Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir 2009
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Smells good and true, with dry spice and catchy red-fruit aromas. The palate is solid but not at all heavy, with lively red berry and exotic spice flavors. Lengthy and pure through the long finish, and overall this is the best Montes Pinot we've come across and also one of the best from Chile.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Good Pinot character, some elegance, sweet red fruits, silky, good balance and length.
With the release of the first Montes Alpha wine back in 1988, Montes became one of the first premium wineries of Chile. Their premise, a clear belief that Chile had an untapped potential as a producer of quality wines, made them a benchmark for other wineries to follow. Its original four partners' total involvement and the continuous help of the angels that decorate their labels was key to their success. Two decades later, Montes is the fifth most important winery of Chile where Aurelio Montes continues leading the winemaking area with the same passion as the first day. Hard work and total focus on quality has led Montes to be one of the most successful and respected quality-driven wineries in Chile as they continue pioneering and breaking new grounds in wine.
The expansion of viable Chilean wine regions in recent decades has revealed several suitable appellations (In Chile the term is denominacion de origen, or DO) for Pinot Noir. This finicky grape requires a cool climate along with good air flow to minimize disease pressure; Chile’s unique geography delivers both in a number of spots. Here’s a quick look at the most notable DO’s, moving from north to south.
In the Coquimbo region, both the Elqui and Limarí Valleys enjoy lots of sunlight throughout the year, which promotes consistent ripening. Of equal importance, their proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the Humboldt Current that flows just offshore provides the necessary cooling influence that yields good balancing acidity.
Due west of the country’s capital, Santiago, are the Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys. The former runs east-west and therefore sees cool, foggy conditions many mornings. The latter runs north-south but is close enough to the ocean to benefit from cool breezes. Very promising Chilean Pinot Noirs can be found from both DO’s.
Chile’s southern region includes two more Pinot-friendly appellations, Bio-Bio and Malleco. These and the other DO’s mentioned above have seen a growing number of producers delivering crisp, fresh versions. Pinot Noir from Chile typically offers the varietal’s trademark elegance and fine drinkability, complete with ripe red fruit, earthy tones and food-friendly acidity. Try Chilean Pinot Noir wines from producers like Viña Leyda, Santa Carolina, Casas del Bosque and Hacienda Araucano.