Today's featured wine:Domaine Roger Perrin Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2004

Veramonte Primus 2005 - Bordeaux Red Blends from Chile, South America

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2005

Avg. Rating: 92.0/100 (1 Review)
Winery: Veramonte Casablanca
Vintage: 2005
Varietal: Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Country: Chile
Region: Aconcagua: Valley of Casablanca
Retail Price: $$ 19.99 USD
Created by: Mike Peters
Purchase: Buy this wine ›

Winemaker's Notes: The wine is dark opaque garnet, with aromas of exotic spice, toast and hints of tobacco and mint. The massive flavor is mouth-filling with lush blackberry and cherry notes and smooth powerful tannins. Primus is one of Chile’s top red meritage wines, a blend of power and finesse that merges Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the lost Bordeaux grape. Agustin Huneeus, an international vintner known for creating some of the wine world’s best blends, created Primus. “Chile’s unique grape is carmenère, a bordeaux varietal that is nearly extinct in France... carmenère grown in the right micro-climates can produce unique, unforgettable wines... remarkably exotic, hedonistic wine.” – Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate, June 2007. Primus is made with the same detail-intense winemaking practices reserved for the top Cabernet based wines of the world. In the vineyards, yields are managed to a meager 2-3 tons per acre to provide concentration and intensity. All of the grapes go through a meticulous double sorting process before crush to ensure that only the most pristine bunches and berries make it into the winery. Primus is aged in the finest French and American oak for 12-18 months. Chile’s unique terroir and economic advantage allows us to deliver world-class quality and value in every glass with rich, dense fruit, exotic spice and a long, textured finish. "One of the first cool-climate reds from Chile, the newest version of Primus is packed with ripe red cherry flavors and notes of bell pepper and bacon. The flavors of blackberry juice and clove end on a plus, mouthwatering finish. Ready to pour now with a steak, it will also gain in complexity over time." -Wines & Spirits 92/100 Varietal composition: 17% Carmenère 32% Cabernet Sauvignon 51% Merlot - Oak aging - 12 months in French (85%) and American (15%) oak, 25% new - total acidity 4.3 g/l pH 3.5 alcohol 14.5% Casablanca Valley, Chile “2005 was a year with an even ripening curve throughout the season. We experienced overall good weather conditions and no rainfall during the ripening months of February through May. Yields were low, which translates to good concentrated wines that express the true character of the grapes. Primus 2005 has a rich, ripe character with expressive fruit and exotic spice resulting in a complex wine with a good body, yet velvety texture and elegant, ripe tannins.” Cristian Aliaga - Winemaker. Primus is crafted by a team of expert viticulturalists and winemakers led by winemaker Cristian Aliaga, who has 8 years of experience at Veramonte. Alvaro Espinoza, one of the world’s most respected winemakers, widely known as an innovator and champion of some of Chile’s best red wines, joined the team in 2006 to craft Primus. Alvaro works closely with viticulturalist Jorge Figueroa and winemaker Cristian Aliaga to continually refine vineyard and winery practices that deliver rich ripe fruit with complexity, intensity and distinctiveness.

Tasting Notes from Cork’d Members

Veramonte Primus 2005 - Bordeaux Red Blends from Chile, South America
(8 months ago) buddy icon meohman1 92/100
Mike's notes: Massive and superb wine - I found this tonight in Cost Plus World Market - get it as soon as you can. Terrific wine. 20 bucks for this bottle. Old World meets New World, and voila, I get a Bordeaux-like wine that is absolutely luscious, scrumptious, and smooth and creamy and to-die-for, gang. This very much reminds me of the Dominus wine from California (which is way more $$$). Excellent wine, this is. Not over the top, not fruit forward, not too extracted - just right. Tannins are great, nose is superb, legs are huge - HUGE - balance is out of this world - just a marvelous wine. It will work with Pizza, steak, pasta sauces (white or red) mushroom dishes, you name it. Think elegant French Bordeaux, add just a nuance of Cali attitude - BOOM - this is it - SUPERB. This wine has consistently garnered rave reviews from knowledgeable sources - this vintage rated a 92. I agree. Nice, nice wine here guys. Nice price point, elegant wine that acts like mucho $$$$$ French Bordeaux - heck, it's a no brainer. Don't trust me - OK - go to Cost Plus World Market - plunk down a 20 (+ tax) and try it and make a liar out of Mike - if you can - go ahead - make my day!

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