California Invests in South America - Red Wine Reviews

Red wines have always occupied center stage in Chile and even more so in Argentina. But the two major South American wine producing countries have taken quite different paths since their inception, partly due to differences in regional geography.

If South America's major wine growing regions are compared to California, all the Chilean areas would correspond to California's coastal valleys; Argentina, particularly the Mendoza region, features striking parallels to California's Sierra Foothills.

The grape varietals most successful in Chile's coastal valleys are similar to those found in California's coastal regions: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapes were planted in Argentina also, but over the course of time, Malbec (a Bordeaux blending varietal) turned out to be most at home; it eventually became the cornerstone of Argentina's red wine industry.

RED WINE REVIEWS

Our tasters found striking regional differences between Chilean and Argentinian Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chilean wines all displayed better acid, the Argentinian wines softer and earthier.

MERLOT
1999 Calina Merlot Maule Valley; 13.5% alc., $8
At it's price point, this is a hard Merlot to beat. Spicy, black cherry nose with a slightly candied aspect; ripe plums, black currants; light tannins; delicious varietal flavors and a good finish. This wine drinks better than many California Merlots costing twice as much. Recommended.

1999 Tapiz Merlot Mendoza; 13% alc., $8
Round, modest nose of ripe plums and chocolate; intense, deep color; moderate tannins and a slight bitterness on the finish.

1997 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Rapel Valley; 13.5% alc., $45
Splendid nose of black cherry and spice, wonderfully textured, beautifully balanced, velvet tannins and an attractive peppery finish. A gorgeous wine. Highly recommended.

MALBEC
1999 Tapiz Malbec Mendoza; 13% alc., $8
Very deep, inky color; very full bodied, but soft on the palate; simple but attractive flavors of dusty plum and tobacco. Smoke and tannins were noticed on the finish. A good companion to grilled meats and barbecue.

1999 Altos Reserva Viña Hormigas (Malbec); 13.5% alc., $22
Almost opaque; deep nose of blueberries and smoky blackfruits; a very bright aspect in a richly flavored wine. One of Argentina's premium Malbecs. Recommended.

1997 Trapiche Iscay Merlot-Malbec (50/50)? 13.5% alc., $45
Spectacular, clean nose of voluptuous ripe blackfruits and chocolate; a made-in-heaven marriage in which the chunkiness and staying power of Malbec is mitigated by the clean fruit, good acids, and crispness of Merlot. Stunning. Very highly recommended.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND CABERNET BASED BLENDS
We compared two economy Cabernet Sauvignons from Chile and California to see which offered the better value.

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