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Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1997 |
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“. . . bright yellow with an exotic fruit and nutty perfume. The flavor is creamy, nutty and rich, with a drizzling of tropical summer fruits. Marques de Casa pretty much wrote the book on Chilean Chardonnay, and I’ve read it from cover to cover many times with great satisfaction. So my instinct was a good one: I judged this book by its cover. Cheers!”
...has a Burgundian bouquet of mineral, slate, baked apple, poached pear, and smoky oak. It has a viscous texture, layered, ripe fruit, and excellent length. It delivers more than most Chardonnays at 2-3 times the price. 92
"Shows a nice mix of dried pineapple, papaya, pear and fig flavors, with a long, minerally finish. Has a nice layer of toast, but stays fresh and pure. Drink now." 91 - SMART BUYS
“A sibling of the Merlot. It’s from Pirque in the Maipo Valley of Chile. There’s a creamy aura to the wine, flavours of citrus, guava, passion fruit, rounding out to butter, a whiff of sour cream, and sweet vanilla”.
“Silky, super-smooth and buttery white, with restrained oak and lively hazelnut, lemon and apple flavours. A real crowd-pleaser”.
" From grapes grown in the Maipo Valley, 100% handpicked. A creamy, French barrel fermented and aged wine, with tropical fruit on the nose, slightly oily with hints of smoke en bouche. Long mineral finish."
"…like an old-fashioned California Chardonnay, with toast, butter and a little oiliness. Charming. Try it with fried shrimp." Good/Very Good
"Citrus, mineral and charred oak aromas. Peach and pear flavors with a nervy edge of fresh acidity. Closes with a lingering toasted oak nuance." 87
“This is a nice Chardonnay, especially from Maipo. It has fruit cocktail and peaches on the nose, followed by a mix of pink grapefruit, melon and pineapple on the palate. Finishes with some oaky toast and citrus pith. Full-bodied within the category.” 87
“Deep yellow. Exotic aromas of ripe peach, apricot and floral honey. Thick and weighty on the palate, with spicy apple and peach flavors and firm acids giving the wine focus and structure. Quite taut and firm on the finish, with a bright apple flavor lingering.” 87
“From one of the coolest sites in Maipo, this rich Chardonnay delivers ripe pear and red apple aromas surrounded by powerful acidity. Its rich texture brings roasted salmon to mind.” 88
“Juicy, with apple, pineapple and fig fruit kept lively by mineral and floral notes. Very lively finish has nice length. Drink now.” 89
“Fruit is from the warmer Maipo valley, giving this wine a rich, tropical feel in the mouth. It’s well-balanced and refined, with a smoky edge, strong vanilla notes, some spiciness and a licorice finish.”
“. . .has tons of smoky buttery toasty apple and citrus poise. With all the green-tasting non-oaked Chardonnays stacking the shelves, nicely oaked Chardonnay seems destined for extinction. These two [referring also to another Chilean Chardonnay being reviewed] give me hope.”
“This rich, fulsome Chardonnay lost some of its rambunctious character when it met up with the curry, but it gained elegance, making the combination truly delicious. We tried a lighter, less lavish Chardonnay as well, but it simply lost its edge with the dish.”
“Lots of popcorn and butter on the nose, with more butter along with lemon and apple on the palate. This is a soft, rich wine without a lot of driving acids to spunk things up. Turns increasingly creamy on the finish.” 87
“Bright yellow; aroma of toasted almond, hazelnut, pear and baked apples; medium-full with very good concentration; a ripe and flavorful Chardonnay with obvious oak; good persistence of fruit along with tart acidity; enjoy over the next two years.” * * *
“Quite a big style, with plenty of figgy, creamy power. Up to 2006.” Best Value * * *
“Rich but very stylish, with lush flavors of Jonagold apple, fig, hazelnut, honeysuckle and mineral. Fine acidity drives the long finish. Drink now.” 90 Smart Buy
“The wine delivers a power punch of ripe apple, melon and pear fruit aromas with a hint of vanilla oak. The ripe fruit dominates the flavors with a nice touch of toasty oak and nutmeg in the finish. Enjoy with grouper pan-roasted with tomatoes, onions and peppers.” RECOMMENDED VERY GOOD 85-89
"Another Chilean, given lengthy barrel aging for balance. Ripe and concentrated fruit, with tropical tones and a buttered toast feel."
