Chief of Lions gifts drinkers taste of summer

Bottom of the Barrel: "Two-Buck Chuck" is easy on the wallet, but hard on the palate

According to an educational YouTube video, there are seven easy ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. First-hand experience proved to us that two of them don’t work: the nail and the screw hook.
After overcoming this immediate hurdle and shoving the cork into the bottle, we poured our first wine for this column into two hastily rinsed mason jars.
Charles Shaw, affectionately known as “Two-Buck Chuck,” sells multiple varieties of “extreme bargain wine,” perfect for the college connoisseur looking to whet their whistle without breaking the bank.

Bottom of the Barrel: Red Truck wine appeals to chill(ed), easygoing drinkers

The wine had a picture of a truck on it, so we kept it in the car. Wines are best kept in cars. Freshly-chilled pinot noir in hand, we poured two glasses that resembled cranberry juice.
Fortunately, the drink was so cold that we couldn’t tell whether or not it was actually wine. Pinot noirs, like most reds, are not meant to be drunk cold. When cold, a 2011 Red Truck pinor noir tastes like tannic cherry, with a lackluster body. After utilizing traditional warming techniques like clenching the bottle between our thighs and breathing on it very hard (not blowing, that would cool it), our Red Truck was turned on and ready to go.
Pinot noirs are an ancient grape varietal possibly dating back 2000 years, but as of late have become associated with France’s Burgundy region, where they reached their greatest prominence. The grapes—though relatively difficult to cultivate—are grown in most of the world’s wine-producing regions due to their popularity in their production of higher-quality wines.

Bottom of the Barrel

Chief of Lions gifts drinkers taste of summer

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

October 17, 2013

We found a corkscrew—good for us. Off to a better start than last time, we poured the bottle-proclaimed “Chief of Lions,” a 2012 Panilonco Chardonnay-Viognier blend from Chile’s Colchagua Valley. The label was pleasant enough, featuring a roaring stone lion with his paw on what appeared to be a little basketball.

The Colchagua Valley lies in central Chile, and is world-renowned for its grapes and relative proximity to the Pan-American Highway. You might recognize it from the postcard that your friend studying abroad sent you. He didn’t actually go there, but his mom read about it in Bon Appétit, so that’s nice.

Chardonnay is one of the most widely consumed wine grape varieties in the world. It originated in France’s Burgundy region, but has since spread to every wine-producing region in the world.
Its successful production is often considered a coming-of-age rite for a new region.

Chardonnay grows in a wide range of soil conditions, so it is hard to identify a common set of characteristics. However, western chardonnays generally finish with a rich, buttery taste.
Viognier possibly originated in the Balkans, migrating to central Europe during the time of the Romans. Viogniers are extremely bright and floral, with noses heavy in fruit and flowers.
Despite the sweet nose, a Viognier is a relatively dry wine.

Like One Direction’s pre-pubescent faces, most Viogniers should not be aged much. After a couple of years, the nose falls completely flat.

The Panilonco pours a pale yellow-green, with a slightly slick surface. For a wine with such a watery appearance, we were both struck by how powerful the nose was. It explodes with apples and flowers, reminiscent of springtime. With aromatic characteristics resembling eau de gusher, this wine was off to an auspicious start.

The floral bouquet is backed up with a mouthful of green apple and loganberry. As the wine warms, it releases a burst of acidity with a citrus finish.

One of us could detect a note of butterscotch on the end, but one of us has defective tastebuds. Despite the dominant fruit, it is far drier than the nose would have led either of us to expect.

As the temperature rises, this wine really grows into itself. Given time, the acid mellows out to be replaced with more summer fruits.

With the initial fruit taste comes a vibrant mouthfeel. It is definitely excited to be on the tip of your tongue. The Panilonco apparently gets sleepy as it moves toward the back of the mouth. It settles down into a soft, velvety layer over the tongue that fades with time.

Are we still talking about tongues?

Overall, the Panilonco is a light and refreshing wine, but it cannot be called weak. It stands up well against spice and sharp flavors in food.

Additional notes:

Dan: Pairs well with a couple more bottles of itself...and maybe some bread.

Ryan: Good with beer and take-home exams.

Nose: 4/5
Body: 3/5
Taste: 4/5

Serve with that fish entrée at Thorne Dining Hall that no one eats. $5.99 at Trader Joe’s.

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