Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir – A Special Treat From Chile

100% Pinot Noir from Casablanca Valley, Chile.

SRP of $32 and available for as low as $22 (Saturday Splurge). Sample received courtesy Wines of Chile for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Another chapter of a story that began in 1996, when we set apart the 20 best barrels provided by that year’s harvest, and bottled them on their own. From then until now, this range continues to convey our profound commitment to terroir expression and enological excellence. A sophisticated and complex Pinot Noir that brings together New World fruit and the centennial Burgundian winemaking tradition. Notes of fresh cherry, strawberry and plum mingle with leather and tobacco in the background. Smooth, complex and enveloping.

14.5% Alcohol”

I’m a big fan of wine from Chile but I have to admit I’ve never considered Chile a region where you would find good Pinot Noir. That might just be changing but it remains true that Pinot Noir from Chile can be hard to find. This is exactly the reason for a Saturday Splurge…sampling a wine/variety that you’re hard pressed to find under $20 because it is limited in production and/or distribution.

Today’s wine comes from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. We’ve discussed much more about the wine regions in Chile and Chilean wine in general in our two previous series on Chile so I encourage you to check both those out:

• Tour of Chile Part 1 (Carménère)
• Tour of Chile Part 2 (Coastal Whites)

In addition, being a bit of a wine geek, I really enjoy trying varieties from areas you wouldn’t expect to find them — although if you really think about it maybe Pinot Noir from Chile shouldn’t be all that much of a surprise. After all, we’re talking about one of the most geologically diverse countries in the world — somewhere in this vast stretch of land they should be able to produce some good Pinot Noir, right? Let’s find out…

The 2009 Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir begins with an excellent aroma of cinnamon, licorice, black cherry and plum. Tasting the wine reveals juicy fruit (berries and plum), licorice, vanilla, great spice, black pepper and even a little smoke. In other words, this is quite a complex wine with lots of different flavors, but more importantly it is extremely tasty. The mouthfeel is smooth and delicious. The medium-long finish shows sweet, almost candy-like fruit and there’s a really excellent progression of flavors from the first sip all the way to 30 seconds after swallowing. I will definitely be seeking out more Chilean Pinot Noir based on this wine!

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

Saturday Splurge