The Wines of France

Wine Tasting -Casillero del Diablo Shiraz 2006-

Vineyard: Casillero del Diablo

Producer: Concha y Toro

Wine: Shiraz

Vintage: 2006

Origin: Maipo Valley, Chile

Best Time to Drink? Drinks now, do not age.

The name Casillero del Diablo means “Cellar of the Devil”. In the 19th century, the founder of Concha y Toro, Don Melchor, discovered that his vineyard workers were sampling his greatest wines. To discourage them, Don Melchor spread the rumor that his deepest, darkest cellar was the Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the Devil), so that no one would dare go in there. It worked, and a legend was born. Today, this mysterious and legendary cellar continues to hold the finest, estate grown wines of Casillero del Diablo

The Short Review: Big, bold, ruby red, with very slight tannin. Quite frankly, a good example of a Shiraz, the kind of thing I’d recommend to friends to try as their first Shiraz.

Tasting Notes: Rich aromas of blackberries, plums and chocolate led on to a round, mouth-filling palate with sweet tannins and a soft finish. Opening the bottle I immediately knew I was onto something special. The aroma was powerful, but pleasant. The cork (real cork) had a gorgeous fruit smell to it. Pouring it into the glass you’ll find it has a bright, very deep, red colour to it. Ruby red is what I’d call it, and it’s simply gorgeous. A couple of my latest bottles of wine, a Jacob’s Creek comes to mind, had a much more brown colour that I quite frankly don’t find appealing. This wine, however, is stunning. So stunning that I want my studio back so I can take photos of it, it’s that nice.

I can pick up some oak and fruit on the smell, but I’m not going to suggest I can find anything deeper. Taste wise it was very bold out of the bottle. After about 40 minutes it mellowed out, but remained a ‘gently bold’ Shiraz. I got the impression that this is a good wine for introducing people to the Shiraz grape, as usually they are a little too bold for people to enjoy (which is why Cabernet is so popular I think). It’s best feature (besides the colour and smell) is that it’s a straight-up Shiraz; this wine doesn’t try to be anything different, so it doesn’t come off as ‘weird’ or hard to understand.

Overall I’d suggest that this wine makes a fine addition to the ‘everyday’ section of one’s wine rack. It’s a good example of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Personally, I think of a Cabernet Sauvignon as ’step-up’ from the typical Shiraz that is brought and served at dinner parties now-a-days. And, to be totally frank, this is cheaper and MUCH better choice than the Yellow Tail offerings that are over-running popular wine these days.

My impression is that this wine is best served with stronger meals like roasts, stews, etc. I’d LOVE to try this coupled with some game like venison, spicy casseroles and peppered steak. I think it would be a fantastic combination.

Conclusions Be a little different, be a little bold, and for gosh sakes…show some colour in your wine choices! Add three bottles to your wine rack; one to drink now, one for taking to your next dinner invitation and one for surprising guests that come over. Make sure to tell them the Devil cellared it. This Chilean made by the very reliable Concha Y Toro clan has a nice intense colour with a dark core and purple notes to the rim. On the swirl it has big dark berry aromas with a touch of baker's chocolate.
Flavours are just fruit to the core with a bittersweet chocolate foundation. It can be picked up for around €5.50 which puts it in the nice value category! So raise a glass, and enjoy!

The Little Rascal...

Arneis, a fussy home-grown white grape, had almost disappeared from Piedmont when Alfredo Currado of Cantina Vietti began to experiment with the grape in the late '60s. The crisp whites he eventually began to produce intrigued other winemakers in the area enough to bring about a renaissance of Arneis. But this year, the 2006, may be the best the estate has ever made.

Crisp and light, with a touch of grapefruit and earth, the 2006 Vietti Roero Arneis is tremendously food friendly. It plays well with prosciutto and other salumi, with cheeses, seafood and poultry. Need something to drink with linguine and clams? Or with fried, stuffed zucchini flowers? Try Arneis. Among Italian whites, it's a standout for its elegance and balanceThe wines are crisp, a little bit perfumy, and perfect for the standard Pinot Grigio drinker who is willing to try something new. I call it a "back pocket trick" for anyone, because it's a small piece of information that can be pulled out of nowhere at any time to impress your guests. They have probably never heard of it, but are guaranteed to like it. And once you can do that with a person you'll have them eating out of your hand, and will earn recognition.
the back pocket principle (which is not limited just to Arneis - Verdicchios, Soaves, and Orvietos work well as Pinot Grigio alternatives too), and here is a little piece of info that might be new to you

"Do you know what Arneis means in Italian?" "Little rascal.""Love it! Perfect for cunning seducers everywhere."

Big glasses make you drink more?

“Oversized wine glasses in British pubs cause worry among pols, health officials,” blared a headline in most dailies.

But it turns out that “big glasses” are being blamed on binge drinking! Roll the tape:

“The glasses are larger and the wines are a lot stronger. It’s a minefield for anyone trying to keep tabs on what they’ve had,” said Srabani Sen, head of Alcohol Concern, a charity.

While binge drinking is no doubt unfortunate and apparently has risen to worrying levels in Europe, are big glasses to blame? Have your say:

Wine As An Aphrodisiac

Keeping up with the Valentine Theme, today I tell you about three specific wines that have an aphrodisiac effect on women, accompanied by three specific wines that can put a man "in the mood." the 14th should be an interesting night!!!

Wine is an aphrodisiac.It has been proven that the aromas of wine replicate human attraction pheromones.those nifty little receptors that communicate attraction to the brain.

Wine No.1 - Corodrniu "Original" Brut Cava
Wine No.2 - Konzelmann Estate Winery Riesling
Wine No.3 - Ridge California Chardonnay
Wine No.4 - Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir
Wine No.5 - Cheateau Le Rait Bordeax
Wine No.6 - Nugan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon