Casillero del Diablo Cabernet '09

Casillero del Diablo has a fine marketing scheme with this bottle. A little devil's head on the bottle catches my eye and I'm sure many of others. I'm here to let you know if you should buy the bottle for reasons beyond the diabolic appearance though. First impressions are important, lets see if Casillero del Diablo's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon can live up to it.

Deep dark red fruit like plums is what came to my nose first, and juicy is a fine adjective for that sense. A smoky-dry exists in the aura as well. On the palate the fruit is the core taste again with plums and fresh un-pitted dark cherries. Earthy coffee is the better way to describe how the smoky-dry came back. The tannins are strong but doesn't get in the way of the flavors.

It falls in line with other Chilean cabernets by being juicy and having a unique robust note, but I've had better. I'm giving it a B (good) and think it would be great with a hearty chili soup. If you're making a selection based around the wine itself though, I'd check out my last Chilean cabernet.