over in their 2500 year old graves if they can hear their names used to endorse this wine, which is overwhelming characterized by what Kelly simply calls “that cheap wine smell.” This stuff is truly terrible. The Partager from Barton & Guestier ($11/litre) that I’ve been using for cooking after it has been sitting opened on my kitchen counter for a week is better than the Sibaris. I’m not kidding. I gave them both to Kelly to taste blind and she agreed. I wouldn’t use the Sibaris for cooking. In fact, I didn’t. The sauce I was making needed red wine, but I wasn’t going to poison it with this stuff. Maybe it will improve with age – I’ll never know, because I won’t let any of it pass my lips again. This is a Wine Expo wine, and luckily for everyone, there’s hardly any left. Blech.Price: $20.29
Value: 0/5
Score: 75
Grape: Carménère
Region: Chile, Colchagua Valley
UPC: 7804315001997
Posts
Wow- what a review.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I was pretty mad, but I wouldn't take back a word. This is a totally manufactured wine, aimed at the "dark, inky, huge, monster" style. That's style is not my favourite, but it's ok when it's done right; when it's not, you end up with purple mouthwash.
ReplyDeleteOH NO! I picked up one of these at the Expo too! It didn't turn, did it? But you guys would know if it did! I am scared now! I was planning to open it at my staff gathering on Friday.
ReplyDeleteIf it was off, it was off in a way that is new to me. I think they probably intended it to taste like that.
ReplyDeleteActually, it wasn't so much the 'cheap wine smell' that bothered me as the strong acrid taste. It's what I imagine a burning junkpile would smell like, with flaming tires and plastic and varnish and such. I'll be interested to hear if other bottles are better and maybe ours was flawed.
ReplyDeleteHi folks,
ReplyDeleteI have to step in here and offer quite a difference of opinion. I tried the Sibaris Carmenere a couple weeks ago, and quite liked it. It has a lot of the typical Chilean Carmenere characteristics (berry and spice) that one would expect. The only reason I would hesitate to buy another bottle is because of the price compared to the G7 Carmenere. We are fortunate to have the G7 Carmenere on the shelf at a lot lower price and the wines are quite comparable, with the edge going slightly to the G7 (winner of platinum medal in last year's Moncton wine show).
In my opinion, if you're looking for a Carmenere; go with the G7, although the Sibaris is still a really great drinking wine (Concha y Toro's Winemaker's Lot 148 is no longer available, and still a bit too young).
Michelle, don't worry about opening this at your party...you won't be disappointed!
:-)
Difference of opinion is what this blog is about. I'd be curious to know whether our bottle was bad, or if we just have very different views on this style of wine. But I'm not going to buy another bottle.
ReplyDeleteThats why I love this blog! So we shall see. I think I will open this one early before palette fatigue sets in..and inebriation :)
ReplyDeleteI shall report back!
So, Michelle, what was the verdict?
ReplyDeleteUninspiring. It was ok and it did have a "sour" finish. I took it to a Christmas party. I had two glasses. At least mine was drinkable. I will not purchase it again and would go with the Winemakers Lot instead.
ReplyDeleteI guess and "hope" you had a bad luck with a bottle, I tasted one in the Undurraga premises and I ended up buying other three bottles
ReplyDelete