drunk with leftover stew.
dark fruits, lycorice, spice, tobacco, a touch of cedar, bell pepper and herbs on the nose... Round, black plum, cassis, spice, cinnamon, slightly smokey with vanilla, wood spice and toasted earth... Fairly fresh with nice balancing acidity, coffee and cocoa. Some pepper and garrique herbs. The more it sits in the glass the more the flavours switch from one grape to the other. Lots of savoury pepper, herbs and cocoa on the finish. Dense but persistent and not cloying. Some red fruit, plum, coming now, wood spice, cedar, tobacco... Fairly meaty, animal and leather. Cocoa and a more milky texture now, more poise and precision as well. Much more delicate and rustic than one would expect of a new world wine such as this that is the top wine from a well-known wine maker, a touch of mineral charactar (sandstone, sand, saline) coming through even a hint of iron ore, squid ink, the Syrah and Carmanere I think dominate the flavours with the Cabernet giving this structure. Much longer on the finish... Meaty, rich, savoury, persistent. Just an hour and a half of air does this wonders, but being youthful this should improve nicely over the next 5-7 years but it is very nice now. ****(*+) or [4+4.5+5+4~=17.5+/20]
The name of this comes from the mountain range which looks over the vineyards in the shape of a sleeping Indian. It is believed they are the protectors of the fertile Maipo Valley slopes and this comes in at 14% Abv. VOL. again this is a DO Valle Central wine. Not one that is available in the UK at present, but a very accomplished wine and a range of wines that fit various budgets from roughly £7-10 a bottle up to this at around £25-40 depending on who stocks it and exchange rates. those prices are estimates based on what I paid in yen, and what I would have paid if they hadn't been on offer (opening sale).