2010 Santa Ema Sauvignon Blanc Maipo Valley

Yes, you read correctly - 2010! It's not a beaujolais nouveau, so it must be...South American! Here we have a newly released Chilean sauvignon blanc. It's extremely pale yellow in color, with distinct silver tones. It also has some effervescence to it, though it could be mostly due to the screw cap closure. On the nose, it's fairly classic sauvignon blanc - more New Zealand than France, though. Green grass and mango predominate, with something akin to corn - even corn tortilla - in the background.

It's also quite nice in the mouth. The first impression is just a hint of residual sugar, followed by slight effervescence, pleasant acidity, and tropical fruits. This is an incredibly pleasant wine. The effervescence is making my tongue tingle, which is always fun, and for a $10 wine the finish is incredibly long and juicy. Maybe a bit bitter, but nothing off-putting. Looking forward to trying it with my roasted yellow pepper soup tonight. Thimbs up! 90.

Vintage: 2010
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Maipo Valley, Chile
Price: $10
My rating: 90/100

2007 Los Maquis Calcu Colchagua Valley

Chile, reportedly, has one of the most ideal climates and situations for great winemaking in the world. And land is cheap, so everybody and their uncle is making wine. A lot of the wine is great, and very inexpensive to purchase. But I've noticed that, on more than one occasion, I've smelled some...unfortunate....aromas wafting from a glass of Chilean wine. For example, the sauvignon blanc that smelled like a farm shed (tractor oil, livestock, and rotting vegetation). This is not to say that all Chilean wines smell like yuck, but...it's an observation.

The wine I'm tasting today, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, has a very appealing dark garnet color in the glass. A little cloudy, which is unusual in these days when most wines are expected to be clear and without sediment, but doesn't mean anything is wrong with the wine.

I admit my nose to the glass and...grape popsicle and POOP. Okay, so professional winetasters don't say poop. They say "barnyard" or "manure." Actually in this case, barnyard might be quite appropriate, as not only does the wine smell like ordure, but there's also a hearty whiff of decaying vegetation. This is not a happy-smelling wine.  So, let's try it in the mouth (if I must).....

Better. Whew. Good balance between the bracing acidity and the moderate but refined tannins. It's medium in body, a little "hot" - meaning that the alcohol is a little high and isn't quite in balance with the other elements in the wine - and a bit lacking in complexity and concentration. There is a hint of the aroma that carries over to the palate, but it comes across more as just overripe black cherry, rather than actual rot.

So, if you can get past the poop on the nose (ew), it's an okay wine. But...why would you want to drink something that smells like a barnyard? I give it an 80.