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Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 |
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“Rich cherry and blackberry jam fruit with a backbone of sweet oak and vanilla aromas.”
“Lovely, spot-on Cab flavours of black currant, blackberry, dark plums, a little cracked pepper, with a well-meshed tannic backbone.”
"...my choice for Wine of the Decade. Wine should be about purity, simplicity, compatibility and affordability. This Chilean flagship delivered in all categories, plus one: consistency. It appeared in one of our early issues as a terrific cheapie, was noted on several occasions for its reliability, and resurfaced last year as a best buy".
"Shows nice black currant and fig notes, with a soft layer of loam underneath. A juicy hint on the finish keeps it going. Drink now".
"The Cabernet boasts sumptuous cassis, coffee and dark chocolate aromas with well-presented fruit plus admirable depth and structure on the palate." The 50 Best Value Wines In The World
"Here’s proof that Chile and Cabernet go together like birds of a feather. The wine is full of black cherry and cassis flavors, and the mouthfeel is exceedingly fresh and proper. And the vanilla and chocolate-covered espresso beans on the finish are a classy ending touch." 87 - Best Buy
"The Cabernet is round, full bodied, and both ripe and complex in flavor, with light oakiness on the finish. It tastes of blackcurrant, mint, cedar, cherry, and toast." * * * * Excellent
"I sometimes worry that wine writers, awash in free samples, forget that the vast number of consumers are more ardently seeking a fine $10 wine that they can enjoy with a clean conscience than a killer $50 wine that they can crack on some special occasion. This is most definitely a fine $10 wine, with pure, deeply flavored, varietally true fruit recalling blackberry and black plum. Aside from a little whiff of dried herbs and vanilla, that's all you'll find here, and that is good news. Pure, honest wine is what you want at this price level, and this bottling fits the bill quite nicely!" 87
“The best-value Cabernet Sauvignon on the planet, and made in staggering quantities to exacting standards. It shouldn’t work but it does. Mass-produced excellence.” World’s 50 Best Value Reds
"...this Central Valley red had a silky start, good tannins and dark fruit flavors..." Very Good
"Seventy percent of this Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged for six to eight months in American oak barrels. It is deep ruby in colour and has a nose of black currants with a touch of plumminess about it and a hint of vanilla from the oak. On the palate there is an abundance of blackberry-black currant fruit, making it enjoyable with all red meat dishes and pasta with tomato sauce. The producer also recommends it with gruyere cheese." * * * * Excellent
“…aromas of blackberry and briar. The nose seemed dark and deep….. The wine was primarily fruit-driven, fruit forward and well balanced. The wine had good balance with integrated tannins and a smooth, round mouthfeel. The finish was an extension of the wine, smooth and round but not lingering or very long. It held up nicely without food and complemented the snacks and food [nuts, cheese, chips, and pizza] quite nicely; in no way did one compromise the other. Sounds like quite a nice wine, doesn’t it? I sure like it and recommend this wine on a regular basis.”
“This wine (from one of Chile’s great wine producers) will go beautifully with roast lamb, pork, or grilled beef. It’s very pleasant, well balanced, has medium tannins and good acidity with flavors of cocoa powder and blackberries. The price is great at $8-9.”
“Dark warm, ripe fruit, some leathery, peppery, savoury notes. Expressive ripe dark fruit, and integrated spicy oak, touch commercial, lots of character, hint of cream on finish.” Bronze Medal World Wine Awards
“Tar, leather and smoke, all qualities of serious Cabernet, make themselves noticed on the nose. The palate delivers black cherry, plum, cassis and all the usual suspects, while the mouthfeel is firm and solid. No complaints.” 87 BEST BUY
“This medium-bodied treat has flavors of plum, vanilla, and a bit of oak. It’s wine that should be consumed young, not aged. Once in a while, it’s nice to have a recent-vintage Cabernet that’s drinkable today. If you’ve had a hard time finding an everyday Cabernet, your search is over.”
