Swirl, Sniff, Sip: Marques de Casa Concha 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
“Firm tannins, smooth texture.”
Happy January, beloved!
I’ve been gone for a minute, and now I’m back with the jump-off…well, sort of. I love the month of January, not only because it’s my birthday month, but also because it’s a time to set goals with intention and get grounded in the work that you’re going to accomplish in the new year.
That said, I am going to be more diligent and disciplined about sharing my wine journey with you all in 2020 - period.
Now, on to the reason why we’re really here! If you’re familiar with any part of my wine journey, you may recall that I used to work in a Latin wine shop when I lived in Washington, D.C. three years ago. Since then, I’ve had an affinity for wines from Latin America, so when I received this bottle of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon by Concha Y Toro Marques de Casa Concha, I immediately lept for joy.
There’s something to be said about the rich, bold flavors of a GOOD Cab Sauv. This bottle hails from Maipo, Chile–a wine region that is close to the country’s capital, Santiago. While known for it’s delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, the region also grows Carmenere (another favorite) and Syrah grape varietals. Something else pretty cool about wine: its grapes are grown near the foothills of the Andes Mountains, which means its soils are pretty rocky with not a lot of access to water.
Here are my tasting notes:
On the eyes and nose: As I mentioned above, this Cab Sauv is a deep ruby color that is mesmerizing. And once you take a sniff, you’ll be put in a trance. Off the bat, I smell blackity black fruits like blackberry and black cherry. There is also some spice on the nose (tobacco perhaps?) and what I gather smells like wet leaves or earth.
On the palate: Immediately, the black fruits I described comes through and the moisture disappears from my tongue (hello, firm tannins!). However, this wine is smooth and has a cute lingering finish. And with an alcohol by volume (ALC) of 14.5%, you will surely have no problem with splitting this with a few friends or keeping it all to yourself.
On the wallet: This bottle retails at around $25 – so not cheap, but definitely worth the money if you’re whipping up a fancy steak dinner, or a yummy bleu cheese burger.
