Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, oak, chocolate, leather, herbs, spice on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth, supple tannins; significant balancing acidity (3.65 pH). Medium-full body. Lively nose prepares you for pleasing parade of red and black fruit flavors. Blackcurrant tang on the finish, the only surprise in a smooth sailing experience. Subtle oak regime delivers chocolate and leather notes. 14% ABV
Wine is 100% cabernet sauvignon, 70% masal selection of vines from Los Lingues, 30% from Marchigüe planted with clone 169. Los Lingues is located in the northern section of the valley. Los Cactus vineyard is located on the gentle hills of Marchigüe, about 28 miles from the Pacific. Chilean wine prides itself on being a product of the Andes and the Pacific.
The interplay of the high, snow drenched mountains and the cool, roiling ocean generates distinctive wines that are both intense and fruity. The elevations give the vines and clusters intense sunlight juxtaposed the significant temperature drops at night. The coveted “diurnal shift” found in many of the world’s top wine producing regions.
TerraNoble are hand-picked, destemmed, and cold macerated for up to six days. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with manual punch-downs for 8-12 days. Post fermentation maceration for up to two weeks to extract color and flavor depth. Aged in French oak barrels and un-toasted foudre—large barrels—where malolactic fermentation occurs. Aging in 70% new and previously used French barrels and 30% untoasted fourdres for one year. Aged in bottle for six months before release.
TerraNoble began in 1993 by a group that wanted to establish a boutique winery specializing in “Chilean merlot” in the Maule Valley. The name “TerraNoble” celebrated Chilean soil. The next year, “Chilean merlot” was correctly identified as carménère, and that grape became the principal focus, although cabernet sauvignon also was planted. In 2009, the winery began vinifying grapes from the Colchagua Valley, from where the material for this effort came. In 2016, The International Wine & Spirits Competition recognized TerraNoble as the “Chilean Wine Producer of the Year.” In 2019, obtained Sustainable Wine of Chile certification. In 2020, it earned V-Label certification to guarantee wines were suitable for those following a vegan diet.
Alejandro Abarca is the managing director. Marcelo García is the winemaker. Pedro Vega is the viticulturist.
TerraNoble Gran Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle de Colchagua, Chile 2018 is a solid cab that avoids extremes sometimes associated with cab. You get a tasty, reserved, no-faults libation. You don’t get complexity, layers, challenges. You also do not get grippy tannins, a lumber yard of oak, or a florid fruit bomb. That will please many who just want a pleasant-tasting experience at a good QPR (quality-price ratio). Pair with beef dishes—grilled rib-eye, porterhouse, T-bone, New York strip; lamb; wild game—venison, boar; broiled, barbecue chicken; pork—chops, baby back ribs; comfort foods—beef stew, meatloaf, meat lover pizza, burgers and sliders, pasta dishes with beef and tomato sauces. Cheese—cheddar, aged gouda, gorgonzola; aged cow’s milk cheese with some age; semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese with some age; slightly firm, soft-ripened cheese with earthy notes like triple-crème brie. $19-21