“. . .an outstanding value in balanced Chardonnay, outperforming many wines that cost twice as much.”
“Full bodied, complex, creamy and big with pear, toasted wheat, fig, nutmeg, honey and vanilla; long finish. Grilled lobster tail with lemon beurre blanc.” Serve now, but will hold for some time. Excellent by-the-glass wine.
"Excellent Chardonnay, in a full bodied, supple, citrusy style; it is finely flavored (pear, lemon peel, lime, vanilla) and long on the finish. (2004-2005) Anticipated peak drinkability, not aging potential." ****
"Bold, with lots of spice and toast notes laying over ripe pear tartine, fig and mango flavors. The fruit stays lush on the finish, while a stony underpinning keeps it all honest. Drink now through 2005." 91
"Packed with vanilla and oak this wine boasts a wonderful body and a great feel. It was 35% barrel fermented, and yet it still pops with acidity and fresh fruit. Touches of popcorn and creaminess are detectable, but neither detracts from the main act." 88
"Concha y Toro have a really strong portfolio of wines, and really I could have picked several, from the cheap and cheerful Casillero del Diablo, up to their serious Terrunyo label wines. This Chardonnay is a typically delicious and well-made example. Its burnished gold colour immediately suggests it will be ripe and oaky, and so it is. The nose has Burgundian, overripe, cabbagy notes as well as plenty of tropical, sweet fruit and a layer of vanillin oak (8 months in French barrels). The palate is densely-textured and chewy, with a luscious pineapple and very ripe melon fruit character, but a spine of good, quite mineral acidity and a rasping cut of smoky, spicy oak and a touch of wood tannin. This is really classy stuff at a modest price."
"Fat but juicy, this tasty Chardonnay delivers plenty of fig, quince, pear and toast flavors, with hints of honeysuckle and minerals chiming in on the finish for added effect. Open-knit and delicious. Drink now through 2004. 5,500 cases made." 90
"Chile's largest winery, Concha y Toro produces an array of excellent wines for every budget. This Chardonnay offers exceptional flavor and balance for the price. "
"This is a dynamite Chardonnay from Chile with wonderful pear, apple and spicy oak aromas. The rich flavors of pear, almond and vanilla oak explode in the mouth and deliver a wonderful taste experience that is usually only found in Chardonnay wines at twice the price. Highly Recommended and Great Value." 90-94
"Peach fruit and vanilla nose. More stone fruits on palate. Creamy but balanced, rich and vanilla but pleasantly full bodied." ***
"A round, dense structure and a silky finish."
"Medium-weight peach, cream and pear flavors, with subtle spice and toast notes. Round and mouthfilling, with the fruit lingering on the finish. Delicious." 88
"Opens with dry pear and almond-like, nutty, toasty oak notes, showing uncommon elegance for a wine in this price range. The fruit to acid balance is very good, and the core apple-pear flavors bear citrus, mango and custard accents, as well as more of the refined oak. Finishes long and classy, again with fine style and integration of elements." 90 - Editor's Choice
"...is a bold, buttery, tropical, citrusy wine. It has a big note of, interestingly, pineapple, and got better and better as it warmed from 40 degrees to room temperature."
"Tropical fruit, with toasty vanilla and caramel notes. Butter and vanilla, with nuts, toast, smoke and cooking spices; crisp finish."
"A smooth, silky and spicy wine, with rich pear, nectarine, apple and hazelnut flavors, surrounded by vanilla overtones, finishing long and fruity."
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