Had this last week with a hugely yummy dish of beef provencale, substituing lamb for beef on top of the potatoes, and green beans on the side.
The 1999 Primus is produced by the Alto De Casablanca estate in Chile and imported here by Vermonte of Rutherford, CA. The wine is made with 60% Carmenere (yeehah!), 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot. The vinter's name is Agustin Huneeus (kind of a cool sounding name so I just had to give it here).
Oh yeah...the wine...blackberry in color reddening towards the edges. Initially slow wide legs, but quickened and thinned a tad as it warmed. The smell was deep blackberry and plum. The taste was more of the same with notes of anise and cherry, and dots of vanilla, oak, and pepper on a long fruity finish. This wine felt sticky in the mouth and seemed to be nicely rich with multiple layers of black fruit. Further out I even detected blueberry and boysenberry as the wine developed more at room temperature.
I rank this less than the 1999 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2000 Calina Carmenere, and better than the 1999 Trapiche Malbec, all of which I have had within the last six months. Very much enjoyed and will likely buy another bottle to try next year, if I can find it again!
