It it possible to smell technical winemaking? Do you ever open a bottle and catch yourself wondering if Mega Purple has some kind of tell-tale aroma associated with it? I almost did for a second there, but then I found myself wondering if it wasn’t some kind of greenness I was smelling instead: there seem to be definite hints of green bell pepper here, which seems a little weird given that it’s nearly 15% alcohol. Huh.Beyond that, I don’t get much out of the nose other than an odd, almost smoky, faintly medicinal aroma that I’m not sure I like. Thankfully, it tastes better than it smells; yes, the wine seems strangely narrow at first, but broadens out somewhat to a pleasantly grapey finish with an interesting note of fresh herbs. It could use more extract, more tannin, more something – or it could just be a food wine, in which case it’s alternately admirably restrained. On the whole, though, the wine strikes me as generally sound, well-made, and not particularly interesting save for the finish, which does last quite a while and which offers definite interest (it’s now moved on to a smoky butterscotch note juxtaposed against meaty violets, not at all bad).I’m headed to Chile next week on vacation and hope to drink well while I’m down there; until then, this wine has got me wondering why I haven’t bought a Chilean wine in years. This ain’t half bad.Santa Rita
Price: $8
Closure: Cork
Source: Gift