A French wine legend creates a bold Chilean Cab
A French wine legend creates a bold Chilean Cab
“In vino, veritas! – In wine, truth!” – Latin Expression
In the early 1600’s, Spanish conquistadors planted the first stock of grapes in the South American country of Chile. Located on a strip of land between the towering Andes mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean, the French began transplanting vines in the 1850s. This proved to be a wise investment after the almost total destruction of vineyards in France in the late 1800s. By 1900 A.D. Chilean wine production expanded rapidly and that expansion continues today. Vineyards in Chile avoided the diseases that infected much of Europe. Chilean vineyards are surrounded by mountains that protect from natural parasites.
Los Vascos Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 varietal (www.lafite.com/en/the-domaines/vina-los-vascos.com) is the focus of today’s review. This full-bodied Cabernet is an estate wine grown in the Viña Los Vascos vineyards in Colehuga, Chile under the legendary French Domaines Barones de Rothschild. In 1988 the Château Lafite Rothschild purchased the Viña Los Vascos property to expand their winemaking domain in Chile.
Susan-Anne Cosgrove from Paternak Wine Imports introduced me to Los Vascos. Paternak Wine Imports manages the distribution of the Viña Los Vascos wines in the U.S. from Chile, France,
Spain, Italy, New Zealand and Argentina. Viña Los Vascos vineyards are located next to the Pacific Ocean. This takes advantage of the microclimate of ocean breezes within the warm, dry climate of Colchagua, Chile. This climate of this region is similar to that of California’s Napa Valley. Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon holds true to my impression of earthy, spicy wines from Chile.
PositiveVines Helpful Hint : A microclimate is an area within a larger region that has a different climate. Colchugua enjoys a microclimate cooled by breezes from the Pacific Ocean.
Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon has a beautiful ruby red colored wine with a fruit forward cherry fragrance. The wine’s flavors are intense with blackberries, cherry and spices. This is a full bodied Cabernet with plenty of spices and walnut flavors in the tradition of earthy Chilean reds. Winemaker Marcelo Gallardo uses techniques refined in Chile with a balance of L’Espirit Lafite to create a bold, smooth red wine. The grapes for this wine are exclusively grown at Viña Los Vascos’ estate. This qualifies the wine to have the Grande Reserve classification. I would decant the wine 2-4 hours before serving.
Retail prices average $20 per bottle making this an excellent value for a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It will pair well with grilled beef, pork and lamb dishes. If you are not able to find it in your local wine store it is easy to order. The wine can be secured from Wine.com or Wine-searcher.com. This is a wine that you can drink now, or hold for 2-5 years. At this price, I recommend grabbing a few bottles for your cellar.