Calina Reserva 2001 Cabernet

The Calina Reserva 2001 Cabernet ($7.99 Bev Mo) is from the Colchangua Valley in Chile. Since this wine was, a)cheap, and b)5 years old, I thought I would give it a shot. From the winery's website: "The nose shows mature red fruit combined with mint and black cherry. In the mouth, red notes are empowered by mature tannins, adorned with a hint of coffee and mocha imparted by 9 months of aging...in French and American barrels."

Before I taste this wine, let me comment about the the above paragraph so we know where to start from. When a company says "mint" I think herbal. Not a good sign. This may mean that in the crush process they kept stems and seeds with the result being the herbal ness. The term "red notes" may mean something to them, but not to me. I suspect that it may have been lost in translation....Which by the way inspired all men over 50 to lust after Scarlett Johansson. (Not me of course!) "Mature tannins", means this has wine has reached it's peak, so don't be foolish enough to cellar for more than a few weeks after buying. (Does not make me hopeful knowing the wine is older than most American Cabs that are hitting shelves now.) And the phrase, "a hint of coffee and mocha" speaks to the way the wine picked up the oak and barrel toast (note the flavors of the Heavy Aroma Toast on this link's page right hand side). I may be wrong but in many cases heavy oaking and toasting means the winemaker knows the fruit is lacking and is attempting to add flavor by overdoing it. Some people like heavy toast and many California Cabs have reputations made in Oak.

Enough about the bread, on to the meat... Subtle nose with Cab notes, soft mouth feel, as expected for an old cheap Cab, with slight alcohol on the palette. Not bad actually. Probably a good wine match for those foods known to pair well with Pinot Noir which is wholly unavailable (or undrinkable) in this price range.

I'll be having grilled pork chops in an asian influenced marinade so this wines flavor may be completely overwhelmed by the pork. A Syrah would have been a better pick, but I have a personal drinking priority which I follow almost always. "I'll drink what I open or throw it away."

----Update: Not a bad wine for the price. I'll probably buy some more!

Until the next bottle, keep tasting.

Here's todays website skyline post: