Emiliana, “Coyem”, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2006

What’s in the bottle? 34% Syrah, 31% Merlot, 17% Carmenere, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 3% Mourvedre. Dark opaque ruby color with bright purple rim. When you swirl the wine the juice stains the sides of the glass heavily. All black sticky fruit on the nose, like blackberry and mulberry pie. Loads of black tea, eucalyptus, red bell pepper, and espresso roast. There are hints of clove and toast indicating a heavy new oak barrel regiment. (13 months in 80% French Oak, 20% American Oak). On the palate you get more of a green peppercorn, smoked meat, and black pepper profile while the eucalyptus carries through from the nose. The texture is slightly dusty with a medium finish. The wine is nicely balance between tannin, alcohol and acid, showing realy nice structure.

Knowledge: Chile has always maintained a focus on quality over quantity. They are still experimenting with which grapes grow best where. They have had great success with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the north in regions like the Casablanca Valley. Bordeaux varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenere have shown great promise in the Central Valleys or Valle Central. Colchagua Valley is a sub-region of the Rapel Valley which is a region within the Central Valley that has always delivered quality fruit.

Service: Decant for at least 1 ½ hours before drinking. The medium plus tannin and medium plus alcohol (14.5%) need some time to settle down and mellow out. Serve in oversized Bordeaux shaped glasses at 60° F.

What to eat? Herb crusted Lamb Chops over roasted red pepper coulis.

Retail Price: $32.99

Found it @:

Fine Wines Unlimited
232 W. Jericho Turnpike
Syosset, NY 11791
(516)802-2700

For the Geeks like Me: Certified Biodynamic by Demeter International and produced by Chiles’ Biodynamic viticulture phenomenon; Alvaro Espinoza. Espinoza is also credited with playing a major role in discovering that the extremely herbaceous, late ripening Chilean Merlot was actually Carmenere. He has been a major advocate of the Carmenere grape ever since and you can check out a bottle of “Antiyal” for proof that he can make this grape sing.