LCBO SALE PICK OF THE WEEK: MAR. 31
Casillero Del Diablo 2014 Reserva Devil's Collection Red (Rapel Valley, Chile)
Sale $11.90, Regular $14.90
Discount (until Apr. 24): $3.00
LCBO # 436956 | 750 mL bottle
Tastes like: A Cabernet in Syrah’s clothing, with fresh and fruity black berries, plum and cinnamon.
Pairs with: New York strip, lamb, meaty kabobs with lots of grilled veg. Caesar salad too.
Good for: April’s pre-season barbecues, to help get your charcoal grilling chops back. (You only use charcoal, right?)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now to 2019.
Why we're drinking this
Hands down, Chile is the place for value wines. This new Devil’s Collection line from the reliable Casillero del Diablo winery is nice juice, punching above its price point even before the three buck discount. The Red (and the White too) took silver medals at the 2014 International Wine & Spirit Competition in the U.K. We can do without the weak “time to be a devil” taglines and the sexy/slutty imagery on their website, but hey whatever it takes to move product, right? You can look past that, and just enjoy the wine. It comes in an insanely heavy bottle, which must cost a pretty penny to ship from Chile. Pretty old school for a new brand, dontcha think?
Tasting note
Though predominantly Syrah in the blend, this Devil comes across as a hefty Cabernet with lots of black berry fruit (black cherry, blackberry, plum) with a touch of smoke, vanilla and cinnamon. It’s exactly this profile on the palate too. That’s what we call precision, when the flavour delivers the same elements as the nose. And that’s that. This is not a complex or deep wine, but it’s damn well made. It lacks a bit in the mid-palate, but if you’re not a wine geek you won’t really mind. Though the tannins are a tad silty at the moment, these should ripen up in due course, say a year or two in bottle. But you won’t want to wait, so just decant it with a violent pour — go for lots of froth as it chugs from the bottle. A nice, somewhat short finish, with balance and a tangy “pong.” A good sipper, or serve with steak, meatloaf, lamb lollipops, etc. The bright acidity and tannins will play nicely with meat. Stock up now for pre-season April barbecues.
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