Casa Marin Lo Abarca Hills Pinot Noir 2004 - 97.14

Prior to visiting Chile, I never had the desire to seek out a Chilean Pinot Noir. Upon my return, I realized that I never had a desire because they barely exist in the US market. It's a real shame that so few are available locally, because Chile is producing some fantastic coastal climate pinot noirs that can compete with the big boys of California and Oregon.

A highlight of my Chilean wine experience included sharing the Casa Marin Litoral Pinot Noir 2006 with my fiance at Puerto Fuy, the only restaurant we visited with an English speaking waiter. His English must've enchanted me because I blindly took his wine recommendation and nervously awaited the first taste. My initial sip could only be described as pleasant surprise with disbelief; the second sip produced a reserved compliment, and subsequent tastes led me to understand why Chile keeps this wine all to themselves! It was absolutely superb.

I conducted an extensive search for Casa Marin pinot upon my return, and, fortunately, found the Lo Abarca Hills on special at a local wine shop, Pogos. Lo Abarca is the top rung of Casa Marin's pinot noirs, so I expected a heavy hitter at least on par with the Litoral. The nose was a bit closed and the flavors restrained, but after an hour, hints of smoke and cherry cola emerged. The wine was elegant, the fruit bright, and the mouthfeel silky, but complexity and length lagged my memory of the Litoral.

The second day, much of the fruit had faded, to reveal light alcohol on the nose and "burnt rubber" on the finish, a characteristic often found in Carneros pinots. Looking at the wine objectively, the Lo Abarca Hills represents Chilean pinot well, and earns 90 points, but when taking the price into consideration, a factor at the forefront of the South American wine market's success, it falls flat with a 97.14 PDI.

$50, 90 points, 97.14 PDI