VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
Chilean Wines at the Cambridge Boat Club
We drive by the Cambridge Boat Club (CBC) at least once a week en route to Boston and have occasionally stood outside this 100-year-old building during October's Head of the Charles regatta. But we had never set foot inside this classic rowing and social club until last weekend. Our friends and neighbors Chris and Soheil invited us to the Cambridge Boat Club Wine Dinner, a convivial gathering of Harvard alums, Cambridge Yankees...and us. We eagerly accepted, particularly since the focus of the dinner was Chilean wines, which we have long-admired as a terrific source of smaller, artisinal wineries.
The CBC wine dinners are the brainchild of Bob Bradford, a former Life magazine writer and descendent of Colonial Governor (and Mayflower passenger) William Bradford. Bob turned to Chilean wine importers Eduardo and Laura Varos, owners of Best Valley Wines, Ltd. , to select the evening's libations. The Varos's chose a variety of wines from several regions, including Casbalanca Valley, Colchagua Valley, Itata Valley, and Alto Cachapoal Valley.
The evening began with a selection of hors d'oeuvres and two "cocktail wines" from Vina Siegel, Colcahagua Valley. Both the Chardonnay (2004) and the Cabernet Sauvignon (2005) were acceptable aperiitifs but Siegel's winemaking savvy came through later during dinner, when two of his offerings really impressed us.
Dinner Tastings
When we sat down for dinner, Bob and his team began a well-designed tasting, beginning with two Chardonnays.
Casas del Bosque Reserve Chardonnay 2005, Vina Casas del Bosque Casablanca Valley vs. El Crucero Reserve Chardonnay 2004 Vina Siegel, Colchagua Valley
Gary preferred the 2004 Vina Siegel. He found it was "creamier" than advertised, with good fruit and some grassy tones. Very particular about Chards, Gary wouldn't go out and buy it, but it was better than the Vina Casas del Bosque, which he found immature.
Lisa, of course, preferred the Casas del Bosque (our tastes in Chard almost never jibe.) Its minimal oak and light creaminess, with some peach and apricot notes, stood out for her against the heaviness of the Vina Siegel.
Next came the Cabs. The Varos's paired Cavas Submarinas Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Vina Casanueva, Itata Valley vs. Aguacero Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Lagar de Bezana, Alto Cachapoal Valley
Neither of us liked the "Submarinas," which we found "dull" and "no good." The clever hook here is that the winemakers aged the wine in under-water cellars in honor of their love of scubadiving. Amazingly, the winemaker won "winemaker of the year" in 2001 (from whom?) and, according to the Velas, the wine has been served by the Bostson Symphony Orchestra and the Chilean Embassy. Remind us not to attend fancy-dress balls at those establishments!
On the other hand, we both enjoyed the Aguacero Reserve. Gary noted its "peppery nose" and "nice finish." However, he called the wine "mid-level" and wouldn't rush out to buy it. Lisa was more impressed, calling the Aguacero "very intense" and "deep." The winemaker channels "mother earth's bio-dynamics into this wine," according to the importers. Lisa's not impressed by the new age stuff but if mother earth contributed to this wine's terroir—more power to her.
The final tasting before dinner was a smack-down between two wines making good use of the Carmenere grape. Carmenerre was originally one of the classic Bordeaux varietals before it was wiped out by disease in the 1880's, only to be discovered in Chile in the late 1990's. The Velas paired the Kiyantu Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Carmenere 2004 blend with Vina Siegel's Crucero Carmenere 2004.
For Lisa, there was no competition. The Vina Siegel won hands down. She enthused about the earthy/terroir aroma; the deep, spicy flavors; and the hint of chocolate. She found the blend "dry and off-taste." Gary thought the Kiyantu blend was "velevety, very terroire-ish" but needed more time in the bottle. He hastened to add he "wouldn't buy it." He liked the Siegel's "fruity nose and honeysuckle edge" but found it "too short on the palate."
Then it was time for dinner! A delicious steak paired well with the dinner wine— Vina Siegel's Gran Crucero Carmenere Reserve 2004 (Colchagua Valley.) While Lisa preferred the earthier non-reserve Carmenere, Gary proclaimed the Reserve "Excellent! super tannins, velvety, spicy and yummy, almost chewy. Dark, fruity nose with some oak." The Reserve ages 12 years in French and American oak and was awarded a gold medal at the 2005 Decanter World Wine Awards.
