A bunch of Carmenère from Chile!
Also I was a little nervous to know her too well–Carmenère is famed for its pyrazine notes which I can be hit or miss on, admittedly. But where did she come from? And why am I calling it she? Well she is the sister of Cabernet Sauvignon–they share papa Cabernet Franc, who passed on his peppery notes to both. Indeed, if you gave me a Camenère in a blind tasting I might call it a Cab Franc so…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Or the grape profile strays little from the…okay I’ll stop.
Originally (and very occasionally still) Carmenère was part of Bordeaux blends, mingling with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It’s numbers in Bordeaux dwindled, but meanwhile it had been planted in Chile, but was misidentified as Merlot until 1994. It’s identity uncovered, Chilean winemakers began the campaign to make it a signiture grape of the country.
Today Chile has the most Carmenère under vine in the world, but it still appears in tiny quantities in Bordeaux blends sometimes, and can be found in the Veneto, New Zealand (where it was planted as Cab Franc, and China.
2021 Viña San Esteban In Situ Reserva Carmenère with 5% Cab Sauv! Not perfumed of pyrazines so much as…well, if a perfume is a swath, this is more of a dab of the component? At any rate, pyrazines merely haunt the nose and the palate, but you also get black fruit and herbs, maybe even arugula. The silky palate brings all the nose notes plus a cola/Dr. Pepper vibe and…and pink peppercorn.
2021 Morandé Vitis Unica Maipo Valley Carmenère It gets greener! But not overly so in an overt yet polite way. The nose also gives major coffee roasty fun and blackberry jam. The palate is silky, with fine-grained tannins, the taste echoing the aromas but with added sundried tomato, arugula and violets. What a pretty wine punching for over its price in quality.
2020 Primus Carmenère is juicy and a touch cocoa/coffee-y and almost with a hint of refreshing citrus. On the nose. The palate is velvety, underscoring those coffee/cocoa notes, lifted by the slight jalapeño of it all–a slightly spicy finish it is, that keeps you coming back for the refreshing beginnings. Easy to drink but also a thinking person’s wine.
2020 Montes Wings Apalta Valle de Colchagua Carmenère The purple-iest (technical term) of the bunch! And in a way I am way into. The nose is bramble-y cassis and blackberry and spice. The silky palate brings in a touch of red and blue fruit, managing to be both light on its toes but also mouthcoating in an excellent way. Slight white chocolate and cigar box notes linger. Generally a gulpable but savorable glass. Egads.
2020 TerreNoble CA2 from the Colchagua Valley, the Lolol vineyard! This wine is just…it’s YUMMY. Ripe blackberry and just the tiniest hint of roasted jalapeño on the nose, roasted red plums coming through with time. On ye olde palate, more roasty fruit, at touch of vanilla and tropical fruit punch which may sound crazy but there you go. This one is scrumptious, silky but slightly textured, pleasant. It finishes more savory than it starts, always rich always balanced though.
Luma Chequén Gran Reserva Valle de Maule Carmenère she is robust, she is smoky, she is smoked green peppers at the raspberry patch, she is cocoa bean at the green garden. I have to be honest; this one grew on me with each sip–although I suspect oxygenation helped. A slightly chewy, leather texture beefs up the fun flippant flavors, finishing almost sweetly, calling you for another sapid sip.