“Okay, so it’s not all Maipo fruit, but it’s a standard bearer from Chile’s largest winery and Maipo stalwart Concha y Toro. Lots of smooth black fruit and great for the price. Drink now.” Best Values * * *
“Dense style; nose of spicy black fruit, cedar and notes of pencil lead; black cherry, plum, black licorice, cinnamon, dark chocolate, espresso and cedar flavors.”
“The wine is endowed with a remarkable bouquet, complex overtones and a lingering finish. It is well structured, perfectly balanced and boasts a satisfying and lingering finish. Has a dark and deep red color, appealing red cherries and black plums with a touch of toasty oak. This classic, well structured, perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with the heartiest cuisine, including roasts, game, stews, spicy pasta dishes and robust cheeses.”
“Plenty of dark plum and cassis-like fruit alongside a good slug of charry oak. A great old-fashioned everyday red.”
“. . .as black as a miner’s piece and just as intense on first sip - expect magnificent blackcurrant leaf, cherry, vanilla, leather and even mint, all wrapped round gentle tannins. Excellent with red meats, especially lamb.”
“The Cabernet is a complex wine, with full body, some richness, and evident oakiness on the finish.” * * * +
“Beef just seems to go with Cabernet Sauvignon any way you serve it: hamburgers, steaks or even weeknight pot roast. The Casillero del Diablo is a great wine for value and quality compared to Cabernets. The color is amazingly bright and dark. The nose displays ripe cherry, plum and a hint of vanilla lingering in the glass. The palate carries through with cherry and plum but finishes with smooth, approachable tannins and a touch of chocolate. This wine’s quality is consistent, bottle after bottle.”
“Looks dark and rich and tastes bright, with lots of fruit underneath. It’s smooth, good to sip on its own or with food.”
"Lots of juicy fruit here, traditional blackcurrant nose laced with mint notes and very well balanced with a long finish tinged with herbs and tobacco."
“Exceptional value earns it an extra star. The quality is a feat given the mass annual production (600,000 cases). Very fragrant and complex, with blackberry, mocha, cedar and fresh mint aromas. Mid-weight, supple and creamy in texture, with fine, dry tannin. Best now to 2008.” * * * * ½
“Shows colourful, chewy berries of charm, concentration and class.” 16.5
“Dark in the glass, with dense fruitcake aromas along with notes of molasses and dried cherry. The palate is round and big, and the finish deals a heavy blast of grilled beef and coffee. Almost at the next level, but still a little awkward and bulky.” Best Buy
"Striking aroma of dried herbs and cherries, plum and black cherry/cola notes in the finish. A nicely structured young wine with fine-grained tannins for pairing with burgers or stews." Bargain of the Week
“The savoury model of Cabernet is consistently one of the LCBO’s most enjoyable reds, particularly on a quality vs. price axis. The aroma is a mix of roasted coffee beans, black olives and dark fruits. This inexpensive wine boasts excellent structure and good balance and enticing currant and clove flavours. Enjoy it by the glass or with grilled meat dishes.” * * *
“The savoury model of Cabernet is consistently one of the LCBO’s most enjoyable reds, particularly on a quality versus price axis. The aroma is a mix of roasted coffee beans, black olives and dark fruits. On the palate, the fuller bodied red features some currant fruit flavours mixed with some dried herbs. This inexpensive wine boasts excellent structure and good balance. Serve it by the glass or with a range of meat dishes.” * * * +
"A wine that is ludicrously under priced in my view, so make sure you snap up a few bottles before someone puts the price up. This is firm and smoky, with a good backbone, toasty American oak and piercing cassis fruit. "
"In the glass, this stuff’s as black as a miner’s hankie. It smells of chocolate-coated peanuts and tastes of blackcurrants, without being Ribena-ish. There are no desperately clanging tannins, but I’d give it food – chorizo dishes, home-made burgers, sirloin steak."
"A juicy Casillero, this is lushly textured, the strawberry scents surrounded by black pepper and coffee. The tannins are firm and soft, the finish spicy and slightly smoky. And yes, it costs only ten bucks." 88
"Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah 2002 - Three different grape varieties, but all of these reds are sensational value, especially at the sale price. They share intense colour, unmistakable varietal characteristics, consistently excellent quality, and immense production volumes. Each of these will easily last through to the fall of 2004. Perhaps the most personally gratifying thing about writing this column is the opportunity it gives me for unreserved praise, so here goes; I’d call this Casillero trio of 2002 reds the best values currently available from anywhere in the world."
