[Dan Ellis on Wine] Chilean out in the summer

It is something of a paradox that those of us from cooler northern climates associate summer drinking with white wines, while those from hotter regions go for the reds. With this in mind, this week we have three red wines for your consideration - all less than 20,000 won ($20) at E-Mart - and each a different grape variety from Chile.

Chile is a region that can represent great value once you have sorted the wheat from the chaff. It is a particularly strong country for the Korean consumer due to the free trade agreement between the two countries. Let`s hope that the United States agreement and the proposed European talks can have a similar impact on the respective regions` wine showings and prices.

Starting with the cheapest, we have the Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from the Chilean Central Valley (12,800 won). Cono Sur is a winery that produces very modern single varietal wines that tend to express the fruit qualities of the grape well.

This is a purple glass of wine with a very tight nose. It shows very little of the typical Cabernet character with a touch of cherry and blackcurrant, plus a hint of perfumed violets. It is a very soft fruity wine with a very real Cherry Lips (old English sweet) quality. The cherry/blackcurrant, rose/violet theme follows through from the nose, giving us a really pleasant, simple fruit and light vanilla drink. I have no qualms about recommending it at this price.

Moving to the south of the country - and from the somewhat experimental Biobio Region - next up is the Augustus Winemakers Selection Pinot Noir 2007 (16,900 won). Pinot Noir is enjoying some success in this area of Chile thanks to the slightly lower sunshine hours and temperatures. Hot regions produce Pinots that taste like jam.

This, as one would expect, is fairly light in the glass, Pinot is a delicate, thin skinned grape, so you get a pretty cherry colored drink. The nose is not the most appealing, unfortunately, with bees wax and wet hay notes combining with a strong cherry brandy hit. It is a nose which suggests a very alcoholic wine.

Unfortunately this alcoholic heat follows through to the palate and though it has a nice rounded mouth feel with good acidity and smooth tannins, the alcohol throws it all out of balance. The fruit is nice and sweet and there is a subtle vanilla oak integration but with the 14 percent alcohol it ends up tasting a little like a cough sweet. This is by no means a bad wine - it is just not to my tastes.

The final wine is the Santa Rita Reserva Merlot 2005 (17,900 won) from the Maipo Province. In contrast to the Pinot this is a heavily extracted wine with a deep, intense garnet color. In contrast to the previous two simple, fruity wines there is a lot more complexity here.

It has a prominent pencil shaving and coffee grinds nose backed up by good blackcurrant and plum fruit. Also coming through are green peppers and the presence of some well-integrated oak. Once again, this smells a little alcoholic but there is enough interest to prevent this from being a problem and it is a very appealing bouquet.

You are certainly getting a mouth full of wine here with an intense blast of sharp black fruit. Plums and blackcurrant are to the fore, nicely backed up by a smooth vanilla finish. The finish also has the benefit of being long with good tannic grip, making this by far the most serious wine today. The oak is certainly making itself noticed as is the 14 percent alcohol, but it has enough fruit and structure to make this a well balanced wine. It is another triumph from E-Mart`s new world red range and represents great value.





Dan can be reached through his website at wineinkorea.blogspot.com - Ed.