Andrés Solís Lira

9.0

I managed to shock an entire panel of very classical sommeliers with this Chilean oddity. A exuberantly aromatic, super cloudy, unfiltered, slightly fizzy blend of Muscat de Alexandria, Torontel and "Corinto" (local name for Chasselas). Like it or not winemaker Manuel Moraga (from a veritable wine dynasty) is delivering the traditional/real/old style Chileans. This is the type of wine that my grandfather, renowned local drunk, had with friends and family, particularly during our national holidays in September when the country goes into a drunken stupor. Forget Carmenères, Almavivas and Chadwicks I'm sorry. If you really want to go local while in Chile you got to try Itata, Yumbel, Guarilihue. That's where you'll find our true soul. BTW I got this one in NYC while shopping around Union Sq, how's that for contradiction!

#muscatel #muscatdalexandrie #torontel #chasselas #chile #unfiltered #unfined — 8 years ago

Ivan London

8.3

I have never had a "passito" before, and the chance to try something unique is fun. This Sicilian wine from 2001 is now a dark, deep brown with accents of amber to gold and showing a lot of age. The strong aroma is of raisins with a faint bouquet of spicy, sweet orange. It tastes syrupy and like raisins with spicy orange accents, and the oily sugar and spice feeling persists very long on my palate. This may be too old to taste like apricots anymore but is nice as a chilled aperitif. Maybe it is just too old overall, but whatever -- it is fun and unique and I would serve it on a sunny late-afternoon. #passito #sicily #2001 #zibbido #moscato #passerillage #strawwine #muscatdalexandrie — 8 years ago