--- Iron Chef's Review ---
After the success of the Merlot Trio, I was excited to try this again. Also Norman's blog of astringent Cabs was ringing in my ears.
Nose- Heady with Alcohol. Black currants, Menthol Tobacco. Burnt sugar. Some stemmy aromas.
Taste- Hot and boozy. Bell/Green Peppers, Sun dried tomatoes. Jammy Currants. Sharpe after taste- lots of tannins mixed with resiny oak. Some nice caramel notes.
Decanted for 2 hours.
Overall: I remember a number of years ago doing a Lindeman's Tasting blind- the Merlot, the Cab and even the Pinot Noir were remarkably similar, a certain house style refined the varietals characteristics into one indefinable taste. The Concha Toro wines don't seem to suffer that fate, the Merlot Trio and the Cab Trio are quite different, even though I may like one style much more than the other, I respect their differences.
The astringent qualities of the Cab blend was very evident, the palate was sharp, this was thankfully lessened with food, but present all along. A good example of this maybe Chocolate, it is often assumed that the higher cocoa percentage yields a better chocolate, but I have found that 75% or more cocoa just imparts a bitter flavour. Cabernet, like cocoa, needs other things to tone down the bitter parts, like oak or longer maceration or even Merlot.
I liked this wine, but in comparison to the Merlot Trio, it was lacking.
Retail Price: $15.79
Value: 3.5/5
Score: 86
Region: Chile- Maipo
Alcohol: 14%
UPC: 7804320143958
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