Concha y Toro is a Chilean wine company founded in 1883 by the splendidly-named Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro. If you don’t speak Spanish, Concha y Toro literally means “shell and bull”. On second thoughts, it means “shell and bull” whether you speak Spanish or not. Anyway, Don Melchor was a local businessman and politician, and he started his vineyards using grapes brought from Bordeaux. He was helped in this venture by his wife, who rejoiced in the equally impressive if slightly curious name of Emiliana Subercaseaux. They were eminently successful because today Concha y Toro is the largest producer and exporter of wines from Latin America and one of the ten largest wine companies in the world. It employs well over three thousand people and owns countless acres of vineyards in Chile’s best wine-growing areas.
Casillero del Diablo (“The devil’s wine cellar”) is one of the company’s best-selling ranges. The curious name has a story behind it, which might possibly be true. On the other hand, it might be just a clever piece of marketing, but I’ll tell you anyway. The story goes that Don Melchor became increasingly miffed because some of his best wine was disappearing from the cellars overnight by person or persons unknown. In retaliation, he spread the rumour that the devil lived in the wine cellars. Personally, I’d have thought that a decent padlock would have done the trick. Anyway, the false rumour evidently deterred the superstitious locals from filching any more wine.
Wine-Now Asia and LIQ9.Asia are the first complete Thailand online Wine and Liquor store with an extensive selection of products. The company website provides a full range of really useful information and tasting notes. The products encompass everyday wines at decent prices and top-quality classics that you might need for a special occasion. Ordering is fairly effortless too.
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (white), Chile (Bt. 699 @ Wine-Now Asia)
It has to be admitted that some of the text that appears on Chilean wine labels isn’t terribly helpful. The expressions Reserva or Reserva Especial give the impression that the wine is special in some way, but they merely indicate that the wine is at least 12% alcohol. They’re sometimes used if the wine has been aged in oak but with Chilean wine are not indicators of quality.
This very pale-gold wine comes from the Central Valley and has an elegant, almost ethereal floral aroma of peaches, gooseberries, pineapple and pomelo. The aroma is quite sweet and sensuous for a Sauvignon Blanc, but the true feisty character of this grape comes through vigorously on the taste. Sauvignons, especially those from France and New Zealand are famous for their acidic kick and this lively little number certainly lives up to its reputation. Even so, it has a soft texture with plenty of fresh sharp fruit on the palate. At 13% ABV, there’s a good firm body and a satisfyingly long finish with a touch of citrus.
Sauvignons are nearly always best with food and especially fish dishes. Plaice and cod are a bit too bland for this wine but something with a richer flavour like sea bass would work well. It would be a perfect partner for cheese quiche because the texture of the pastry and the creaminess of the quiche was a perfect foil for the sharpness of the wine. For years, I always used to drink red wine with quiche, because it seemed the most sensible thing to do. But not anymore. A chirpy Sauvignon Blanc makes the perfect match.
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (red), Chile (Bt. 659 @ Wine-Now Asia)
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is grown almost everywhere in the wine-producing world and the wine it produces reflects the climate of its origin. Cabernets from cool climates like France can be especially affected when the weather is too cold, which is why in Bordeaux vintage years are essential and why they appear on every bottle. Every year tastes a little bit different, sometimes dramatically so. Warm climate Cabernets tend to enjoy more predictable weather and they tend to be fuller bodied than their French cousins.
This wine has those typical rich aromas that we’ve come to expect from warm-climate Cabernets – full of intense black fruit, especially black cherries, blackcurrants, plums and mint. There’s even a faint reminder of fresh ground coffee, oak and dark chocolate. The wine is medium-bodied with a heady 13.5% alcohol content and if you’ve got a decent nose, you’ll pick up the “heat” on the aroma. There’s a soft mouth-feel, yet the wine has quite a self-assured personality; it’s authoritative, firm and strong but with a very soft and elegant framework of silky tannins which make for a very satisfying taste. The rich black fruit brings a slight sensation of sweetness to this very dry wine.
The wine is Chilean to the bone and the kind of thing that deserves interesting food. Full flavoured red meat dishes spring to mind. Perhaps this is wine for wine drinkers rather than beginners because it’s something to share and talk about. I talked about it for almost half an hour with one of the dogs until she suddenly got up and wandered away.
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