Vina Bisquertt Casa La Joya Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Grape: Cabernet sauvignon

Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile

Vintage: 2006

Price: $8.99

In the glass: La Joya Cabernet is a deep opaque blackish-red color with a dense core going out into a deep ruby-red rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: It is as if one just opened a pack of English black currant wine gums with all that sweet, pungent black currant fruit — crushed ripe berries right off the bush — making it positively Ribena scented. There is a plethora of black fruit on the nose of this wine as well with quite jammy undertones and hints of violet pastilles, phenolic compounds and sweet, almost clovelike, spice box.

On the palate: La Joya Cabernet comes at you with classic concentrated cabernet in the form of black currants, black cherry liqueur and spice box. It is a powerful wine, especially at this price, with a nice ripe complexity and forward, yet supple tannins that are in harmonious balance with the black fruit and the alcohol. Through the midpalate it gives a hint of the aging potential, thanks to its nicely structured composition. The finish is softer than expected and the tannins are kept in check, which makes this wine suitable for drinking at once.

Odds and ends: This is made by an old winery operation in what is one of Chile’s top winegrowing areas. The team that makes this wine is young, forward-thinking and has an aggressive pricing agenda for its excellent wines, making the whole La Joya lineup a winner in my book. Its elegant packaging makes for a great gift idea as well. Drink La Joya Cabernet with medium-rare steak of any kind. It should be solid through 2011.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.