THIS WEEK'S WINE: 2006 COUSINO-MACUL ANTIGUAS RESERVAS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
K: Well, hey! Welcome home! I saw the picture of that monster of a walleye you caught--I'm sure the fish at Lake Rathbun are glad that you're away from their body of water.
J: Good to be back--ready to start drinking. I don't drink wine when I camp.
K: You really can't drink wine out of a koozy, can you?
J: Strictly a beer event. So let's talk about the nose on this wine. Some kind of overripe fruit. Maybe plums or black cherries.
K: Possibly blackberries. I'm also picking up some sort of bouquet. But not a really notable flower scent, like lily of the valley or lilacs. Something that's just a neutral scent; just a flowering plant scent.
J: And a bit of bitter chocolate. I get that vegetative scent, too.
FIRST SIP
K: Full-on currant. It reminds me of that Looza pure fruit juice you can get at the grocery store with all the other specialty juices.
J: I agree on the currant. None of the overripe fruit scents carry on to the flavor. On mid-palate, I'm getting a garlic flavor. But then toward the end, that turns to unsweetened cocoa powder. These are three opposing tastes--it's so bizarre.
K: I think the mid-palate garlic is that vegetative thing that happens with some Sauvignon Blanc. It's like garlic, chives, green onion--just for a moment. I get the vegetal for a moment, then it finishes on a black olive note, that has a titch of black licorice.
J: I think it's odd that we have such a random taste palate tonight. What is this telling us? At any rate, this is an average wine in my opinion. What I like best about it has nothing to do with the taste, but the history behind the vineyard. Care to elaborate on that K?
K: The Cousino-Macul vineyard is the only vineyard in Chile to be entirely family owned since its inception in 1856. Because I am Spanish inept (as I didn't take Spanish in high school) I assumed until now that this winery was named after someone's notable cousin Macul.
J: (laughing)
K: In any event, this it is the very rich and very lucky Cousino family in the Macul region of the Maipo Valley that produces this wine. Their founder bought the land, started a vineyard--and in the meantime started the first and most profitable silver mine in Chile, then produced a copper smelting plant, THEN built a railroad to connect everything. This was all shortly after Chile's indepencence from Spain, and Matias Cousino wanted Chile to establish itself as an strong nation full of pioneers.
J: Overachiever!
K: The second generation of the Macul family went to France and bought French root stock three years before the phylloxera plague that almost completely wiped out wine in Europe.
J: But they're kind of not-so-lucky, as in the founder and his son also died early in life.
K: They were ambitious in their short lives, though. I mean, what have I done in the past ten years? Certainly not built an empire. I did some drinking and travelling--and drinking while travelling--of which i'm particularly proud, but nothing that put a mark in history.
J: What would you pair this with?
K: Well, I think the 12-month barrel ageing directs it toward rich food.
J: I say creamy, chocolatey, cheesecake. Something with mocha.
K: Insert gratuitious product placement here! One of my Amai cheesecakes! Buy them! We sell them by the slice in the store. Although, there isn't anything mocha and chocolate right now--but there should be. What else?
J: I was thinking brats--but you don't really drink wine with brats. Usually beer and brats.
K: But I think we should change the game on that. If this wine would be great with brats, then so be it. I say lasagna with spicy Italian sausage. Or meat ravioli with vodka sauce.
J: I think I have an odd palate tonight. It's because i've been away from wine and reality.
K: We don't always have to agree on flavors--I think that makes for good discussion.
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