I'll cut right to the point - this wine is great. Structure, fruit, complexity, length - it's got everything. The flavours are generally on the dark side of the spectrum - I get chocolate, for example, though Kelly doesn't. Here are her notes:
"Lush, dark nose of anise, blackberries, cedar, minerals, spices, earth, vanilla on nose follows through on palate, plus tar. Smooth and round on palate. Tannins are firm but not obtrusive. Beautifully balanced and very long. Delicious."
Wine Spectator gave this a 95, but Kelly "only" gave it a 93. I'll split the difference and call it 94. My records (yes, I have records for my cellared wine) show I paid about $49 when I bought it. I expect the price has gone up since then, but it would be great value even at a higher price. Wine Spectator has rated recent vintages consistently in same range. If we're luckly we'll see a new vintage on the shelves again.
Price: $49
Value: 4.5/5
Score: 94
Alcohol: 14%
Region: Chile, Puente Alto
Tasted: Nov 2008
UPC: No longer available
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We had the 2000 vintage, which WS rated 94, a few years ago and found it disappointing. We gave it an 88. I'm not sure why we then bought the 2001, but it's a happy surprise.
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