The Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon is a good example of a high quality, budget red wine from Chile. Caliterra is a joint venture between its sister vineyard Errazuriz and Robert Mondavi. For the 2000 vintage 83% of the grapes were sourced from the Rapel Valley. The resulting wine is very smooth with generous flavors of red blackberry and raspberry with a touch of spicy mint. The tannins are soft but still give the wine sufficient tannins to stand up to a variety of grilled meats. This wine would also match well with Grilled Salmon Steak. Serve this wine slightly below room temperature, about 18℃.
John H. Isacs