Cono Sur Visión Carménère

We’ve previously reviewed a number of good wines from Cono Sur, and I’d even go so far as to say I’m a fan.  The breadth of the wines they produce is phenomenal and the quality of what we’ve tasted has been consistently good.

I think of them as an innovative and experimental producer from Chile, willing to try new techniques in order to improve the quality and character of their wines.  They even produce some really unique styles of wine, like a Carmenere Rosé—which I haven’t tasted, but piques my curiosity.

The 2007 Cono Sur Visión Carménère continues the trend of good wine coming from Cono Sur.  But this is one that I’d say is just “good” and not as good as some other wines I’ve tried from them.

Something that is interesting about this wine is the fact that they not only list the region on the label, Colchagua Valley, but they also list the block within their vineyard, Peumo.  Not that this is an unheard of practice, but I don’t see this on many wines in this price range.  Why does it matter?  If you really like this wine, there’s a good chance that you’ll find some consistency with wine from this block and can look for it in future vintages.

Licorice, blackberry, black cherry and pine aromas give it good complexity and make it interesting.  The palate is rich and fruit-filled with big blackberry and black cherry flavors. There’s also a bit of a coffee flavor.  The tannins are heavy, making it slightly astringent, but overall it has a nice mouth feel.  The dark berries and tannins coat your tongue and cling to it for a long finish.

Wine: Cono Sur Visión Carménère
Variety: Carménère
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $15.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.