Today I tried a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Montes winery in Colchagua. The valley is situated in central Chile and widely known as one of South America’s most promising wine regions. The dominating grape varieties are Syrah, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Optical impression
The wine in my glass is a 2015 vintage Montes Reserva. The optical impression is a powerful cherry-red, very clean. The color looks really nice and makes me want to try this wine from Chile instantly.
Nose
The smell of wood is very prominent. The winemaker used American oak barrels for the wine. I don’t get a lot of primary fruit aroma, but I can smell a hint of blackcurrant. On the label the wine is described with cinnamon and caramel flavours, but I don’t get that at all. What I do have is a small amount of horse sweat, or Brettanomyces. A yeast fungus often found on the skins of wine grapes, but it’s very common and not very dominant.
Taste
The wine is fresh and youthful with a light bitterness on the pallet. I taste the American oak quite dominantly and some hints of cherry and herbs. I would consider the tannin and acidity as medium and the alcohol as medium plus, at least for a western European taste. The wine is light bodied and the finish is not too long. Although the wine is rather high in alcohol with 14% you don’t get too much of it.
I would rate the wine as good quality and award 6 out of 10 stars for this Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Colchagua Valley. Prost!
Grober Unfug 