alcohol about $ 10 Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Description : A complex Cabernet filled with aromas of blackberry, cherry and black olive. Dry, ripely fruity with subtle oak notes, no tannins to speak of, but nicely balanced, nonetheless. Medium long, lush and smooth finish. Grilled steak is called for. And now for my review.

At the first sips of this wine I got oak and dark fruit but the wine faded rather quickly. Its first pairing was with slow cooked beef ribs with potatoes in a savory sauce. This Cab was chewy and mouth filling. It was hearty and tasted of black licorice. I also enjoyed a salad composed of carrots, palm hearts, chickpeas, Lebanese cucumbers, red peppers, and canned corn. This fine salad softened and lengthened the wine.

The next meal was a boxed eggplant parmiagana which I slathered with grated parmesan cheese. Here the Cabernet Sauvignon showed light acidity and lots of oak. There were barely perceptible round tannins and some black cherry, tobacco, and chocolate. The wine was refreshing but not powerful.

My final meal was beef stew with chickpeas. The wine was woody with dark black cherries. It presented a good balance between the tannins and acidity.

Prior to the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some schmaltz herring in oil instead of the more common vinegar preparation. The Cab tasted of black cherries and was slightly sweet with some oak. When paired with a local Provolone, the wine was slightly harsh presenting light acidity and black cherries. With a tastier Swiss, the wine was round but not very forceful.

Final verdict. This is definitely a wine worth buying again. Not all its pairings were fine, but many of them were and the price was right, even more so if you are looking for kosher wine. Many people will appreciate the relative lack of tannins, which is rather unusual for a Cabernet Sauvignon.

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