“The intriguingly complex aroma of berries and oak suggests a wine at twice the price, as does the deep colour. The taste serves up the wood first, but then the plum, blackcurrant and raspberry flavours kick in. A superb example of how going up a step or two from a winemaker’s cheapest offerings can pay off with sophisticated quality at a remarkable price.” Wine of the Week
"Moderate in scale but has lovely purity, with cassis, red currant and vanilla flavors, fresh acidity and round, supple tannins. Easy on the toast, too. Nicely done. Drink now through 2004." 87
"Deep garnet hue. Fresh aromas of blueberry, boysenberry and cedar. Dry flavors of raspberry, cherry, mocha and an herbal note. Prickly close." 85
"A good example of the value coming from Chile these days."
"Blackberry aromas and flavors, lots of tart fruit, bitter chocolate finish."
"Good texture. Nice berry flavors. A superb value."
"Scents of ripe currants have darkened to spice and cocoa by maturation in oak; still the flavors remain clean and red, firmed up by powerful but not aggressive tannins. Decant it for a ribeye."
"Best of Tasting. Very peppery and highly distinctive. Challenging, serious and well-made. A lot of wine for the money. A repeat favorite. "Our favorite tasted something like fermented black pepper,fruity, with a nice herbal bite. It was interesting and well-made, with some real power and plenty of dark, ripe cherry fruit and a hint of lilacs. "A lot of wine," John said, and Dottie, dreaming of rare meat, added: "can you imagine how good this would be with a black-and-blue hamburger?" This was Concha y Toro's Casillero del Diablo, which cost $8.99. This was also among our favorites in our previous tastings of Chilean reds almost three years ago. It's worth noting that we paid exactly the same price back then."
"It's a general rule that wine titles, labels and bottles that are cutesy aren't worth buying, but in this case, despite the "cellar of the Devil" name, the wine is a good bargain Cabernet. You won't find delicacy or evocative aromas of blackcurrant, but you will discover a smoky nose, full body, luscious ripe plumy fruit, good balance, an obtrusive tannic presence softened somewhat by a hint of vanilla from the oak, and a long aftertaste. I've found it always does well in blind tastings, frequently outpointing much more expensive Cabernets. A big wine, this has the power to complement peppery beef stew."
"Brilliant ruby red hue. Black currant, thyme and oak aromas. A rich entry leads to a finish offering ripe black currant fruit, soft tannins and balanced acidity." 86
"Tasty dark berry, brier and vanilla flavors, with judicious toast on the juicy finish. Nicely done..." 86
"...has generous cherry, dark currant, blackberry and vanilla flavors, soft tannins and a long finish."
"...has excellent depth and some of that smoky, bitter chocolate flavor of a truly good Cab."
"...a deep ruby wine with an aggressive aroma full of black cherry, mint and spice. Exceptional complexity... this wine had a minty, blackberry, black cherry flavor with nuances of bell pepper. It was medium-bodied, well-balanced..." 88
"Fleshy, dense and ripe with dense herbal, spicy fruit; long and complex."
"...offers a wonderful bouquet and rich currant flavors. This is a perfect example of Chile's great Cabernet Sauvignons. Velvet texture, 'just right' tannins and a great aftertaste."
"Plump, juicy black fruits on the palate are enhanced by a touch of toasty oak and vanillin."
