South American Value Wines From Trivento & Concha y Toro

Argentina’s Trivento and Chile’s Concha y Toro have been releasing delicious, crowd-friendly wines all of America for many years. With a series of appellations and brands, you can spend $10 to $25 and be pretty sure you’re going to get something solid. And each producer has high-end wines like Eolo and Don Melchor that are tremendously good.

I think the wines in this report offer casual or new wine drinkers a good introduction to the wines and styles widely available from Argentina and Chile. And there’s a little something (especially in the Marques to Casa Concha series) wine geeks should find interesting.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2015 Trivento Malbec Reserve - Argentina, Mendoza

SRP: $11

Medium ruby color. Aromas of bright red cherries and raspberry jam along with tobacco, cedar, anise and rose hips. Medium-bodied with light tannins and refreshing acidity, and it’s all balanced nicely. Raspberry jam and red plums mix with some loamy soil, cedar, mint and vanilla. Not deep or complex but a tasty, fresher style Malbec. (86 points)

2014 Trivento Malbec Golden Reserve - Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

SRP: $21

Deep ruby/light purple color. Nose of dark plums, vibrant black cherry and cassis, along with a complex web of violets, cedar, vanilla, charcoal and rocky, dark soil. Full-bodied and solidly structured with tannins but freshened with acidity. Juicy black cherries and tart blueberries blend so well with notes of roasted green herbs, black pepper, tobacco, graphite and violet petals. Good now but could hold for a few years. (89 points)

2014 Concha y Toro Malbec Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Palo Santo - Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

SRP: $17

Bright purple color. Dark and saucy on the nose with tart blueberry and black currant fruit, along with dark roast coffee, black licorice, graphite, potting soil and cedar notes. Full-bodied with silky tannins, offering some moderate grip, but there’s refreshing acidity. Dark currant and juicy but tart blueberries mix with loamy soil, graphite, charcoal, sweet pipe tobacco and espresso. Yummy but also serious in the sense that it could age a few years. (88 points)

2015 Concha y Toro Chardonnay Marqués de Casa Concha - Chile, Limarí Valley

SRP: $22

Bright yellow color. Aromas of juicy green apple mixed with richer, cinnamon-spiced, baked yellow apple, and a dollop of whipped cream, toasted nuts and vanilla. Full-bodied with a generously creamy texture but the acidity whips in and keeps it all quite clean and refreshing. Juicy yellow apples and pears mix with notes of cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and cream filling, but there’s also some chalk dust and sea breeze notes underneath. Rich and bold but stays fresh. From the Quebrada Seca vineyard in Limari. (89 points)

2015 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marqués de Casa Concha - Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto

SRP: $25

Light purple color. Nose of ripe blackberries and cassis, violets, mint, cocoa powder, charcoal. Full and saucy on the palate, but suave, with medium/firm tannins and moderate acidity. Tart black currant, gushing black cherry, the fruit is mixed with loam, graphite, mint, mocha and vanilla. Lots going on here, and more and more comes out with air. Another great example of this perennially-performing Chilean Cabernet. 100% Cabernet from the Puente Alto and Pirque Vineyards. (88 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.