Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cono Sur Pinot Noir

Cono Sur is a Chilean Pinot Noir specialist. The name refers to the shape of South America, a southern cone. I am sure it is also a play on 'connoisseur'. Apparently it is taking the US by storm. And why wouldn't it? It is currently offering its 2010 Cono Sur Pinot Noir for about $10/bottle in Australia. $9.50 of this must be freight. This is actually a good wine, comparable to a good local $25/bottle Pinot Noir: well made, fruit and savoury characteristics, but obviously fairly simple.

The 2008 Cono Sur Vision Pinot Noir is my pick. This wine has earthy and quite smoky characteristics unlike anything from  Australia. It is priced in the high twenties per bottle.

The top two Pinot Noirs are the 20 Barrels and the Ocio. These wines are quite soft and fruity and the Ocio shows some silkiness. They are quite elegant, but you get much better complexity from local wines.

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