SIP SESSIONS
With Steve's Wine Bar
SIP SESSION
with Chilean wine expert Carlos Miquel.
Shelter In Place will be different this Saturday
from 6:00 – 7:30 PM Central Time.
• Did you know that Chile exports more wine than the US?
About a half billion dollars more.
• Did you know Chile has some of the oldest vines in the world? Unaffected by phylloxera, Chile never had to graft to resistant stock.
• Did you know Chile is the 7th largest producer of wine? Chile has seen the most growth among the major producers over the past 5 years.
Purchase 2 bottles of our Featured Chilean wines by Thursday
and join us Saturday April 25 at 6:00 PM for a Zoom call when we interview Carlos Miquel and examine the history of Chile and their incredible wines.
All featured wines have been rated 92 points or better by several renowned professionals!
The Session Link will be emailed to you prior to the event on Saturday.
• Featured Chilean Wines included in this special offer are: (Buy at least two)
- Vina Chocalan "Vitrum" Red Blend. $31
- Vina Chocalan "Alexia" Red Blend $54
- Calyptra Grand Reserve "Assemblage" Red Blend $44
- Calyptra Inedito Limited Edition Red Blend $60
- Calyptra Zahir 100% Cabernet Sauvignon $75
It’s your choice.
Order wines online and pick the wines up this Friday or Saturday. Drink one, both or all of them before the class, save them for the class or watch the class and then drink them. It's your choice.
We have a limit on available wines in Texas, so order soon before they run out.
Questions:
steve@steveswinebar.com
JOIN US for a SIP SESSION from Chile
Carlos has been in the wine industry for over 20 years representing Chilean wineries in the USA, in 2014 he saw the opportunity to set up an importing business for smaller, family owned , estate grown and bottled wineries. He is currently the importer for both Viña Calyptra and Viña Chocalan from Chile in the US, and is a certified WSET wine educator.
A Little More About the Wines:
ALEXIA: 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.
Powerful deep bouquet combining black fruit, cassis with fresh spice and hint of menthol notes. Well integrated notes of cedar in balance with cherry licorice. Fleshy on the palate, rich and concentrated wine, build on tight tannins that will ensure long keeping. Lush and velvety texture with a long finish. Decanting is recommended.
VITRUM: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, 4% Carmenère, 2% Petit Verdot.
Brilliant and deep ruby red color. A powerful and expressive nose, sweet and spicy notes. This wine offers ripe red fruits aromas and jam. Great character and structure in the mouth, it is a bodied wine with a good volume. Soft and firm tannins that provides a high potential of ageing. Creamy, with anisette notes that melts with smoky and chocolate bitter flavors.
CALYPTRA GRAND RESERVA "ASSEMBLAGE": 67% Syrah, 33% Merlot
A wine with a beautiful dark ruby-red color with violet highlights. Outstanding fruit with a nose full of red berries, black cherry, black pepper, hints of violets. Those elements come through on the palate with fresh black and red fruit, revealing a full-bodied wine. This wine opens generously, very silky and lush on the palate. In mid palate, it is round and velvety with very fine tannins and the excellent acidity enhance its liveliness and balance.
Decanting is recommended for at least 1 hour.
It has a cellaring potential of 10 to 15 years.
CALYPTRA "INEDITO": Cabernet Sauvignon: 58%; Merlot: 25%; Syrah: 17%
Dark ruby-red color. A powerful wine with very good level of soft and rounded tannins. On the palate, it is perfectly balanced, full-bodied and superbly voluptuous on the mid-palate with extremely fine, firm, and sweet tannins. Each bottle is numbered. The wine is elegant and has a very well defined character. With an excellent cellaring potential.
CALYPTRA "ZAHIR": 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
A wine with a beautiful dark red color with ruby-red highlights. Subtle on the nose, with a big range of aromas that shows an amazing complexity. Red fruits such as cherry, plums, cassis, and raspberry. A robust wine with very good level of soft and rounded tannins. The wine is elegant and has a very well defined character. On the palate, it is perfectly balanced, full-bodied and superbly voluptuous on the mid-palate with extremely fine, firm, and sweet tannins. Its out-standing acidity gives the wine a youthful, refreshing feeling. Its structure gives this wine cellaring potential of at least 30 years.
