Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Malbec – Smooth, Complex and Delicious

Bulk Buy!

100% Malbec from Central Valley, Chile.

SRP of $17 and available for as low as $13. Imported by Excelsior Wines (Banfi Vintners). Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“The majestic high Andes forming the backbone of South America have a series of ridges that jut out east-west. In Chile, vital crystalline water crashes down the steep mountain valleys carving out short river courses to the Pacific and refreshing the bountiful riverbank crops and vineyards on its way.

The Malbec vineyards, planted on the south bank of the Tinguiririca River, produce a wine with tremendous elegance and aromas of violets, blueberries and caramel.

14.0% Alcohol”

While everyone talks about Malbec and Carmenere as the signature grapes of Argentina and Chile respectively, these two regions obviously have a lot of geographical similarities. Add excellent grape growing expertise to prime vineyard locations and there’s no reason to look exclusively to Argentina for fantastic Malbec or to not buy anything but Carmenere from Chile. Today’s Chilean Malbec from Concha y Toro’s Serie Ribera, or Riverbank Series, is proof enough of that. The aim of this particular line is to highlight varieties that are grown near one of Chile’s major rivers, the Rapel, Cachapoal, Maule and Tinguiririca.

The 2011 Concha y Toro Serie Riberas Gran Reserva Ribera del Tinguiririca Malbecbegins with a very pleasant and complex aroma of dark berries, spice, a little cola and licorice, a few dried herbal notes and a hint of green olive. It’s one of those “the more you smell the more you find” kind of wines, which I love. Tasting the wine reveals abundant dark, rich fruit, a bit of cola and chocolate. It has nice structure and is very silky smooth with soft tannins. It ends with a dry, delicious and very long finish. Fantastic!

If you’re interested in exploring Chilean Malbec, here are a few more to check out:

• Perez Cruz Limited Edition Cot 2010 – Malbec, It’s Not Just From Argentina (And France) Anymore
• De Martino Legado Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2010 – An Alluring Blend
• Flipflop Left Coast Malbec – Flipping Tasty

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.