Hillside Liquor Store has something very special in-store! We have just received a large assortment of Chile's Montes winery, including two different verticals as well as some rare and hard-to-get vintages.
Vina Montes originally began in 1987, as a partnership dedicated to improving the quality of Chilean wines. In 1988, two more partners joined, and the venture known as Discover Wine LTD was officially formed. The partnership began producing wines of exceptional quality, and also exporting these wines to markets such as the United States,Canada, Mexico, Europe, etc. The 1987 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon was the first ever premium Chilean Cabernet exported. From that beginning came other wines in the Alpha series, as well as the celebrated Alpha M, Montes Folly and the Purple Angel.
Vina Montes also has its Classic Series and Limited Selection, which are widely available and have won numerous awards.
Hillside Liquor Store currently has a vertical of the Alpha Merlot- 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The Alpha Merlot is a handsome ruby-red color. Outstanding fruit, with a noseful of red berries, black cherry, black pepper, hints of tobacco. These elements come through on the palate, revealing a full-bodied wine. In mid palate is round and velvety with an added touch of vanilla and toast, followed by a long and smooth finish. Very, very elegant. WINE SPECTATOR selected it as both TOP-SCORING Merlots around the world and also one of the Best Values in Merlot.
Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows: 2004 88 points
2005 88 points
2006 88 points
The other vertical that Hillside Liquor Store obtained is the Alpha Syrah- 2004, 2005, 2006.
The scarcest of the ALPHA line, it shows how promising the Apalta Valley slopes are. Yield is very low, only 6 tons per hectare. It has been aged in French oak barrels for one year and had only one soft filtering. In the purest of Rhône styles, Aurelio has added a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, also originating from Apalta, and some Viognier to the final mixture. Of intense ruby red color, it has a great aroma with floral, tobacco and leathery notes. Strong and full bodied to the palate, with soft and mature tannins. A very long, elegant and satisfying after taste. A superb Syrah.
Wine Spectator rated the vintages as following:
2005- 92 points
2006- 91 points
MONTES ALPHA"M" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80 %), Merlot (10 %), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (5 %). A powerful wine with very good level of soft and rounded tannins. Intense dark red colour. The wine is elegant and has a very well defined character. The 5% of Petit Verdot is adding an extra element of complexity. There is an pleasant and harmonious marriage of fruit and the French oak. The structure of this wine will keep it for at least 20 years. On the palate, it is perfectly balanced, full-bodied and superbly voluptuous on the mid-palate with a rewarding, lingering after taste of mature grapes and acidity that reflects its superb structure.
2000- 93 points, highly recommended
2005- 95 points, highly recommended; best vintage yet of this flagship wine
2006- 94 points, highly recommendedHillside Liquor Store has three different vintages of the Montes Folly: 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Aurelio Montes, our partner and gifted winemaker, knew it all along. Montes Folly was destined to shine by the hand of Aurelio, it was in his DNA since he was born. This sparked his intuition which, from his student days, became obsessed with the Apalta Valley and determined to prove it was the best terroir for reds in all of Chile, a fact few would dispute today.Aurelio’s intuition also led him to plant Syrah in the higher slopes of our Apalta Mountain Estate. Thus the Montes Folly name was born: The conventional wine growers and trade considered it "Folly" to plant Syrah, an untested variety in the region, and double "Folly" to do so in the higher slopes, extremely expensive to clear, plant and grow. The genius of Aurelio, however, had us all firmly believing from the start that Montes Folly would be the wild dream we sought, the perfect partner to our beloved Montes Alpha "M".
Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:
2003- 93 points
2005- 94 points
2006- 94 points
There are two vintages of the Purple Angel in-store: 2005 and 2006.
Carmenère resurfaced in Chile only in 1993, after being believed extinct since phylloxera hit Bordeaux, its original home, around 1880. In Chile, its sole home at the moment, we consider it our "Chilean variety" and call it the "Jurassic Park" grape, returned from extinction. Aurelio Montes preferred to take his time and develop the Carmenère variety until he was satisfied that it could be a top contender, the very best Montes could possibly produce. It was worth the wait...this new beauty (a blend of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot, with 18 months in new French and American oak barrels) is touched by the wings of an angel... a PURPLE ANGEL.
There have only been 4 vintages of the Purple Angel produced so far. Some cellaring is recommended for the wine to reach its true potential.
Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:
2006- 91 points
The Montes wines that Hillside Liquor received are very limited- the inventory on some of the wines is as few as 6 bottles! So, if you are a collector, or just love Vina Montes wines, call Hillside Liquor Store 250-370-1143 or email info@hillsideliquorstore.com for more information, pricing or to reserve your wines today!
