2009 Villasenor Ensamblaje mini review

Another one of the stars from the Chilean wine show. Dark in color with a mild nose, cab sauv like. On the pallet the wine displays a nice melody of fruit. You can actually pick out a number of the grapes from the blend. The cab sauv, the Carménère are both noticeable. Some lovely rich berry flavors. On the finish the wine has some nice dryness, some nice mouth grip, and some nice peppery notes coming from the Syrah. This is a lovely wine. I would give it 89-90. It’s not in the LCBO but is available on consignment at $30 a bottle by the case. Very nice.

From the winery’s web site:
One of our most prized products, this is a blend of 40% Carménère, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah, all from the Lontué Valley (Maule Region) and the Maipo Valley (Appellation: Central Valley).

Tasting Notes:
This wine is characterized by its intense ruby red color. It displays fruity aromas in the nose like dried plums, black currant and touches of black pepper, smoked vanilla and almonds. The mouth feel is structured, elegant and harmonious leading to a long finish.

Technical Sheet
– Appellation: Central Valley- Grape Variety: 40% Carménère, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah.- Vineyard Yield: Carménère (1.3 kg per plant) Merlot (2.1 kg per plant), Cabernet Sauvignon (1.7 kg per plant) Syrah (1.9 kg per plant).- Harvest: hand-harvested in 15 kg bins. Carménère (May 20, 2009); Merlot (March 28,2009) Cabernet Sauvignon (April 20, 2009); Syrah (April 1, 2009).- Winemaking: Each grape variety was fermented separately for 10 to 15 days and then went though malolactic fermentation from between 45 and 70 days.- Aging: 12 months in oak barrels (80% French and 20% American).- Filtering: Unfiltered- Bottling Date: June 29, 2011 (32,680 bottles)- Aging Potential: Drink now or age up to 10 years.- Suggested serving temperature: 18° – 20° C- Decanting: Best to decant for at least 15 minutes but ideally 20 minutes before serving.
Basic Analysis
– Alcohol (% v/v): 13.5%- Total Acidity (H2 SO4): 6.2 g/lt- Residual Sugar: 2.2 g/lt- pH: 3.43- Volatile Acidity: 0.64 g/lt- SO2 Free: 16 mg/l