MONTES 11 TWINS
Twins is a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cab from the Colchagua Valley, one of Chile's best areas for wine grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, and Malbec) with its Mediterranean climate, soil types (clay, sand, decomposed granite) and annual rainfall of 23”. The Valley was named “World’s Best Wine Region 2005” by Wine Enthusiast. Don’t let the reasonable price of this wine fool you-- this is a wine you can cellar for up to a decade, enjoying it along the way. The nose is pleasantly sweet with notes of mixed red berries, plum and a rustic smokiness. The palate blends more fruit, cherry and plum, with a dollop of black pepper, black cherry cola and cedar wood, all buoyed by excellent tannins and structure. We found this one bloomed even more with a bit of air so open a half-hour before drinking. And, while it doesn’t affect the wine per se, Ralph Steadman art on the label is always a good thing, in our opinion.Montes got their start in 1987 when Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, both highly experienced wine professionals, wanted to realize their dream of producing Chilean wines a quantum-leap higher in quality than the standards of the time. In 1988, they joined up with the other two founders, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, who brought their own complementary skills and expertise to the venture. And thus Montes was born, at first under the name Discover Wine. It was a dream come true for four great visionaries who succeeded in taking Montes wines from nowhere to more than 100 countries worldwide. For many, many people, Montes was their introduction to Chilean wine; for this writer, it certainly made a most favorable impression which continues with Twins.
