I have to be fair to this wine and tell you it was up against some big guns.  We started the tasting with two of my favorites, a ’96 Napa Cab and an ’04 Reserva from Rioja.  We followed them with the Trivento Malbec that a friend brought, and ended up with this offering from Chile.

Once you have stained your palate with exceptional, aged wines costing up to 8 times the price, it is hard to be partial- here goes.

Fruit, BIG-BOLD-BLUE-FRUIT.  Blueberries and blackberries were in abundance.  On the nose, very sweet hints of Blueberry.  On the palate, decent fruit coupled with subdued tannins and a good finish.  The winemakers state red fruit as the predominant flavor, with subtle blue fruit.  I disagree, and could not find the vanilla they talk about.  Perhaps my taste buds were skewed by the previous bottles.  Anyway, this is a decent bottle for most people, just not my style with the way it shouts “Fruit Forward”.  I prefer slightly more subdued styles and have had many Chilean Cabs that fit the bill.  Some people may love this wine for what it is, especially in a relaxed surrounding, perhaps a BBQ, with some grilled meats.  For the price, it is a definite buy if you are in the hunt for something that will please a crowd and not break the bank.  3 stars and perhaps an 86 point rating in my books.  Besides, what an awesome label!