Apaltagua, Maipo Valley (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

 You can probably get more Cabernet for $30 from Chile than from anyplace in the world these days, and this wine is a great case in point.  Very concentrated and intense, it shows dark, dense pigmentation and backs it up with deep flavors of blackberry and black cherry.  Aromatic accents of cedar, cocoa powder and vanilla are very appealing.  The oak and tannins are firm but there’s plenty of fruit to counterbalance them, so the wine isn’t astringent, and the finish is generous rather than hard.