Undurraga – Good Wines From Chile

For many years, in the “way back when,” among the only Chilean wines available in the United States came from Undurraga. This winemaker, founded in 1865, lead the way for the rest of the Chilean vintners to sell their wares here.
Chilean grape vines are grown on their own root stock, unlike vines in the rest of the world, which are grafted onto disease resistant root stocks. Because of this, Chilean wines more closely resemble the “wines of old,” which set the style for all of today’s modern wines.
Undurraga wines are still available here and their latest vintage is currently in restaurants and on dealers’ shelves and those wines are still a leader in quality and value.

Undurraga 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($7.99). The aroma of this wine is big, bold, and a fiesta of berry and dark fruit scents. These aromas are constantly changing and are inviting as well as intriguing. The flavor, which is very concentrated, is as interesting and dynamic as is the aroma. There are the flavors of cassis and deep dark berries but also a hint of cherries, black plums and cranberries. The Undurraga 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is velvety soft and not overly tannic so it can be enjoyed right now instead of having to wait several years for it to soften. This is a wine that has all of the elegance and charm of a wine selling for considerably more than this one does. Please, drop the prejudice and snobbery over wines that are not French, American or expensive and try this wine; to say the least, you will be amazed.

Undurraga 2010 Merlot($7.99). The Undurraga 2010 Merlot exhibits so much fresh fruit that it reminds us of a quality Beaujolais. The fruit aromas and flavors are big, bold, and beautiful. Plums and berries dominate the flavor with chocolate and mocha. A delightful added extra to this wine is its long and fruity finish. This wine too has the indefinable raisin-like quality that permeates all Chilean wines. Together, the components blend to encompass so broad a range of delightful flavors and aromas that description is almost impossible. Undurraga 2010 Merlot is the perfect warm weather, outdoor barbeque or picnic red wine; soft, smooth, and easy to drink. It both looks good and tastes good and almost guaranteed to please one and all.

Undurraga 2010 Carmenere ($7.99). This grape variety was brought over from Spain by the first settlers in order to make the same red wine they enjoyed in the “old country.” The wine from this variety has been a well kept secret in Chile until just a few years ago. It is a wine with a deep red color that exhibits the flavors and aromas of ripe berries, chocolate, pepper and oak. The Undurraga 2010 Carmenere has an intensity of flavor found in very few wines and like a cabernet sauvignon. it can perfectly accompany red meats, strong cheese and pastas. For a change in flavor and style, try this exceptional and interesting wine, it will be a sensory adventure and perhaps even give you a new favorite.

Undurraga 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($7.99). This wine adds new interest to a variety that has become humdrum in recent years and something extra that many of the other wines of the same grape variety fail to achieve, a silky and creamy texture. There is the expected grassy, slightly smoky aroma combined with pineapple and citrus. In the flavor department, this wine covers the complete gamut of all of the possibilities that the grape offers; melon, pear, and fig flavors. What makes this wine a standout is the creaminess and richness that it displays and an underlying mineral flavor. If you have lost interest in sauvignon blanc in recent years, try the Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc; you will be pleasantly surprised. With this wine the variety cuts a new direction for an old friend. Our recommendation is to enjoy this wine with almost any seafood, except for the very spicy dishes.