New World Trio

This week I thought I'd compare 3 reasonably priced wines from three new world wineries. I'll start with my favourite - the William Cole, Carmenere Reserve, Casablanca 2004. The owner is a dot-com millionaire who I guess is pursuing his new passion by making wine in Chile. This wine blows dense fruit right through your palate. Not complex, but a full bodied fresh chunky wine. A "Good" wine, and amazing value at $14. My next favourite was the Gemtree, Bloodstone Shiraz, 2005, from McLaren Vale in Australia. Another chunky fruit bomb, also in your face. If this had any complexity to it at all, it would be a really interesting wine. Another "Good", reasonable value at $19. Lastly (and leastly), was the "L" de Lyeth, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, 2004 from California. This is a medium bodied, more elegant effort than the prior two wines. It had light berry notes on the nose that blew off rather quickly. Was well made but kind of boring. In it's favour, it would match food better than those other wines (which I think are more suited to sipping). I'd give it an "okay" rating, would not buy more at $18 a pop.
Cheers!!