2010 Montes Alpha Merlot

The 2010 Montes Alpha Merlot, blended with 10% Carmenere, has a touch of greenness on the nose, while the palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a juicy blackberry, cigar box and soy-tinged finish that shows good persistency. This is a commendable Chilean Merlot. Drink now-2016. Montes was founded in 1987 and became one of the first wineries to exploit the hillsides to make premium Chilean wine, most notably in the Apalta Valley. It was also the first winery to cultivate Syrah in Colchagua. The winery eschews pumps and is built around gravity transfer, while the entire design is based around the Chinese concept of feng shui. Below lies the semi-circular cellar that houses up to 800 new French oak barrels, enjoying the Gregorian chants while they mature the wine. Despite the impressive facilities and quasi-ecclesiastical karma, Aurelio firmly believes that great wine is made in the vineyard rather than the winery. Still, when I questioned him about whether he is revising his modus operandi, he replied that, at least apropos his Chardonnay, like many in South America, he is decreasing the amount of oak in the wines while lifting the malolactic. This was generally a well turned out portfolio of wines that were far more consistent than others I tasted of similar size. While Montes is not beyond criticism, the entry-level wines represent a perfect introduction to Chilean wine at astoundingly good prices, while the premium bottles offer wines that should repay cellaring. Importer: TGIC Importer, Woodland Hills, CA; tel. (800) 924-0030