Laithwaites Wine - La Manta Rayada Merlot

Tasting note
Colour - Deep red/purple hues.

Aroma - Spicy, chocolaty plum with a hint of red berry fruit.

Taste - Velvet-textured with deep plum and cherry character and a touch of creaminess and chocolate tones.

Type:Still Red Wine	Country:Chile	Appellation:Central Valley
Grape Type:Merlot	Drink Before:End of 2009	Body:Medium Bodied
Alcohol:13%	Bottle Size:75cl	Bottle Code:60566

Serving suggestions
This is a smooth, velvety red is very tasty to sup on its own. Food partners might include roast chicken, pork sausages with apple, or roasted vegetables with feta. Drink by end 2009.

Description
Named after the colourful ponchos that the traditional gauchos (cowboys) wear on their horse, La Manta Rayada is the creation of an outstanding cellar in Colchagua, the southernmost valley of Rapel. So environmentally friendly is this winery, that when unwanted insects arrive, the resident flock of geese are penned into the affected area of the vineyard to gobble up the intruders. All the employees on the estate are also issued with a bike to get to and from work and about the many rows of vines!

The four-time winner of the 'Winemaker of the Year' award, Adolfo Hurtado, is in charge at the cellar, with Matias Rios second in command and responsible for this luscious red. Matios graduated in 1999 from agricultural college, then gained experience at Viñas Carmen and Pedro, before joining the team. He has used Merlot, the grape most famous in the wines of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion and loved the world over for its seductive, velvet-fruited charm.

Quality was particularly high in 2007, a year that the Wine Spectator reported as: "The quality is great - the wines are expressive in aromas, full in colour and concentration", while Adolfo Hurtado himself said of it "one of the best vintages of all time".

La Manta Rayada Merlot 2007 is available in the following cases: