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 This
SWWS event was a privileged opportunity to taste some of the very
best wines of South America's two top wine-making countries: Chile
and Argentina. All these wines can be picked as a winner on its
own and it was hard to compare and vote for our favourite wines
as you will see. In addition to these premium wines the Listel
Hotel had paired up food to compliment the wines.
Our
reception wine was the Tolten Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. This
wine is a light style acidic wine with a hint of peach and apricot,
and a crisp finish.
 Our
speaker at this evening's tasting was Paul Watkin, a wine educator
and consultant. Paul brings nearly two decades of experience in
the wine/hospitality trade. Paul began the evening talking a bit
about the wines produced in Chile and Argentina. Malbec he pointed
out is the signature grape of Argentina. Also of interest is that
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world.
The problem for us is that most of Argentina's wine is consumed
locally. Chile on the other hand has a wider selection of wines
in BC, yet is either the ninth or tenth largest wine producer
in the World. The Carmenere grape is being more widely known due
to Chilean exports. Many of this evenings Chilean wines have some
Carmenere.
The
wines were tasted in groups. The three Argentinean Malbecs were
tasted first and were enjoyed with a grilled vegetable antipasto
plate. All three wines were fruity and had hints of chocolate
and oak. All three wines were unfiltered, with the Cadus Malbec
Reserva having a significant amount of solids left in the glass.
The Altos Las Hormigas Malbec left a dark deep purple colour on
the glass. It was tart with cherries and dark berry fruits. It
went nicely with the sweet grilled carrots. The Catena Lunluta
was less intense then the Altos, but was had a more silky mouth
feel. It had notes of spice, oak and cherry. The Cadus Malbec
Reserva was also deep purple in colour, and had a bouquet with
smokiness, pepper and vanilla. The taste was very dry and dusty.
It was the most tannic of the three malbecs tasted and also the
most full bodied.
 The
next grouping of wines were the Rothschild Escudo Rojo, the Antiyal,
the Primus Veramonte and the Weinert Gran Vino. Each of these
wines had a separate food pairing. The Rothschild Escudo Rojo
was rated overall as an elegant wine with well integrated tannins
and a good length. The bouquet had a hint of green pepper which
is a character of Carmenere but was not officially listed as one
of the grapes in this blend. Ripe fruit and oak was evident in
the bouquet. It was recommended to wait a few years to enjoy this
wine at it's peak. The pairing for this wine was the beef tenderloin
carpaccio.
The
Antiyal 1999 is only it's second vintage, and is an organic wine.
It consists primarily of Carmenere with Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah to complete the wine. It was deep in colour and very opaque.
The wine has mineral, currant, cedar, and raspberry aromas and
flavours. The Antiyal was paired with lamb sirloin skewers.
The
Primus Veramonte was paired with a deli meat platter. It was starting
to turn a brickish colour and indicates that this wine is at it's
peak. The Primus had a good expression of the Carmenere grape.
There was a grassiness, earthiness and smokiness to the bouquet
of this wine. The taste was exceedingly smooth, sweet and soft.
 The
last wine in this group was the Weinert Gran Vino. Smoked chicken
in a brie filo purse was the accompanyment to this wine. This
wine was described as having a "European" style. The
fruit and flavours were not as upfront as the other wines and
had some acidity. The taste was soft and smooth with nice fruit
flavour.
The
last group of wines were the most impressive in quality and this
was reflected in their prices, ranging from $35 - $75 a bottle.
The Finca Flichman Dedicado, Concha y Toro Don Melchor and the
Domus Aurea are all excellent wines. The Finca Flichman Dedicado
had a wonderful dark fruit and sweet spice bouquet. The wine had
a nice mouth feel, very smooth and silky, with a long finish.
This wine was enjoyed with a bleubry and pecan crostinis.
The
Concha y Toro Don Melchor is from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes
and was aged in French oak for 12 months. It had a leather, minty,
and eucalyptus bouquet. The tannins in the wine are quite strong
but should soften with aging. The taste was a bit hot from the
alcohol content. This wine went very well with the grilled buffalo
striploin. It was also very cheese friendly.
The
final wine of the evening was the Domus Aurea by Clos Quebrada
de Macul. This wine is from the Maipo Valley from 30 year old
vines. 1997 is the second vintage of Domus Aurea. It is 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon. It has been said that the grapes from this winery are
the most expensive in Chile. This is a rich, full-bodied wine
witha bouquet of oak, berries and mint. The taste is very smooth.
All aspects of this wine are very balanced with a great length.
This wine went very well with the soft cheeses and grapes it was
paired with.
 Tasting
Selection
As all the wines were excellent, we could not limit ourselves
to a first and second place wine. Our favourite 3 wines for this
tasting are:
1. Domus Aurea Cab.S. Chile 1997
2. Finca Flichman Dedicado Cab.S./ Syrah/Malbec/Merlot Arg 1997
3. Antiyal Carmenere/Cab.S./Syrah Chile 1999
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