Sams Diving Again

VEO Chilean Cabarnet Sauvignon 2007

RATING: SERVE TO GUESTS

It’s summer again!  Well almost, but it does feel like summer.   Temp in the 80’s sunshine, baseball on the radio and the grill on every weekend and even some nights.  So it’s time to start opening a bottle here and there to go with the summer grill menu.  Liking reds and especially cabs beyond all other wines, I dive more deeply into Sam’s Club to see what I can find that will bring a smile to my face and a warm feeling deep inside my wallet.    Really liked this VEO Chilean wine.  I will admit, I am not prone to like Chile products so far but for under ten bucks, but this wine was great.

What Others Say: Wine-O-Rama 

We liked their Veo Grande (especially for $8.99 at Sam’s) but at times the herbal/green pepper interfered a tad. We figured that their ULTIMA reserve version (for $12.99) would be much better. Well, we decanted it for about 45 minutes with vigorous aeration as recommended on the label (it was rough straight out of the bottle.) Pretty purple hue but lots of herbs on the nose (I know some might love that, but we aren’t big fans.) Nice, smooth tannins with very bright red berry on the palate (not much herbal, though.) What zippy acidity – nice with the burgers and probably nicer with a juicy steak. On the other hand, it seemed quite thin and watery. Pretty good hooch,

What I Thought: Really enjoyed this wine.  Good full “(to me) surround the tongue” effect without being bitter.  Blueberries (yeah even my ruined taste buds got some blueberry tone) but really satisfying finish.  Long legs so the swirl was fun to play with.  I like to swirl my wine.  It drives my wife CRAZY.  She is so sure I’m going to spill.  Oops.  Anyway, well worth more than the 9 bucks.  Good cheap wine to serve to guests.

Cheers from the Wine Oaf.

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 Miguel Torres Tormenta 2007 Cabernet Chile

RATING: Good Enough for Uncle Dave

Amazing how small things can really complicate your plans.  The cork, a Chilean cork. Tough cork!  Frustrating cork!  I will burn it when I get it out.

Chile looks like a rugged place.  The country runs 2700 miles down the western coast of South America.  Defined by it’s Andean mountainous border on the east, sloping into the cold Pacific on the west, an astonishing 150 miles wide at it’s fullest point running from dessert to glaciers (like in Patagonia  – the wilderness not the fleece jacket), Chile is a mystical place with fog, mist, sunshine and, much to our joy, vineyards. 

Is it any surprise then that my first encounter with a wine from the rugged part of the hemisphere began with a struggle?  Just as the native to Chile Araucanians stubbornly fought off the Incas and the Spanish in defense of their land, this cork did not want to let me into the wine.  I was moments away from taking an electric saw to the bottle neck (I know that would have ruined the wine but I would have tasted victory!) when just then the cork, exhausted from the struggle, surrendered.  Finally! The battle won, I began my Wine Quest.

What Others Say: Wineflorida.com

Ruby red with fiery glints. Exquisite varietal aroma on a rich base of leather and licorice with typically silky tannins on the palate and an elegant finish.   

What I Thought: Really enjoyable organically grown grapes wine but probably enjoyed it too young.  (I’m just so impatient!)  A little too acidic but a thoroughly top-of-the-tongue Cab taste.  I so totally dig the description from WineFlorida, “leather and licorice”  wasn’t that a Stevie song??  What the heck does that mean!  Anyway.  I’d go back Jack and do it again.  A Steely song?  Maybe hold onto the bottle for more than a weekend next time. 

Cheers from the Wine Oaf!

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