Wine Blogging Wednesday #52: Chilean Reds Under $20

December 11th, 2008

The 52nd edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by the red-velvet-blazer-sporting Tim Lemke of Cheap Wine Ratings. The challenge was to pick any Chilean red under $20, not a tough feat since Chile is producing some killer Carmenere, Merlot, and Pinot Noir (amongst other things) at reasonable prices for this emerging region. My friend Josh Farrell, Wine Director for WineExpress.com, handed me a Viña Ventisquero Reserva 2004 Merlot from Maipo Valley and asked me “Is it any good? Should we bring it in?” Yes and yes.

The color is bright ruby and the nose is even brighter with loads of red fruits: strawberries and raspberries. I get some subtle earthy notes with a hint of cocoa as well. After some bottle aging the tannins are real soft and round. It’s an easy-drinking Merlot with a long, balanced finish. We plan on carrying it at $15, making it a great buy for casual meals during the week. Enjoy it with a rich tomato-based pasta dish or maybe some roast chicken. I don’t typically drink Merlot but I really liked this one. Maybe I have a newfound love for Merlot?

The Maipo Valley is located in Central Chile, just South of Santiago and is one of Chile’s oldest wine producing regions though Ventisquero was founded in 1998, making it pretty new. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are more typically planted here than Merlot.

Thank Tim, for hosting a fun WBW! I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s posts.

(It was a real challenge to find any information on this wine as their site is down and they did not send a spec sheet, so I apologize for not having more!)

Related Posts:
Wine Blogging Wednesdays #37

Wine Blogging Wednesday #49: Toast the End of Bush

Wine Blogging Wednesday#38: Portuguese Table Wines

Filed under , Wine Blogging Wednesday | Comments (2)

2 Responses to “Wine Blogging Wednesday #52: Chilean Reds Under $20”

  1. Dale Cruse on December 14, 2008 11:06 am

    That sounds like a tasty one, Erika! Thanks!

  2. Ben Simons on December 18, 2009 10:47 am

    Good to read your review of this wine. I had a bottle of this the other day that had to be tainted. The aromas and flavors of green pepper were so strong that it was hard to identify anything else. Most unpleasant.

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