The improvement in Chilean wines continues to impress. Many of you will be familiar with our Nostros and Tabali ranges and we have now unearthed another wonderful producer to add to our range. It is one of the leading producers in Chile, but the name is something of a surprise.
Norwegian born ship owner (armador) Dan Odfjell fell in love with the Maipo region south west of the capital Santiago 20 years ago and bought some land which was turned over to vineyards in the late 1990s. The ethos from the outset was for minimal intervention in the vineyards and with the construction of Chile's first gravity flow winery, Odfjell is well placed to make great wines.
The Armador Carmenere shows the potential of this variety when fully ripe. If you have had slight 'green' wine made from Carmenere in the past, I would encourage you to try this wine. It has dark, concentrated fruit with toffee and caramel notes followed by blackberry and raspberry fruit with licquorice and coffee on the finish.
The Armador Syrah is rich with luscious fruit. It has aromas of figs, redcurrants and spice with juicy strawberry and cherry fruity and great freshness. The Armador wines are amazing value at £7.99. It is very rare to find quality like this at this price.
The Odfjell Orzada Carignan is a little more expensive at £11.99, but has a wow factor that shows what value it still represents. The 2004 is elegant and mature with complex aromas of leather, licquorice and mushrooms. It has flavours of vanilla and blackcurrant on the palate with ripe tannins giving a long complex finish. This is truly a special wine.
Friday, 27 November 2009
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