Good Morning Gentle Readers,
Robin Garr (30-Second Wine Advisor) has a point about Chilean wine.......
I tend to be a bit more wary of wines from Chile, not because of any intrinsic flaw in the region's wines but because, frankly, too many of its producers in recent years have chosen to export modest, one-dimensional wines that compete against American big-brand varietal wines at the lower end of the marketplace, offering low prices but not great value.
With that disclaimer in mind consider the VEO Grande Cabernet Sauvignon, an inexpensive Chilean wine though far from memorable offers a decent glass at a decent price ($6.00-$10.00 US). VEO is likely the Mondavi of Chile and is the largest private grower when measured by sheer vineyard acreage.
This cab is astringent with a fair amount of barnyard so give it some air (let it breath). Although the winemaker promises an opulent wine with loads of berries I didn't find opulence or berries. The wine has an odd although not unpleasant feel to it and tends more toward flat and gray than opulent. But that's okay, it didn't cost what opulent costs. The wine is different than many inexpensive Chilean cabs and I guess that works for me, especially since TWC is repulsed by that cloying (stop me if I've overused that word lately) sickly sweet taste that characterizes many cheap cabs and merlots.
Verdict: It's not a sleeper but it's a good budget wine that you can enjoy with a Southern Italian meal or grilled beef.
As Always,
The Wine Commonsewer
Photo Credit (unless otherwise noted): ©TWC, all rights reserved
