2005 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carménère Reserve from Chile's Rapel Valley. 85% Carménère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah. Some chocolate and leather on the nose, with a few berry hints on the palate. It started out a little rough, but with some breathing it opened up and softened to allow for enjoyment. Paul and I split a bottle over a couple of grilled steaks and some fried fingerling potatoes. A warm, filling meal for a cold winter day. Of course, I was standing outside barefoot and wearing shorts, grilling the steaks. What can I say? I love cold weather and freezing temperatures don't bother me too much. The blurb on the front label was amusing:
More than 100 years ago Don Melchor de Concha y Toro reserved for himself an exclusive batch of the best wines he produced. And, to keep strangers away from his private reserve, he spread the rumor that the Devil lived in that place. Hence the name Casillero del Diablo or Cellar of the Dead.I remember similar stories from my childhood. One of a guy who spread the rumor that he'd randomly drilled out logs and inserted dynamite in order to prevent the stealing of firewood, and another of a farmer who would claim to inject certain watermelons with castor oil. On the other hand, we have the old joke about a chicken recipe that begins "First you steal a chicken...", with the cuisine in question changing over the years to reflect various regional and ethnic prejudices.
2 comments:
Cassillero del Diablo = Cellar of the Devil, not Cellar of the Dead..
A friend of ours brought this wine over when he came for dinner. We loved it. Dry, deep, cocoa, flavorful. Thumbs up.
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