Our February Wine of the Month 2 is a seriously good and seriously made wine from the high altitudes near Chile’s Andes Mountains in a designated region known as the Valle del Cachapoal Andes. This blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Carmenere and 1% Cabernet Franc is an ageworthy wine that drinks big and beautifully bold now and will certainly mellow and deepen with a few decades in the cellar. Keep those grills a-blazing with this one! Steaks, chops, bison burgers, sausage pizza, you name it-- great for big football games, too!
The nose is deep and lustrous-- the star of the show here are the ripe fruits-- loads of cherry, blueberry, black cherry, blackberry… maybe a bit of plum. The fruits are joined by notes of midnight garden, violets, touches of mountain stream minerality and spice, graphite, cacao and light herbals. Lots going on! But, the mixed scents blend harmoniously and the wine smells wonderful.
In the mouth, the fruit still has the top billing as the mixed red and blue berries are uplifted by solid tannins and medium acidity. This is big wine! But it is balanced. The secondary flavors showcase tastes of earth, mineral, hillside brush, spice, truffle and chocolate nibs. The cherry and black cherry notes in the foreground (top billing!) are more pronounced on the medium-length finish. We were blown away by the absolute quality of this wine for the sub-$20 price. So much going on, and in the right way!
This would be an interested one to stock up on and cellar-- don’t get me wrong-- it’s amazing now-- but, tasting the evolution in the glass could be a fascinating study (for science and oenology, of course!) and probably very delicious, as well.
VINOUS 93 POINTS - "The 2022 Sideral is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Carménère and 1% Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Totihue Vineyard in the Cachapoal Andes. Fifty-five percent of the wine underwent barrel aging, while the remainder aged in foudres and amphorae. This garnet red wine reveals notes of currant and boldo, with a deep garrigue-like layer. Dry, juicy and finely structured due to its reactive tannins, it offers a lingering finish with a mild and savory character. The 2022 vintage showcases the most compact mouthfeel yet for this cuvée." Jaoquin Hildalgo
The nose is deep and lustrous-- the star of the show here are the ripe fruits-- loads of cherry, blueberry, black cherry, blackberry… maybe a bit of plum. The fruits are joined by notes of midnight garden, violets, touches of mountain stream minerality and spice, graphite, cacao and light herbals. Lots going on! But, the mixed scents blend harmoniously and the wine smells wonderful.
In the mouth, the fruit still has the top billing as the mixed red and blue berries are uplifted by solid tannins and medium acidity. This is big wine! But it is balanced. The secondary flavors showcase tastes of earth, mineral, hillside brush, spice, truffle and chocolate nibs. The cherry and black cherry notes in the foreground (top billing!) are more pronounced on the medium-length finish. We were blown away by the absolute quality of this wine for the sub-$20 price. So much going on, and in the right way!
This would be an interested one to stock up on and cellar-- don’t get me wrong-- it’s amazing now-- but, tasting the evolution in the glass could be a fascinating study (for science and oenology, of course!) and probably very delicious, as well.
VINOUS 93 POINTS - "The 2022 Sideral is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Carménère and 1% Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Totihue Vineyard in the Cachapoal Andes. Fifty-five percent of the wine underwent barrel aging, while the remainder aged in foudres and amphorae. This garnet red wine reveals notes of currant and boldo, with a deep garrigue-like layer. Dry, juicy and finely structured due to its reactive tannins, it offers a lingering finish with a mild and savory character. The 2022 vintage showcases the most compact mouthfeel yet for this cuvée." Jaoquin Hildalgo
