Price: Around $4
Color: Dark cherry red
Nose: Blackberries
Taste: Smooth and round with good fruit flavor. Nicely jammy.
Summary: Feels like this week has been my recession wine tasting week. Two wines in the $5 class. The Xplorador and now the Gato Negro blend. But with Chilean wines, you can’t let the price fool you. Good wine does not have to be pricey. This Gato Negro proves that saying, with good flavor coming in at $4.00.
There’s a reason why Gato Negro is such a popular export from Chile.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a woman that buys this wine by the dozen @Henry’s market in burbank CA…. my first wine I ever tried was a Chilean wine 30 years ago with a Chilean family been hooked ever since by a great wines from your country. . Was 16 when I tried wine yummm! !! Thanks for making it economical… my friends are now in love! !
Shelley blohm
Great review, Gato Negro reds are among the best cheap wines in existence. My fave is the Cabernet Sauvignon and this Cab/Merlot meritage is a close second. The merlot is nice too. The malbec is, well, a malbec (from Argentina). The whites are tasty as well. And for 4 bucks a bottle at Newflower market in East Dallas, you can drink it with careless abandon! Better than a lot of $12-$15 wines.
Roger. I would have to agree with you. Viña San Pedro, which produces the Gato Negro line is an amazing producer. Last time I was in Chile I tried a “budget” white blend from them that costs about $3.00 USD equivalent in Chile. It kicked my ass. It was a beautiful and delicious blend. Next time I visit Chile, Viña San Pedro is on my agenda. I plan to spend at least a day there. Here in the Los Angeles area you can pick up Gato Negro at Sprouts or Jons markets for $4. Sometimes less when they have a sale.
Peter I cannot disagree with you more. I hate Gato Negro wine (at least the cavernet-merlot one) I do not know if it is the Merlot mix in it but I really dislike this wine, when I have bought it or somebody has given it to me as a gift I have not been able to finish even the first glass. There is a Carbernet Sauvignon from California that they sell at Wallmart for $2.50 a bottle which is a hell of a lot better, and I am not kidding or exagerating.
Thanks for your comment Peter. At this price point it is possible that you may get a not-so great wine on occasion. Gato Negro does however have a reputation as being fairly consistent at the price point they sell at. As with all wine, taste is in the palate of the taster! Hope you find a great Chilean wine soon!