Celebrated Chilean Winery Casa Lapostolle’s Borobo series is an unusual and quite interesting blend of Syrah, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Carmenere, with the percentages of each grape varying significantly each vintage. The blend for the 2005 is 37% Carmenere, 24% Pinot Noir, 20% Syrah, 10% Cabernet, and 9% Merlot.
Tasting Notes: I opened this in October 2011. The prelude of the 2005 Borobo expresses dominant vanilla and white pepper aroma notes before giving way to mace and nutmeg with persistent underlying berry and cedar aromas. On the palate, the first impression is wood until the berry and chocolate emerge to secure a lush impression. At 14.6% alcohol there is plenty of weight and power. The vibrant mouthfeel and silky tannins on the medium-long finish make this a satisfying wine. But excessive wood is a persistent distraction. Given the blend for this vintage, is no surprise that this is a spice-driven wine with an interesting, complex flavor profile. The pinot noir and carmenere beautifully harmonize their characteristic baking spices. But with 93% of the wine aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels, the elegant texture and nuanced evolution of pinot noir is not apparent.
This is a small production of 3276 bottles. Average price is around $70 per bottle.
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