A crisp, acidic, and approachable white made from the oft-misunderstood Colombard grape, one that was until relatively recently used for brandy production. These grapes are grown in Gascony, France, which is found in the very southwest corner in France. The grapes are aged in stainless steel, undergoing malolactic fermentation and aging on their lees, resulting in a rich, creamy texture. This region benefits from having a combination of Oceanic and Mediterranean climates, providing ample sun for the production of this lovely white that shows floral and citrus notes on the nose followed by friendly ripe stone fruit on the palate.
Klinker Brick is one of the most recognized and well acclaimed producers in the Lodi region, named after the odd-colored ‘klinker bricks’ used in the production of the early 20th-century houses still present in Lodi. This rose is a combination of Grenache, Carignane, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, utilizing both Rhone and ‘Old Vine’ varietals. Unlike many substantial production wineries, the grapes used for “Bricks & Roses” are designated for just that, and are not surplus from red wine production. This wine is made in a ‘Provence’ style, signifying no skin contact, no oak, and little tannin, making for a clean, acidic rose highlighted by notes of melon, grapefruit, cherry, and hints of minerality. Drink this with clean, lean proteins or rich salads.
Another entry in the rapidly-expanding world of biodynamic wine. This red is made from 100% Montepulciano from its namesake Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOP. The winemaking process, like some of our previous biodynamic selections, involves the grapes being rested on their indigenous yeasts following de-stemming and pressing. This is followed by aging in oak, stainless steel, and in the bottle. This wine is characterized by plush, fresh red fruits such as cherry and red plum accented by savory notes of hay, oregano, and tar, making a wonderful pairing for cured meats or rich tomato-based pastas.
Brighter red fruits like cherry and raspberry combined with soft tannins and approachable acidity give this Argentinian red its profile. Produced by Loca Linda or “Crazy Beautiful” Wines, this fun, easy red is representative of its name, and will go well with a wide variety of savory dishes.
Bodegas Ondarre is based in Viana and makes a very enjoyable range of Rioja wines. This cuvée of Tempranillo with 15% Mazuelo and Garnacha is a case in point, with plenty of perfume, succulent berry fruit and a gentle balsamic finish. A tight, drawing palate is tannic and high in acidity. Like the nose, this tastes saucy, earthy and tomatoey, while a steady finish confirms that this is traditional Rioja reserva.
A winery under the umbrella of the legendary Paul Hobbs, Familia Deicas is bringing a storied vinicultural history to the generally underappreciated wine-growing regions of Uruguay. This 100% Tannat is sourced from four estate vineyards in order to create an ideal representation of the country’s flagship varietal. This wine pours an inky purple with a nose dominated by earth, herbs, and blue fruits. You will probably find this wine more akin to some of the more structured reds of Languedoc and Rhone, as this wine’s tannins are apparent, but well integrated with bright acidity and fig notes to round out.
KWV is amongst South Africa’s most admired and consumed producers, and one of the very few that you will find producing a 100% Petit Verdot every year! Generally forgotten among its other Bordeaux counterparts, Petit Verdot is generally used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for its hallmark inky purple color and immense structure. KWV’s rendition is aged 8 months in oak and shows notes of dark red fruit, graphite, and spice on the nose. The palate is surprisingly ripe, with luscious black cherry and plum notes but balanced out with formidable tannins and acid, making a perfect accompaniment for any red meat.
From amongst the most recognizable and respected producers in CA, Hess’s “Allomi” is sourced from the estate’s Allomi vineyard in Northern Napa Valley. This has all of the prerequisite hallmarks of a Napa Cabernet, with Cabernet Sauvignon making up the bulk of the blend, with Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Merlot adding color and structure. This sees 18 months in 27% American Oak. On the nose, you will find black fruit, floral notes, and vanilla from the oak. On the palate, this is a decadent wine, clocking in at 14.5% ABV with a palate dominated by ripe black fruits, bittersweet chocolate and velvety tannins.