Varietal: Â 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:Â Maipo Valley, Chile
Cost: Â $16 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Â This wine was made with selected 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in our Santa Ana Estate vineyards. After being carefully aged in oak casks, it was then bottled and stored in our cellars until it reached maturity.
It has an intense ruby red color with an elegant and complex aroma. The palate is round and velvety displaying excellent balance between fruit and oak. It is ideal with meats and ripe cheese.
My Review: Â Chilean wine tends to find its way into my home rather often, both from being sent to me and from my wife and I picking out bottles at the store. This is in no small part because of how well the whites pair with hot Virginia days, and the reds with food from the grill, something we like to take advantage of during the Spring and Summer here in Richmond.
The 2011 Undurraga Sibaris Reserva Especial was sitting on my wine rack when we recently had a beautiful day here in Richmond, with temperatures in the 70s – weather that just begged for the grill to be fired up. I was happy to oblige, and my wife and I grabbed some steaks, shrimp, and potatoes for dinner. With dinner getting ready, I opened up the bottle and decanted it to let it open up some.
The wine was a beautiful, dark ruby red color, both in the decanter and when it made its way into the glass. On the nose I picked up dark fruit, mostly cherry, with some spice and oak. In the mouth the wine was smooth, with just the right amount of tannins, and a nice balance of fruit and oak, with neither being dominant.
Paired with the steak the wine was great, though thanks to the balance of it I can see it pairing just fine with some sharp, robust cheeses as well without overwhelming them. I’d also have liked to pair this wine with some beef stew – honestly just about any red meat would be a good pairing for this wine.
Whether you’re just getting ready to start grilling or you’ve got a few more weeks of cold weather with stews and chili, this is a very good wine at a great price. Definitely one to check out.
Editor’s Note: Â I received this wine as a free sample.
