Montes

Purple Angel

The time has come - it’s Purple Angel time.

I say that because when else could I push (and I mean push) a luxury wine from Chile, produced from Carmenere, affordable but not really, and smile in your face knowing I did you a favor?

Because I did.

“Affordable but not” means this wine will be more than you usually spend on a bottle. I understand wine is still a luxury in this country, and quite frankly, I don’t buy the stuff for that reason. Choosing wine is about YOU; what you are doing and feeling, how many pennies you have in your pocket, and mostly, how adventurous you are feeling at the moment. I’m using the holidays as a manipulative component, and I am admitting it to you now. We are feeling spendy, love is being forced from our hearts, and we want to comfort ourselves and our guests who will be “popping by” consistently for the next few months.

That doesn’t mean you open this on a Tuesday night with pizza. Wait for that special in front of the fire, sexy dress, cheese plate, and mistletoe moment. We don’t grab the pricey stuff for people just passing through, or those family members who just don’t get it - they are not going to “get” this wine, and definitely are not “getting” you. Example: My sister has become wise to my “try this “special” wine” - she knows it’s an affordable, slightly past its prime, or an out-of-vintage sample. She now wants the good stuff. Damn my desire for education - watch out for the smart ones.

In the bottle: The definition of Carmenere from Chile. The first grape Chilean winemakers could put their stamp of “this is mine” on. They put their arms around this grape, and for good reason. It’s originally from Bordeaux, France, where, although it did the job, it could do better. This is a bit of a soap opera story, and told numerous times through my social, but we will review it again and again until I find the tribe for this grape. Distinct and complex, an age-worthy red wine for the collectors and the novice alike, with notes of black plum, present yet ample tannins, and a pretty offset of smoke. With just a dab of the grape Petite Verdot in this blend, a juicy arm around the shoulder guides you through this big boy tasting. For those in the know, and for those who will dismiss this grape for its “bell pepper” expression, sure, I see it there. It is the personality of the grape, and we embrace it. However, there is balance, there is a foot in the door of that pyrazine, and we relish in the joy of that side swipe. Carmenere, is more than the bell pepper you may presume will box around your palate - embrace the herbal quality, see it for its generous angularity, and calm your heels in the robust black fruit this wine will deliver in spades.

When you feel you deserve a treat, grab this bottle. When life is going your way, and celebration is an obvious choice - pop it. When you have been braising those short ribs and it’s a chilly night, just have a glass.