We have discovered a number of Chilean vintners in recent years, including In Situ and Pacifico Sur. We'll be adding to our recommended list the wines of Vina Siagal, and are grateful to Best Valley Wines, Bob Bradford, and the Cambridge Boat Club for introducing us to this outstanding producer.
The CBC wine dinners are the brainchild of Bob Bradford, a former Life magazine writer and descendent of Colonial Governor (and Mayflower passenger) William Bradford. Bob turned to Chilean wine importers Eduardo and Laura Varos, owners of Best Valley Wines, Ltd. , to select the evening's libations. The Varos's chose a variety of wines from several regions, including Casbalanca Valley, Colchagua Valley, Itata Valley, and Alto Cachapoal Valley.
The evening began with a selection of hors d'oeuvres and two "cocktail wines" from Vina Siegel, Colcahagua Valley. Both the Chardonnay (2004) and the Cabernet Sauvignon (2005) were acceptable aperiitifs but Siegel's winemaking savvy came through later during dinner, when two of his offerings really impressed us.
Dinner Tastings
When we sat down for dinner, Bob and his team began a well-designed tasting, beginning with two Chardonnays.
Casas del Bosque Reserve Chardonnay 2005, Vina Casas del Bosque Casablanca Valley vs. El Crucero Reserve Chardonnay 2004 Vina Siegel, Colchagua Valley
Gary preferred the 2004 Vina Siegel. He found it was "creamier" than advertised, with good fruit and some grassy tones. Very particular about Chards, Gary wouldn't go out and buy it, but it was better than the Vina Casas del Bosque, which he found immature.
Lisa, of course, preferred the Casas del Bosque (our tastes in Chard almost never jibe.) Its minimal oak and light creaminess, with some peach and apricot notes, stood out for her against the heaviness of the Vina Siegel.
Next came the Cabs. The Varos's paired Cavas Submarinas Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Vina Casanueva, Itata Valley vs. Aguacero Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Lagar de Bezana, Alto Cachapoal Valley
Neither of us liked the "Submarinas," which we found "dull" and "no good." The clever hook here is that the winemakers aged the wine in under-water cellars in honor of their love of scubadiving. Amazingly, the winemaker won "winemaker of the year" in 2001 (from whom?) and, according to the Velas, the wine has been served by the Bostson Symphony Orchestra and the Chilean Embassy. Remind us not to attend fancy-dress balls at those establishments!
On the other hand, we both enjoyed the Aguacero Reserve. Gary noted its "peppery nose" and "nice finish." However, he called the wine "mid-level" and wouldn't rush out to buy it. Lisa was more impressed, calling the Aguacero "very intense" and "deep." The winemaker channels "mother earth's bio-dynamics into this wine," according to the importers. Lisa's not impressed by the new age stuff but if mother earth contributed to this wine's terroir—more power to her.
The final tasting before dinner was a smack-down between two wines making good use of the Carmenere grape. Carmenerre was originally one of the classic Bordeaux varietals before it was wiped out by disease in the 1880's, only to be discovered in Chile in the late 1990's. The Velas paired the Kiyantu Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Carmenere 2004 blend with Vina Siegel's Crucero Carmenere 2004.
For Lisa, there was no competition. The Vina Siegel won hands down. She enthused about the earthy/terroir aroma; the deep, spicy flavors; and the hint of chocolate. She found the blend "dry and off-taste." Gary thought the Kiyantu blend was "velevety, very terroire-ish" but needed more time in the bottle. He hastened to add he "wouldn't buy it." He liked the Siegel's "fruity nose and honeysuckle edge" but found it "too short on the palate."
Then it was time for dinner! A delicious steak paired well with the dinner wine— Vina Siegel's Gran Crucero Carmenere Reserve 2004 (Colchagua Valley.) While Lisa preferred the earthier non-reserve Carmenere, Gary proclaimed the Reserve "Excellent! super tannins, velvety, spicy and yummy, almost chewy. Dark, fruity nose with some oak." The Reserve ages 12 years in French and American oak and was awarded a gold medal at the 2005 Decanter World Wine Awards.
We have discovered a number of Chilean vintners in recent years, including In Situ and Pacifico Sur. We'll be adding to our recommended list the wines of Vina Siagal, and are grateful to Best Valley Wines, Bob Bradford, and the Cambridge Boat Club for introducing us to this outstanding producer.
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