En la nariz there are some notes that make this merlot smell like a cabernet sauvignon. Earth, a touch of leather, cedar and spice come out first, but time and exposure to air open this young wine up to show a bit more fruit (berries and cherry) and even a little dark chocolate. The alcohol is hard to ignore, but it's nowhere near as in-your-face as you'd think, since it's over 14 percent.

En la boca… ¡Dios mio! Este es un vino grande. The blackberry and cherry flavors are a bit buried under some silky tannins, but they do come through, along with the chocolate and spicy-woody flavors.

If you're going to curl up with this wine and an Isabela Allende novel tonight, I'd decant first (the wine, not the book). It'll give all those flavors a fighting chance to show themselves off. If you have a cellar, you can easily hold onto this lush Latina for three to five years (the wine, not Isabela Allende). It all depends on whether you like your reds macho o suave.

Salud,
TSW

WoW is all about value -- so much so that we've taken to recommending wines that are multi-functional. This week's pick isn't just a fantastic wine from Chile -- it's also a drunk test!

Here's the test: If you can clearly say "Lapostolle" and "Colchagua" you're probably fine to drive. And if you are sober, I highly recommend driving down to the mercado and picking up a bottle of this buen vino tinto! This is the kind of wine that spanks a lot of California merlots twice its price.

The 50+ year-old vines in Chile's Rapel region have made for a merlot con mucho machismo. The color is nearly purple, and goes right to the edge of the glass.