Delicious Chilean Wine

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of picking up some excellent wine. Wines from Chile are some of my favorites and these two bottles are definitely on my repeat list!

Both of these happen to be Merlots, a wine I'm definitely taking a particular shine to.

Arboleda 2008, Merlot, Chile

The rough translation of Arboleda is "Grove." The label boasts of a full flavored wine with notes of black fruit and spice. It does not disappoint! I found it balanced and very full bodied, without too much tannin. To boot, on either side of the golden tree it reads "vinedos sustentables" which must mean that the wine is produced with sustainable practices. I found this beauty at the Hyundai department store. It's on sale right now for about 30,000, so get on it!

Montes Alpha 2007, Merlot, Chile

This second wine is from a label pretty popular here in Seoul. Montes Alpha makes quite a few good reds, though this is the first time I've tried their Merlot. A bit sweeter than the Arboleda, this wine is nevertheless very tasty. It is aged in French oak, so it has more tannins to its flavor, too. This bottle was a gift, but since this label is so popular it should be easy to find. 

Wines are a bit more expensive here in Korea compared to wine in the States because of the import taxes, but which bottles do you still splurge on?