Ventisquero Yali Cabernet Carmenere 2007

by Ethan Johnson
November 10, 2008

Wow, am I out of control with the wine drinking/reviewing. I'm going to shift gears and drink beer-related drinks soon enough, but when the temperatures begin to drop here in Texas, I am aware that my wine stash increases exponentially. Today at work I re-arranged and dusted the Cabernet section, and couldn't resist taking home a bottle of:

Producer (Vineyard): Viña Ventisquero
Varietal (Grape type): 70% Cabernet, 30% Carmenere
Vintage (Year): 2007
Country: Chile
Color: Red
Cost: Cheap ($8 USD)

Teh booze

Swirl and Sniff: The color is a solid purple. Scent-wise, I want to say "wet cardboard" up front, but I'm sure if I spent quality time in my spice cabinet I'd find the match in there somewhere. There are herbal/spicy notes here and there, and of course some alcohol vapor, but overwhelmingly the wet cardboard-y smell.

Taste: Hmmm. I want to say "jammy" at times, in that the fruit is really concentrated and it makes you want to spread it on toast. Plums, cherries, and something else are all in the mix.

Pairing: I drank this as a "screw it, I worked a double shift today and I want some gods-damned wine tonight" nightcap. Had I paired this with food, I think steaks on the grill would have been apropos. The bottle label says "semi soft cheeses", which I leave to the reader's discretion.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

  • Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
  • Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
  • Ask for when dining out or at a party
  • Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
  • Politely decline and never drink again, ever

Ca-mon, for $8 USD a bottle, this needs to be in your stash. This is an excellent end-of-day wine, and despite the 13.5% alcohol content by volume, I can only dimly imagine what sort of effed-up dreams I am going to have tonight. I ate Fritos® after the fact to try to absorb some of the alcohol. I'll probably have to guzzle some water before bedtime, what with this being a "work night" and all.

Note: This is a screw-cap wine that wasn't meant for long-term cellaring. Think of it as the wine equivalent of "Mister Right Now" and get there.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)

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