2004 Casa Marin Lo Abarca Hills, San Antonio Valley of Chile!!! ~ $40 and just wonderful.
a bit darker than a feminine RRV PN, more like a Central Coast Pinot. nose really vibrant and very typical of more expensive bottles including Burgundy wines from The Côte de Nuits. the salinity/minerality is what makes this nose so special plus there is a whiff of gasoline maybe along with tea and cola. taste is really wonderful with layers of red & black cherries and a bracing acidity that makes this wine sing with food; i had grilled swordfish last night. finish was average in length and perhaps the only quality that doesn’t scream expensive vino. a clone 777 joy!
if memory serves this is better than 04 Southing. i’d have pegged this as a more expensive Santa Rita Hills bottle and i would want to be on this list! sadly i was once in Santiago and probably close to Casa Marin on a day trip, if only i knew then what i know now.
http://www.casamarin.cl/Web-eng/index.html
bottle shape is funny and oversized unfortunately…