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Wine of the Week, January 18, 2015

CHILENSIS LAZULI RED BLEND 2011
MAULE VALLEY, CHILE


By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"


Red Blends have become increasingly popular, but they are not a new phenomenon. The red Bordeaux wines of France have always been blended, mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also in lesser amounts of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, each contributing a distinguishing characteristic. (England calls red Bordeaux wine Claret, a word used in a recent episode of Downton Abbey.)  To create a red blend, the grapes of the different varietals are fermented and aged together OR each varietal is fermented and aged independently, and then blended. If I were a vintner, I would use the latter method in order to get the maximum of flavor from each varietal. Lazuli 2011 uses that method. The wine is medium-bodied, and easy drinking, as most reds from Chile seem to be, exhibiting aromas and flavors of blackberry, chocolate, herbs, and hints of vanilla.