2009 Los Vascos Grande Reserve

Bright ruby. Pungent cherry and redcurrant on the nose, with complicating notes of cracked pepper and tobacco. The palate offers youthfully tangy red berry and bitter cherry flavors, with a touch of licorice. Sweeter on the finish, which is spicy, focused and persistent. This lively midweight should age nicely on its balance over the short to mid term.

The 2009 Grande Reserve is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmenere, 10% Syrah and 5% Malbec, raised for 12 months using 30% new French oak. It has a nicely composed bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and a touch of vanilla from the oak that is well integrated into the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, cocoa-tinged black fruit and a “solid,” structured finish that leaves dark chocolate on the aftertaste to remind you that you are in Chile and not Bordeaux. Drink now-2015. ||It was way back in 1988 that Domaines Barons de Rothschild took over the 2,200 hectare Los Vascos estate (of which around 10% was under vine). There are now 580 hectares under vine in a single block in Colchagua on volcanic soils, both sandy-clay and granite. The Sauvignon Blanc and part of the Chardonnay come from out-sourced fruit in Leyda and Casablanca. eRobertParker.com.December, 2012