This is the other of the two wines I mentioned in my opening post that motivated me to start this blog. One night, I was having dinner at my mother-in-law’s house with my wife. Her mom opens this bottle of cab and pours us all a glass. I tried it and thought to myself, “There has been nothing in my life that has prepared me for this!” I enjoyed a couple of glasses but thought that the bottle would be outside of my frugal price range. I went to the store a month later and almost died when I saw the price. The day I discovered Casillero del Diablo was a very good day…
Name: Casillero del Diablo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Winery: Vina Concha Y Toro S.A.
Vintage: 2010
Region: Chile
Alcohol by Vol.: 13.5%
Price: $9
(Price can vary on state, taxes, the store’s mark-up, if you win rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock, and how much weight you can bench press.)
I stuck my nose into the glass and picked up cherry accents, spice, and oak. The wine didn’t open up very much in the glass, even after swirling and aerating. The wine is very clear, full bodied with a dark purple color touched with red.
Black cherry and spice make everything nice in this wine. I can detect mocha and oak in the after taste, but nothing else. The oak gives it a toasty finish while the spice adds to the warmth. There is a great balance of the flavors with the tannins. I prefer to have this wine with red meat cuts, such as rib eyes, or by itself while I am just enjoying the evening.
“Enjoy again” is something that I have done with this wine many times. This is in my top tier of wines that I have tried, and I doubt it will be moving anytime soon. I have introduced this wine to my brother, and he has also fallen in love with it. This is my favorite red to date and it would be a shame if you did not do yourself a favor and go buy as many bottles as your arms can carry.
