The good stuff just keeps on coming out of South America. Hitting Twin Cities shelves during the past month have been some really tasty wines from Chilean winery Casas del Bosque.

I was especially enamored with their $18 carmenere, which started tart and then turned soft to form a beautifully integrated mouthfeel and finish. The Gran Reserva cabernet was dry and leathery, with a good bit of smokiness and that always-welcome eucalyptus nose.

The $22 pinot noir had darker-than-expected fruit and great acidity. I haven’t had many Chilean pinots, much less ones this delicious, and was surprised that the same property could handle pinot as well as the two sauvignons (blanc et cab). Pinot’s Burgundian mate, chardonnay, also fares well there; the Gran Reserva had Puligny-like notes and great harmony, especially for a $17 wine.

These wines are a welcome addition to an ever-growing local repertoire from our neighbors to the (way) south.

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