Casillero del Diablo - The Devil Made Them Do It

With vineyards overflowing world wide you can expect to see a lot more budget labels in 2004, or at least as budget-like as it gets under B.C.'s exploitive alcohol taxes but few if any will match the price/quality ratio delivered by the Casillero series.

Like its Chilean contemporaries Concha y Toro is often mistaken for a New World wine company even though the original winery was founded in 1883 by Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Dona Émiliana Subercaseaux.

It was Don Melchor's dream to develop a European-style, fine wine estate and so he immediately hired a French enologist and began importing, the best vinifera vines from France and Germany.

Amid his early success Don Melchor learned that his vineyard workers were helping themselves to his finest wines. To discourage such actions, Melchor spread the rumour that his deepest, darkest cellar was the Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the Devil) betting that no one would dare enter the cellar who knew that. It worked, and a legend was born.

Historically the company vineyards were located in and about the Maipo Valley, close to the capital city of Santiago. Today, Concha y Toro's vineyards are spread throughout Chile's best wine growing regions with more than 2000 hectares under cultivation. Drawing from a sea of vines, the company has access to a fabulous cross-section of fruit from such diverse sites as Maule, Maipo, Rapel, Casablanca and Curicó

Today we look at all five Casillero varietal labels selling in B.C. and they are widely available. If the group, save the sauvignon blanc, has a signature taste it could be the open, inviting toasted/vanilla oak overtones that stem from the wine's primary aging in American oak casks although nowadays the "oaky effect" has been drastically minimized.

A certain percentage of "stainless-steel" fermented juice makes its way into the final blend to top up the fruit component of what is a remarkable range of wines all made by Marcello Papa, a frequent visitor to Vancouver and one of the brightest young names in Chilean winemaking.

Papa joined Concha y Toro in 1998 where he worked under legendary winemaker Ignacio Recabarren until 1999. Then he was put in charge of the Puente Alto Estate with responsibility for the up-scale Marques range and the Casillero del Diablo brand. The tradition continues,

We begin with the Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc 2003. The fruit comes from several cool-climate sites and is fermented and aged on its lees in tanks of stainless steel from four to six months. Look for a bright citrus-scented nose with hints of gooseberry and pineapple. I love its fresh clean, pour-me-another-glass, aftertaste.

I'm a sucker for cool, flavourful Casablanca fruit but who

wouldn't be when it tastes as good as it does in the Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2002 and costs so little. The fermentation split is: 70 per cent stainless steel fermented fruit (juice that sits on its lees for eight months in tank); and 30 per cent fruit that spends an equal amount of time in French oak barrels. The nose is bright and fresh with melon/pear aromas with undertones of green apple skin and bread dough. It is extremely friendly on the palate with a crisp attractive pear fruit and pie crust flavours in the finish. This is as good as it gets for the price.

The Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2002 comes out of the Rapel Valley where 70 per cent of it is aged in small American oak barrels; the other 30 per cent is kept in stainless steel -- each for eight months. As usual the Casillero merlot is impressively dark, soft and juicy. The aftertaste is a mix of sweet plums and savoury spiced fruitcake. This will be extremely versatile with food or as a stand-alone sipper. It is still a bit chunky and youthful all of which bodes well for its development in bottle through 2004.

Winemaker Papa added 10 per cent cabernet to his Casillero del Diablo Syrah 2002 and the incredibly drinkable red spends eight months in small American oak barrels. You'll love the suave, supple entry and the plummy, savoury chocolate fruit streaked with just a touch of vanilla. Ripe round, and full-bodied, it offers superb value in syrah.

There's a touch of merlot in the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 but it remains quite a chunky, full-bodied red that mixes coffee, licorice and cassis aromas. On the palate the savoury cedar fruit finishes dry and slightly tannic. Will need some piquant barbecued ribs to tame the tannins and smooth out the edges or another six months in bottle.

All in all a solid series of wines that affords you fool-proof wine buying and that's a rare occurrence in the modern wine world.

Weekend Wine Tasting: Viña Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo, Chile

Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Maipo Valley
$11.95
78044320301174
15/20
Citrus, gooseberry and ripe pineapple.

Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2002, Casablanca Valley
$11.95
7804320256900
15.5/20
Friendly attractive, pear fruit and pie-crust flavours.

Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2002 Rapel Valley
$12.95
7804320985633
15/20
Sweet plums and savoury, spiced fruitcake.

Casillero del Diablo Syrah 2002 Rapel Valley
$12.95
7804320510170
15.5/20
Savoury plummy, vanilla chocolate fruit.

Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Central Valley
$12.95
7804320303178
14/20
Coffee licorice, cassis fruit bomb.