Montes Twins Red Blend 2017
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James
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Wine &
Spirits
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Winemaker Notes
Montes Twins is loaded with aromas of red and black fruit, sweet spices and bitter chocolate. The wine is creamy, youthful and easy to drink.
Enjoy with red meats, pasta and pizza or by itself.
Blend: 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 25% Carmenere, 10% Tempranillo
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I love the bold blackcurrants, blueberries, bitter chocolate and spices on the nose, then the mouth-filling, creamy palate that’s supported by a wealth of soft tannins. The finish is juicy yet dry and rather food-friendly. The first vintage of this blend of 35 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 30 per cent syrah, 25 per cent carmenere and 10 per cent tempranillo.
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Wine & Spirits
Tempranillo makes up only ten percent of this blend, syrah 30, but together they tip the balance toward a Mediterranean feel, taking cabernet and carmenère in a ripe, floral direction. A fresh herb character and an earthiness, like pressed flowers, highlights the fragrant red fruit of the wine, keeping it high toned and spicy.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Tasting
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Tasting
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With the release of the first Montes Alpha wine back in 1988, Montes became one of the first premium wineries of Chile. Their premise, a clear belief that Chile had an untapped potential as a producer of quality wines, made them a benchmark for other wineries to follow. Its original four partners' total involvement and the continuous help of the angels that decorate their labels was key to their success. Two decades later, Montes is the fifth most important winery of Chile where Aurelio Montes continues leading the winemaking area with the same passion as the first day. Hard work and total focus on quality has led Montes to be one of the most successful and respected quality-driven wineries in Chile as they continue pioneering and breaking new grounds in wine.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.