TN: 2013 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Pinot Noir

[n4sir]

2013 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley (screwcap): 13.5% alc. Light red/purple. Opens with beetroot and Turkish delight, developing cloves, tea rose, musk and mushroom over sweet cherry cordial fruits. The palate’s not as attractive, light and spicy, with surprising heat and acidity mid-palate, finishing with unattractive, very bitter green tannins that stick out long after the fruit has disappeared. There’s an underripe aspect to this wine that while attractive on the nose, has too many negatives on the palate; it’s very ordinary stuff, even for a cheapie.



Cheers,
Ian

[paulf]

Chile is not the first place I think of when thinking about pinot noir. It has been over a decade since I was there, but I don't remember seeing much pinot at all.

[Rocky]

It was perhaps 2012 when I did a tour and sit down tasting at Concha y Toro which is about 1.5? hours out of Santiago. Whilst I enjoyed the experience, I wasn't overly impressed by the wines. From recollection it was predominantly cabernet based with some carménère. Memories of untamed tannins. Beautiful winery was the feature.

[Ian S]

Good on you tasting it though.
FWIW I'm told there has been some chat on HRH Jancis' website about the Cab/Carm blend being surprisingly good / good value for money.

[Pej]

Casillero del Diablo reds are generally great value for money. They won't blow you away but they are usually very solid wines for the $13 you pay for it. I have never tried their Pinot but there is good Pinot coming out of Chile in the cooler regions. Maybe not so great when made from a winery pumping out the volume that Concho y Toro does. But their Cabernet, Carmenere and Syrah are all enjoyable most years. I haven't had the same positive experiences from the whites though.

[n4sir]

Bit of a story behind this one, and the Loma Larga I tried afterwards:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15430

I got an invite to an annual Pinot-Duck crawl at very short notice, and drew the short straw to trying to source something from South America - initially I thought great, I would get a malbec from Argentina, but the host insisted no it must be pinot...

Unfortunately here in Adelaide there was bugger all to get at short notice, all Chile and either dirt cheap (sub $15) or pushing over $100 and nearly 10 years old with decidely mixed reviews on Cellartracker. I heard since that (if I can get them in) some examples from Argentina and Uruguay are worth a shot and are more reasonably priced, so I am keeping a look out for those in case I draw that short straw again this year.

Cheers,
Ian

[Pej]

Most South American wine double in price by the time it lands here. Which isn't so bad for the $5 cheapies but when a $30 good value wine turns into $60, you start looking at other options. I don't think much Pinot gets imported either but I'd be looking out for stuff from around Rio Negro or Neuquén in Argentinean Patagonia or Leyda/Casablanca and potentially Bio Bio in Chile. Most Pinot from Mendoza will disappoint though.

They grow Pinot Noir in Uraguay? I thought it might have been too warm?