06 February 2008

2005 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's the 2005 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Maipo Valley of Chile. Probably the definition of a closed wine: it was sampled fresh out of the bottle, decanted for an hour, and tried again several hours later. It's only after the max of aeration that the hot alcohol aroma blows off and you can grab a little bell pepper and cherry aroma. As for the flavor, the tannins are still quite strong and the cherry flavors are distant. It's a decent wine with no obvious flaws, and one I'd love to try in a few years, but I don't think it's ready for drinking now.

I tried it on its own, but also with a homemade chili. Hand-dicing the chuck roast makes for a much better dish than ground beef, though it did take a while and at one point I was wondering whether or not this "cow" had at some point worn a saddle and metal shoes. That didn't matter, as the long simmering time resulted in a rich, savory, and tender chili enhanced with black beans. Many decry the use of beans or any starch in chili; I tend to prefer a base of good beans or rice or pasta to offset the hearty meat sauce. Would you eat a whole bowl of bolognese sauce for dinner?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just FYI I think I have eaten an entire bowl of bolognese for dinner, many times!! But like you I like beans in my chili. Like I like pasta in my bolognese! I loved the "cow" remark as well...

Benito said...

Mike,

Glad to see I've got another ally when it comes to wanting a bit of starch with chili! And hell, when it comes to the "cow" remark, that's the kind of culinary vocabulary I learned from you. :)

Cheers,
Benito