Wine Review: 2016 Calyptra Grand Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Cachapoal

Calyptra Sauvignon Blanc is quite the find. This wine comes from the D.O. Alto Cachapoal Valley. The vineyards are organic and located at an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level. With this wine you also have oak aging. The fermentation took place in 600 liter (160 gallon) barrels made from French oak which were coopered here in Chile. The wine was inside these barrels between 18 and 24 months in contact with its lees. Afterwards, it was bottle aged for one year before going to market. Continue reading

Wine Review: 2017 Bestia Wines Bestia Negra Reserva de Familia Strong Red Wine Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon

If you want a strong, huge red wine, look no further. The Bestia Negra is exactly that. An aggressive, tannic, alcoholic beast. As the name suggests, it is a perfect match with Strong Red Wine. Very high alcoholic wine at 14.5% from the D.O. Colghagua Valley. Continue reading

Wine Review: 2019 Casa Silva Doña Dominga Cabernet/Carmenere Colchagua

Doña Dominga is a second label for the well known Casa Silva. The label has the objective of high quality, for a lower price point. Casa Silva is also one of only three wineries with 100% of their vineyards as Certified Sustainable and is also 100% family owned with its origins in the Colchagua Valley. Casa Silva is the most award-winning Chilean winery in the 21st century. Continue reading

Wine Review: 2018 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Merlot Central Valley

Concha y Toro is one of the most recognizable wine brands out there on the market. They are an enormous company with many, many varieties and styles at their disposal. I wanted to take a closer look at one of the more available wines where you can find nearly anywhere from your local grocery store, to even the sketchy corner market that doesn’t even have a name above the door. This wine is from the Chilean Denomination of Origin (D.O.) of the Central Valley. It’s Merlot, a Bordeaux French variety and one of the world’s most planted grapes. This particular wine comes from a region where many varieties are planted. The soil here is riverbench and benchland soils, while being aged in American oak barrels for a short time. Continue reading

Wine Review: 2018 Ventisquero Grey Glacier Single Block GCM Colchagua

I’ve been down this road before with this blend, and wanted to have a revisit. What we have here is the Ventisquero Grey [Glacier] Single Block 2018. This is from the D.O. Valle de Colchagua specifically the Apalta Vineyard. It is a Mediterranean styled blend of garnacha (62%), cariñena (19%) and mataro (19%). The Apalta Vineyard is located not far from the Tinguiririca River. The soils consist of stone and sand, with red clay making it ideal for these particular varieties. It spent six months in French oak. Continue reading