Let's run a quick check to make sure habit and human nature aren't causing you to overlook some extraordinary opportunities in your local wine shop.
If you love wine but live with a limited budget (like virtually all of us), you run a risk of developing blind spots. I know this from firsthand experience. I fell in love with wine in my twenties when I was a graduate student with almost no discretionary funds. Nevertheless, I was so smitten that I couldn't bear to go for more than a day or two without having a glass of wine with my dinner. For an ordinary midweek meal, I'd gladly brave tuna casserole or skimp on something else so that I could buy a bottle that was cheap but still recognizable as wine.
Although I was keen to discover wines from various regions and countries, I learned that it wasn't wise to be too adventuresome when playing with only a few bucks. To stay within my price window but avoid drinking something dreadful, I found it necessary to return repeatedly to wines from Chile. No other country could quite compete when I needed a solid wine with a little character for almost no money.
But when the weekend rolled around, or if friends were coming for dinner, there wasn't a snowball's chance that I'd buy Chilean wine when splurging. Off I'd go to France or Italy or Napa, eager to taste something special before having to slink back to Chile when the workweek returned.
As a result of this ingrained habit, I was pathetically slow on the uptake when Chile started turning out wonderful wines at prices that were moderate rather than cheap. I believe there is a natural tendency for us to think that an excellent source for affordable wine can't also be an affordable source for excellent wine. Yet the fact is that Chile has become both of these.
If you've been reluctant to try Chile's moderately priced reds, you've been missing out on some of the world's greatest bargains in wines priced between $12 and $18. Chilean wines below this range are still conspicuously strong, and the country is now producing some fantastic wines at prices above $50. However, the red slot between $12 and $18 is both a sweet spot for Chilean wines and a blind spot for many American consumers.
My recent tastings included no fewer than 30 wines that prove my point. But just to be sure that you'll be convinced when taking a leap of faith into this price category, I've limited my recommendations to the best bottles. They are listed in order of preference, with regions of origin, approximate prices and importers listed in parentheses:
Marques de Casa Concha (by Concha y Toro) (Puemo) Merlot 2003 ($15, Excelsior): This wine and its stablemate cabernet sauvignon were both extraordinarily good in 2001 and 2002, yet the 2003 is stronger still. It is very expressive aromatically and quite deeply flavored, with rich, concentrated fruit notes reminiscent of plums and dark berries. With well-balanced oak edging and lovely undertones of cocoa and vanilla, this is both complex and symmetrical. It is also remarkably stable, remaining fresh and expressive for days after opening.
Marques de Casa Concha (Puente Alto) Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($15, Excelsior): This cannot yet match the Marques merlot for complexity, as it remains more tightly wound in terms of aroma and flavor development. It is nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable, featuring powerful dark berry- and currant-flavored fruit. Spicy oak is also present, but pure, intense fruit notes clearly dominate the wine's impressive profile.
Alto de Terra Andina (Maipo Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2002 ($15,Terra Andina USA): All three of the Terra Andina "Reserve" wines reviewed here are impressive, and what may be most impressive is that they are totally different from one another. This cabernet shows classic notes of blackberries and black currants with lovely accents of wood smoke, tobacco leaf and dried herbs.
Santa Rita (Maipo Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon "Medalla Real Special Reserva" 2002 ($18, Vineyard Brands): This wine features an uncanny combination of flavor intensity and textural softness. Its dark pigmentation, expressive aromas and weighty mouth feel suggest that it might finish with roughness or astringency. But in fact it remains soft and succulent until its last sensory signal subsides. A deft rendering of wonderful raw materials.
Alto de Terra Andina (Rapel Valley) Cabernet Franc 70 percent merlot 30 percent reserve 2002 ($15,Terra Andina USA): This has many charms, but complex aromas head the list. With fruit notes of fresh berries and plums accented by classic cabernet franc scents of dried herbs and wet cement, the wine smells true to the lead grape variety yet feels soft and rounded, which may be attributable to the merlot component. Complex and classy, this offers a convincing likeness to an expensive Right-Bank Bordeaux.
Errazuriz (Aconcagua Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon "Max Reserva" 2003 ($18, Vintus): This is certainly the most polished wine of the group. Though it feels a bit too domesticated to finish above the middle of the pack, others would undoubtedly rank it first. Quibbles aside, it is deeply flavored and quite rich, with an extremely soft, smooth feel that rides all the way through the persistent finish.
MontGras (Colchagua Valley) "Quatro" Reserva 2003 ($12, Palm Bay): This is an impressive blend of 28 percent carmenere, 28 percent malbec, 27 percent cabernet sauvignon and 17 percent merlot. Rich, ripe fruit marks both the aromas and flavors, and the overall balance and complexity are remarkable for a $12 wine.
Alto de Terra Andina (Maipo Valley) Shiraz 75 percent cabernet sauvignon 25 percent reserve 2002 ($15, Terra Andina USA): This is a wild, wicked shiraz that threatens to out-Aussie the Aussies. Intensely varietal with a down-under twist, this was rightly attributed to shiraz rather than syrah, though a nice herbal note from the cabernet makes this pleasantly hard to peg. For anyone who values sheer weight and intensity, this might be the favorite of all these wines.
Veramonte (Casablanca Valley) "Primus" 2002 ($16, Franciscan Estates): Every vintage of this wine has been very good at a minimum, and though that is certainly true of this rendition, it is more restrained and less intense than its predecessors. A blend of 36 percent merlot, 34 percent cabernet sauvignon and 30 percent carmenere, it shows more soft red-berry notes from merlot and less of the tar and blackberry signature lent by carmenere in past releases. No longer a grabber, this remains a charmer.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Maipo Valley) "Escudo Rojo" 2002 ($14, Caravelle): This lovely, thoroughly convincing wine is full of ripe fruit but remains delicate and soft in feel. Notes of red and black fruits are seamlessly integrated with undertones of subtle oak and spices, and the whole package is beautifully balanced and endearingly styled.
