Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2011 Wine Review – My review of the Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2011 Wine.
It has been a while since I have written a wine review. While I have found some nice new wines in the Finger Lakes, the wines I liked best are not widely distributed. It made little sense to do a review of a wine that wasn’t readily available. So, I was thrilled when Hubby and I recently went to dinner, and Hubby took a chance on the Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2011 Wine.
The Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2011 Wine is a product of Chile. In the interest of honesty, I must tell you that I generally enjoy Chilean wines, and when Hubby chose this, I was predisposed to like it.
The Carménère graoe, along with the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, is considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux, France. The Carménère is now considered the premier grape of Chile, although more Cabernet Sauvignon is grown there.
Vintner’s Bottle and Notes
From cooler vineyards near riverbanks in Chile, Concha y Toro carefully selects its grapes to make the highest quality wines with an emphasis on freshness: Series Riberas, Gran Reserva. Planted on an old terrace on the northern river bank and cooled by the Cachapoal River, the Carmenere vines afford powerful and concentrated wines laden with ripe red fruit, violet, and chocolate.
Intense, purple-red in color with fragrant aromas of blueberries, damson plums, chocolate, and a hint of white pepper. Dense, rich texture on the palate highlighting favors of black fruits, with soft, sweet tannins and a good finish.
My Notes
The color in the glass is a deep, dark reddish purple color. Hubby and I got very different things from the bouquet and taste. Hubby felt the nose was grassy, the taste was a spicy plum, and there was a medium backbone to the wine. I didn’t get a thing on the nose (which bugged me), felt it was a delicious, peppery taste that had very mild tannins while still being a mouthful. It reminded me of a light-Merlot if that makes any sense.
We enjoyed a glass prior to dinner, and then had a glass with our beef. It paired very well. We corked the remains and had it the next day. While not quite as good, it did hold up fairly well.
I enjoyed this wine so much, I purchased a case online ($12 per bottle), and it will be waiting for us when we arrive home! A true must buy, especially for that price!
As always, drink responsibly and please don’t drink and drive.
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