Pionero
Morandé 2001 Pionero Pinot Noir (Casablanca Valley)
- Best Buy
- $7
Morande is the biggest producer of Pinot Noir in Casablanca Valley, and this entry-level bottling is a good value to boot. Earthy, forest-fire aromas coat black cherry notes in the bouquet; the palate’s bark, oak and bacon flavors come from time in old American oak barrels. Creamy and simple, but a steal.
— W.E.
(8/1/2002)
Morandé 2008 Pionero Pinot Noir (Casablanca Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $9
Light in color and aromas, with hints of herbal tea and dry spices. Not a lot of fruit or body throughout, but shows candied cherry and raspberry fruit and a dusting of cocoa. Dry, toasty and simple on the finish.
— M.S.
(12/1/2009)
Morandé 2000 Pionero Sauvignon Blanc (Central Valley)
- $7
Apricot aromas with flavors of green apple, cucumber and green bean. The finish is clean and easy, but bland. This wine does nothing to offend, but it doesn’t do much to impress, either.
— M.S.
(7/1/2003)
Morandé 2008 Pionero Sauvignon Blanc (Curicó Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $9
Stalky aromas suggest corn and hayfield more than crisp fruit, and while the palate is lively and acidic, it’s also kind of sour and lemony. Finishes with green apple and citrus. Jumpy and scouring.
— M.S.
(12/1/2009)
Morandé 2010 Pionero Merlot (Rapel Valley)
- $8
Scratchy, rubbery plum and berry aromas set up an equally scratchy palate that’s abrasive in feel and tastes of medicinal berry fruit mixed with raw oak. Hot and peppery on the finish.
— M.S.
(12/1/2011)
Morandé 2001 Pionero Syrah (Central Valley)
- $7
Tar, ink and rubber aromas dominate this Syrah’s nose. Mouthfeel is thin and the palate is a bit hollow, with generic mixed-berry flavors plus a little earth. Finishes tannic.
— W.E.
(8/1/2002)
Morandé 2008 Pionero Syrah (Maule Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $9
A heavy, cheesy-smelling wine that turns rougher and more gaseous as it opens. The palate is high in acidity, yielding underdeveloped, tart black cherry and plum flavors. Sharp on the finish, with a lean feel. Doesn’t ever find a groove.
— M.S.
(3/1/2010)
Morandé 2010 Pionero Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $8
Smells like drug store air freshener, and in the mouth it’s grating and high in acid. Flavors run toward lemon and grass, while the finish is tangy to excess. In no way does it sing; more like a mumbler.
— M.S.
(7/1/2011)
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