LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: Sept. 24

Las Mulas Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Central Valley, Chile)

Sale $11.95, Regular $12.95
Discount (until Oct. 11): $1.00
LCBO # 407494 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: It’s a Cab! Pretty blackberry and brambly fruit, with a silky smooth feel.
Pairs with: Meat, grilled meat, braised meat… and vegetable stew. It’ll love a nice ratatouille.
Good for: Political debate. It’s got a bark up front and a smooth finish.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now.

Why we're drinking this
Finding a solid wine for twelve bucks or so can be more than a challenge. Prices are going up, and the budget conscious kwäffer needs to know where to spend his/her hard-earned cash. Chile, where this wine is from, is a good bet 91% of the time. Labour and land costs are low, and established wine families like Torres have got a lock on churning out good wines across every price point. Las Mulas is their line of organic, entry-level wines that are priced to move. This Cab is as good as it needs to be to make its mark in this price range, no more and no less. If it ranked one point more on the score (I give it 86.5/100 or 15/20) it’d be a superb deal. As it is, it’s a good, reliable wine that’s certainly packed with more stuffing than a lot of its competitors. It’s also a good introduction to Chilean Cab Sauv. Read on for more…

Tasting note
Chile does Cab well. Really well. They have the altitude and climate to keep it cool, and the sunny, dry days to make it ripe. Frickin’ ideal conditions plus cheap labour equals killer value. And this wine is organic, if that matters to you. To us, it’s all about the flavour and aromas. This is pretty much a straight-on Cab, with an alluring, perfumed nose of blackberry, cassis, plum and some brambly/savoury notes. I couldn’t quite tell if it was under-ripe, or the fruit was meant to be on the green side (a savoury note). Either way, it’s delicious and superbly smooth. It has that richness that only quality fruit can convey. It strikes me as a pure, honest wine. It’s a tad rustic or wild, which I like. It doesn’t feel or taste like a concocted wine. Give it a steak over a charcoal grill, or some crazy charcuterie, and it’ll be happy. You will be too.

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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder