Vinedos Torreon de Paredes Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

The 1998 Vinedos Torreon Cabernet Sauvignon is a striking wine, with rich, pure fruit and a firm but not aggressive structure. Scents of blackberry, Cassis and eucalyptus permeate the nose, offering a hypothetical cross in bouquet between a fine Bordeaux and a top-notch Australian Cabernet. Lush and immanently pleasing, ripe blackcurrant with hints of mint, herb, spices and oak dominate the flavor of this easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon. The addition of a small percentage of Merlot to the cepage, coupled with a hiatus of up to a year in oak cask, renders this Cabernet Sauvignon the perfect candidate for present consumption. Enjoy!

Roast chicken, Duck a l'Orange and good, simple cuts of beef would be our first culinary choices to complement the Paredes Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet, several members of our tasting panel voted it their favorite sit around, sipping Cabernet Sauvignon that didn't require a loan officer to purchase it. In short, enjoy this easy-drinking Cabernet with or without food. We heartily endorse a roaring fire and a good friend as the only accompaniments to this wine. Salut!

Named for the great eighteenth century watchtowers, or torreones, that used to stand in and around the Chilean town of Rengo, Vinedos Torreon de Paredes is a thriving family concern of over 300 acres. Specializing in the cultivation of traditional Bordeaux varietals that the family brought from France, Javier and Alnaro Paredes carry on the work of their visionary father, Amado, who founded the estate. At present, Torreon de Paredes produces some 100,000 cases a year of premium wine, of which 80% goes abroad, destined to grace the tables of fortunate European and North American homes and restaurants. Here Cabernet Sauvignon is king, weighing in as the most extensively cultivated grape at the estate, followed by Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and even a bit of Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Yields are kept low on all varietals by viticultural experts from France's prestigious Montpellier University and eslewher4e, who oversee the planting and vineyard operation at Vinedos Torreon. Little expense is spared in producing a bevy of delicious wines by great attention to detail, including washing all bottles in purified water and corking the estate's wines under vacuum to boost the life of the wine and cork and to insure the utmost purity in the finished product. Kudos to the Paredes family for a hint of pure, pleasure-filled wines.