Our friends at Artisan Wine Depot invited us to a tour of the southern hemisphere. Wines from Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa were on the menu. Rather than doing an impossibly long review, we’ll just focus on our favorites.
The Arboleda 2010 sauvignon blanc (Aconcagua Valley, Chile) is aptly described in the tasting notes: aromas of mint and lime with a touch of ginger. Firm citrus with a bit of grapefruit and the flavor of the desert. Quite a value at $15.99, Note that only the 2011 and 2012 are listed on the winery’s website.
Arboleda scored again with their 2009 carmenère. This is a wine that will stand up to read meat. Strong aromas of earth and spice followed by well-balanced tannins and oak. Watch for the licorice and fig on the palate. Another bargain at $16.99.
We, however, passed up buying the carmenère in favor of a bottle of The Chocolate Block. This 2011 red blend from Boekenhoutskloof (Franschhoek, South Africa) is a winner. Blackberry, licorice, and spicy aromas are followed by dark cherry and blackberry palate. Enough tannins to last for another few years, but we suspect we won’t have that much patience. Yet another bargain at $25.99.
Boekenhoutskloof has an interesting website. At first glance it looks like a mess:
Boekenhoutskloof home page
But click on one of the obvious items and a panel opens dynamically:
Boekenhoutskloof site in action
Very cool.
Artisan wins again!
