Wine of the Week?

2004 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This is, I hope, going to be a regular feature...we'll, y'know, see how it goes.

Los Vascos is the winery that sold me on Chilean wines in the first place. I had just moved into Philly in 2003, I was un-or-underemployed at the time, and I had no clue about wine; I'd had a few tangy Sangioveses when I was in Italy, but was pretty much limited to the collegiate staples of Carlo/Franzia/Etc. before I graduated. The 2001 Los Vascos I bought was about 10 bucks, but was one of the better wines I'd ever tasted at the time, and convinced me to do a little research.

(By the way: this is one on the reasons I can never direct public attention to this blog...all of my embarassing obsessions are bubbling up to the surface here.)

So:

Nose: Strawberries, a hint of yeast or something. Can that be right? Bread?

Taste: Medium body. Leads of with a hint of sweetness; finishes dry and spicy. Maybe some vegetable undertones, like zucchini or asparagus. Slightly tannic, which I don't remember from the earlier bottle, but still a warm, pleasant wine characteristic of Chilean Cabernet. Would be great with sharp cheese or a spicy grilled beef dish.

Now, I never claimed to know shit about this...