Since first trying the wines of the Chilean producer Cono Sur, we’ve found much to like about this operation. Not only do they employ sustainable agricultural and organic farming practices, in July 2007 they became the first winery in the world to obtain CarbonNeutral® delivery status, meaning that the CO2 emissions from the shipping of their products have been measured and balanced to net zero through Greenhouse Gas Emissions reduction projects. Green is great in our book! The wines themselves have been mostly very good, with the exceptions being some of the red varieties, which have been uneven and over-oaked.

Now, after tasting through 11 selections from their 2008 lineup, we can’t say enough good things about them; they are all home runs. The whites, which have always been very good, seem even better than we remember from previous vintages, and the Pinot Noir program is really starting to hit its stride. Even the Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere is balanced and quite enjoyable, with no excesses of ripeness or oak. Best of all, they represent tremendous Quality Price Ratio, and we will buy these for our personal enjoyment and highly recommend them to any and all. Here are our impressions of these wines, which we sampled over the last few weeks.

2008 Cono Sur Colchagua Pinot Noir Vision Block 68 Old Vine, 14% alc., $15: Clean ruby color, with a cherry stick nose; on the palate, it’s all about rich, yet dry cherry and red plum on a medium to medium full bodied frame. Smooth and balanced, with unobtrusive tannins and good acids that should take it at least a few years down the road, but it’s eminently drinkable right now. Both Kim and I like this a lot, and what it might lack in complexity, it more than compensates for with an engaging personality. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Colchagua Pinot Noir Sustainable Agriculture, 14% alc., $13: Clean ruby color, with a slightly stingy nose initially that opens to reveal earthy cherry, cranberry and black cherry; a little drier and not quite as rich as the previous wine, with nice flavors that generally echo the aromatics, taking on an added note of cedar. Medium to medium full bodied, and moderately structured for a few years of aging, but already quite enjoyable. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Colchagua Viognier, 13.5% alc., $10: Pale to medium straw in color, with a pretty apple, pear and honeysuckle perfume that carries over onto the palate with a good dose of mineral. Medium to medium full bodied, with excellent acids and good length. The minerality gives this a solid anchor and adds a nice counterpoint to the rich, ripe fruit. Would that more new world Viogniers did the same. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Colchagua Viognier Vision Grafted Block, 13.5% alc., $15: Pale to medium straw in color, with less honeysuckle on the nose and less mineral in the mouth than the regular model, offering an apple, pear and lime character with subtle shades of mineral. Rich, fairly ripe, with good intensity and acids; just a hint of honeysuckle pretties up the fruit even more. Find this wine

I’m not sure that I like one Viognier better than the other, unless one considers the $5 difference in price. They are simply two somewhat different kinds of very good specimens of the variety.

2008 Cono Sur Bio-Bio Riesling, 13.5% alc., $10: Pale to medium straw color, with straightforward green apple and citrus flavors and aromas that are somewhat steely and underscored with a touch of mineral. Medium bodied and more, with nice density and good acids; a solid dry Riesling that’s rich and enjoyable. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Bio-Bio Riesling Vision Block Quiltraman, 13.5% alc., $15: Medium straw color, and a little richer than the regular model, but with the same basic profile of rich red and green apples laced with lime citrus and mineral; medium body plus, with excellent acids, intensity and a rich, appealing viscosity that make it seem like an amped up version or the regular Cono Sur Riesling. Very enjoyable! Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Valle Central Chardonnay, 13.5% alc., $10: Pale to medium straw color, with spicy apple and pear on the nose that carries over onto the palate with hints of sweet pea and lime. Rich and ripe without going over the top; medium full bodied, with good concentration and cut and a long finish. What’s not to like? Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Casablanca Gewurztraminer Vision Block Las Colmenas, 13.5% alc., $15: Medium straw color, with a fairly typical peach and litchi nose that follows through in the flavors with some added green apple accented with subtle mineral on the palate. Medium bodied, rich and ripe, but not too sweet, with excellent acids and a long, dry finish. Very satisfying and delicious. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Valle Central Sauvignon Blanc, 13% alc., $10: Clean medium color, with flavors and aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry, underscored with a little mineral; medium bodied and more, with good depth, concentration and cut. Balanced, with rich, ripe fruit shows excellent varietal character, but doesn’t reach the steroidal intensity that many of its New Zealand cousins do, and I like it better for that reason. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc Vision Block Loma Roja, 13% alc., $15: Clean medium color, with gooseberry, grapefruit and a hint of boxwood in both flavor and aroma; more than medium bodied, with excellent depth, cut, concentration and length. This is pure, beautiful Sauvignon that hits all the right buttons for us. Find this wine

2008 Cono Sur Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere Organic, 13% alc., $13: Showing good dark color, and neither over-ripe nor over-oaked, unlike too many of the red Bordeaux varieties and blends we’ve had from this producer in the past. It gives a little toast and coffee over black fruit on the nose, and plenty more of the same on the palate, all shaded with a little cedar. Full bodied and fairly dense, yet with a certain sleek character, this is a solid, well structured wine that drinks well now, but clearly has its best days ahead of it; 3-5 years is a good bet. This does show some oak influence, but it’s in proportion to the deep, dense fruit, and should integrate well with time in the cellar. Find this wine

Cono Sur imported by Vineyard Brands, Inc., Birmingham, AL

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Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

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© George Heritier March, 2009