Review by Michael S
Cabernet wines are bold, big and beautiful. We love Cabs….and we aren’t talking about those competitors to Lyft and Uber. Chile figured out that Cabernet wines are big sellers and went about perfecting that big, bold flavor at a much more reasonable price than many of those cabs from closer by. Here’s the problem……they’ve got to be appreciably better than the Napa varietals in many instances. And Terra Noble doesn’t quite meet that expectation.
Terra Noble is a large Chilean winery that produces lots of good wine. So where does it go wrong with its “Reserva” Cab? First off, this wine needs to breathe……it wasn’t impressive until the third day after its opening. Second, while it has a lot of dark fruit and some pepper, it doesn’t have much in the way of complexity. It tasted like your typical inexpensive new world cab. It’s smooth and luscious but not very interesting….sort of like an aging gigolo. Yes, it received some critical acclaim, but over the three days that we tasted it, it’s cherry, sandalwood and roasted plum flavors didn’t win us over. The finish was a bit harsh and the subtlety was subtlety absent. The third day was the most noticeable – this wine grew upon us, but only by the third day. At $13, it isn’t a bad wine, it’s just not a great value.
Rating: 86 (for value and drinkability)
Price: $12.99
Costco Item #:654710
San Diego, California
Micky says
Will you be reviewing castillero del Diablo, chilien wine?
Editor says
We reviewed it last year. I thought it was ok for the price ($8 at my Costco). Review here: http://costcowineblog.com//2014-concha-y-toro-casillero-del-diablo-cabernet-sauvignon/