Maxed out your credit cards during the holidays? Never fear- you’ll be happy with the nicely priced and delightfully flavored 2010 Casa Silva Pinot Noir Reserva.
Casa Silva is now in the hands of the fifth generation of the Bouchon and Silva families, but it took a determined visionary to get to this point.In 1892, Emile Bouchon left Bordeaux for Chile, where he established the first winery in Colchagua Valley. His son, Abel Bouchon, and a third generation, Jorge Silva, continued the legacy. But with each succeeding generation, ownership was divided, and some family members sold off their portion.
In 1977, fourth-generation owner, Mario Silva Cifuentes, married to Maria Teresa Silva Bouchon, wanted to reestablish the original vineyards and winery and repurchased the lands and old cellar.
He sold his wine in bulk to other wine merchants until 1997, when his oldest son, Mario Pablo Silva, proposed they bottle and sell the wines under the family name, Casa Silva. Today, the Silva family runs the oldest winery in Colchagua Valley.
Pinot noir is not naturally a dark red wine like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and shiraz. When it is as dark, it’s usually the result of the modern winemaking technique of maceration- long skin contact with the juice. From the translucent cherry color of the 2010 Casa Silva Pinot Noir Reserva, the family clearly prefers the traditional pinot noir hue.
The restrained winemaking that created the 2010 Casa Silva Pinot Noir Reserva delivers an aromatic, flavorful and balanced wine that showcases pinot noir’s seductive pleasures of enticing floral and strawberry aromas, and savory cranberry and cherry flavors. Soft tannins and bright acidity provide balance and length, creating a pinot noir that you want to inhale and sip, as well as enjoy with a range of foods.
The 2010 Casa Silva Pinot Noir Reserva was a perfect partner to my take-off on lasagna- I replaced the pasta with eggplant, and filled it with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Bolognese sauce.
It will also be a pleasing palate partner to grilled shrimp, tuna, or swordfish, or roasted chicken or pork. And it’s very reasonable price will make those holiday bills easier to pay.
The 2010 Casa Silva Pinot Noir Reserva retails for approximately $14.
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