11/19/2022 0 Comments Domus aurea cabernet sauvignon 2016However, if you reflect on the fact (this is not a matter of opinion) that you'd likely need to pay $40 for a bottle providing this level of concentration and complexity from Napa or Bordeaux, your comfort level with Chile may heighten in a hurry. If you want to see the heights of Chilean Carménère, here it is.Įrrazuriz, Aconcagua Valley (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon "Max Reserva" 2003 ($25, Vintus): I understand that some North American consumers aren't yet comfortable turning toward South America as a source for their wine on special occasions when they are prepared to pony up for a big ticket bottle. The polished texture and lush tannins are the product of the Errazuriz winemaking team. The Syrah and Petit Verdot had a touch of extra oomph without going over the top. The exotic herbal not-just-fruit element of Carménère is apparent. This gorgeous wine, a blend of mostly (88%) Carménère with the remainder Syrah and Petit Verdot, has incredible complexity. And arguably, with Kai, they are making Chile’s best Carménère. But in addition, they essentially introduced Syrah to Chile. Make no mistake, Errazuriz does make excellent basic Cabernet and Merlot. While much of the Chilean industry was focusing on basic $10 Cabernet and Merlot, Errazuriz, led by Eduardo Chadwick, was heading in a different direction. The 2019 is rich without being dense, and it walks a dazzling tightrope with velvety purple fruits – chiefly blackberries and blueberries – balanced by savory, earthy notes, chalky minerality and almost tart acidity with a final, lightly creamy persistence on the palate.Įrazzuriz, Aconcagua Valley (Chile) "Kai" 2008 ($158): Errazuriz thinks outside of the box. “Carmenere gives spiciness and balsamic, and Malbec provides chocolate and floral notes,” Chadwick says. Merlot, an early component, has been dropped out. This 25th edition represents the continued evolving of their dream – less Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) than the original with 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot. #Domus aurea cabernet sauvignon 2016 full#“It was a great 10 years with Bob and Tim,” Chadwick said in a recent Zoom interview, but, after the Mondavi winery was sold to Constellation, Chadwick and his Errázuriz wine business gained full ownership. Without doubt, it has fulfilled that prophecy. Curiously enough, this is the only year the blend has had more than 8% Cabernet Franc, and winemaker Jean-Pascal Lacaze thinks Cabernet Franc (which was better than ever in 2016) has contributed enormously to the nuance and elegance here.Seña, Aconcagua Valley (Chile) 2019 ($150, Shaw-Ross International Importers): Twenty-five vintages ago, an exuberant Robert Mondavi and a quite young Eduardo Chadwick launched Seña, intending it to be an iconic Chilean wine. While it keeps the classical Domus style and the Maipo character, it’s a lot subtler, fresh and balanced. It’s the most elegant Domus to date, with a level of precision that is not easy to achieve. I love this 2016, a subtler wine that is more introverted, shy and serious but with a level of complexity and depth, refinement and nuance I have not seen in any previous vintages. This is radically different from the 2015 I tasted next to it: 2015 was warm and dry, while 2016 cold and wet, and the wines show it. The élevage was in French oak barrels, 53% of them new, and lasted 16 to 18 months. Part of the wine underwent malolactic in tanks and part in barrel. After a cold soak that lasted around 12 days, the grapes started fermenting spontaneously in stainless steel. The 2016 Domus Aurea, one of the most classical among the Cabernets from Maipo, contains 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot that were harvested early-ish, before the big rains. 2016 was one of the most unusual vintages in Chile in recent times, as it was much colder than usual and rained a lot.
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