The 2009 Amelia Chardonnay was sourced from the El Triangulo Vineyard in Casablanca that was planted in 1992. The wine was fermented in barrel with malolactic blocked. It then spent 11 months in 40% new French oak sur lie with batonnage. Notions of toasty oak, poached pear, baking spices, jasmine, and mineral lead to a seamless, creamy textured, nearly opulent Chardonnay crying out for lobster Thermidor. Drink this outstanding effort over the next 6-7 years. Cocha y Toro is the largest wine producer in Chile as the above list attests. Remarkably, they are also one of the quality leaders and innovators leading the country forward. The Gran Reserva Serie are wines made from a single vineyard meant to display a particular terroir. The Marques de Casa Concha wines are also sourced from single vineyards but exposed to more new oak and a longer elevage. Some of the finest wines produced in Chile, particularly from the Carmenere grape, are being bottled and sold under the Terrunyo label under the direction of veteran winemaker Ignacio Recabarren.Importer: Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY; tel. (516) 626-9200

A rich wine with ample barrel influence on the nose along with white fruit aromas. Healthy and big in the mouth, with a flavor profile that blends tropical flavors with citrus. Deep and lightly toasted on the finish, with an excellent feel and texture out the door. Noticeably less oaky than in the past. ——M.S.(12/1/2011)—— 90