"The oak shows prominently on the nose and the blackberry and chocolate flavors here are darker, but drier and less plush than in the Merlot. The cedar and black toast over dark fruit profile plays out, with tobacco accents, on the dry, tannic finish." 85
"Has a bouquet of herb, earth, mushroom anis, and dark berry. Flavors of raspberry, currant, anise, some earthiness and spice, a touch of oak, and light tannin make up the palate before a medium-long, focused finish. Nice." A Best Buy
"Deep, dark ruby in color, this wine has long legs and a big nose of cedar, tar, and black cherry. On the palate, it delivers an interesting counterpoint of jammy plum and spicy black-pepper flavors with an underpinning of sweet black cherry. This wine is well structured, with soft tannins well balanced with the fruit. It also has a nice silky mouthfeel and a good dry finish." Wine of the Week
"...is of such intensity of colour it's almost black. The intensity of colour is matched by the intensity of the blackberry nose and the blackberry and black currant flavours on the palate." ***
"Bright garnet-brick hue. Earthy, spicy, ferric red fruit aromas have a South African-like quality. A firm entry leads to a drying, medium-bodied palate with a firm cut. Lots of character for the price." 87
"...heady and seductive, with razor-sharp cassis fruit flavors."
"Pure, fragrant cassis, mint, floral and tobacco aromas carry perfectly onto the palate. Very cool fruit, yet a rich feeling. Great value."
"Any wine region that can produce a Cabernet Sauvignon of this caliber for $10 is all right by me. Understated scents and tastes of mint, black currant and cigar highlight this medium-bodied, velvety thoroughbred. Got steak? Get this cultured beauty."
"Has a deep, perfumed bouquet that insists you drink it!"
"Crowd-pleasing Cab at a consumer-friendly price. Lively currant, plum and smoke aromas rush forth, backed up by a sweet, round, jammy-fruit profile. Toast and vanilla notes finish it off." 86
"Tasters saw a deep purple with a brick-colored rim and smelled an interesting array of aromas ranging from Bordeaux-like minerals with cassis to eucalyptus and leather. Everyone liked the taste of fresh blackberries and cherries with most tasters glowing with praise for its smooth, lingering finish."
"...offered eucalyptus and jammy red fruit in the aroma. It had a nice mouthfeel... This wine tied for first in our tasting."
"Lively currant, plum and smoke aromas rush forth, backed by sweet, round, jammy fruit. Toasty vanilla finish." 86
"A sweet blackberry and raspberry fruitiness pours out of this young wine, just barely tamed by oak. The length of flavor is smooth and fruity, a simple accompaniment to roast meats." 85
"...is a deep violet color with aromas of wood and vanilla. Typical soft tannins with cherry, toast and spice make this wine an excellent match for most red meat and pasta dishes."
"...develops on the tastebuds from ripe cherries to smoky blackcurrants, with a hint of spice, and a suggestion of gravy. This is a lovely, textured cabernet of great class." 16.5/20
"Crowd-pleasing Chilean Cab at a consumer-friendly price. One of the best deals in Cabernet, this wine has lively flavors, with smoky aromas and a smooth finish. Lively currant, plum and smoke aromas rush forth and are backed up by a sweet, round, jammy-fruit profile. Toast and vanilla notes finish it off. Drink now." 86
"Crisp, with class, breeding and some interesting edges, yet approachable and easy to drink."
"Deep, saturated ruby-garnet hue. Generous herb and black-fruit nose. A firm entry leads to an expressive, medium-bodied palate with fine grip and lively acidity. Stylish and well-balanced." 86
"...this fine bargain has plenty of fruit, good wood, a medium body and some tannin for short-term aging."
"Brilliant ruby-purple hue. Generous savory herb and mineral aromas show varietal complexity. A firm entry leads to a medium-bodied palate with grippy tannins. Solid flavor intensity with a plummy finish." 89
Best Values
"Produced in large quantities and widely available, it has unusual finesse and complexity for the price. More similar to Bordeaux than California cabernet, it's an ideal match with roast lamb."
"Bright ruby hue. Generous red fruit and mineral aromas. A lush entry leads a medium-bodied palate with velvety tannins. Shows complexity and fruit persistence through the finish. Stylish." 86
"This '97 has a vibrance and a layered flavor of dark cherries, sour cherries and a stony, wholesome earthiness. So supple, it coats the mouth with bright flavor and a dry, chewy texture, then the flavors slowly drip down the throat with a glowing persistence. This has the inner strength to age gracefully..." Best Values
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