Although carménère has in recent years come to be thought of as a signature Chilean grape, its roots go back to Europe. More specifically, it is thought to have originated in the Médoc region of Bordeaux. It was once thought to be the “lost grape of Bordeaux,” having gone extinct from phylloxera in 1867. But cuttings of […]
Some folks say that vintage makes no difference when it comes to cheap wine, but I say poo poo to that! It does make a difference and I like to revisit new vintages of wines that we’ve tasted in the past. Today I’m tasting the 2009 Apaltagua Envero Gran Reserva Carménère from the Colchagua Valley in […]
One of the things that makes wine such a fun beverage (besides the obvious) is the vast variety of option out there. It’s always fun to try something new, or as in this case, try a varietal you’ve tasted before vinified in a totally different way. Carmenere is the lost grape of Bordeaux that was […]
If you aren’t familiar with carménère, that’s ok. You’re probably not alone. For a varietal that has spent much of the latter part of the 20th century in obscurity, and often confused for Merlot, it’s making a nice comeback in some rather familiar places. To get you caught up on who is doing some nice […]
Carménère , or Carmenere, was once one of the grapes of Bordeaux. It was always a problematic grape, due to late ripening, but brings some unique qualities to the wine in which it’s used. In particular, it’s known for giving a green pepper characteristic to wines, which is intensified when the grapes are harvested under-ripe. […]
Viña Valdivieso originated as Champagne Valdivieso way back in 1879. It was the first producer in South America to make sparkling wine, and didn’t even begin producing still wine until 1980 when they expanded and formed Viña Valdivieso. The grapes for this Carménère are from Central Valley, which means that they aren’t from one region, […]
Viu Manent is a family-owned winery in Colchagua Valley, Chile. Founded in 1935, it originally under the name Vinos Viu. Seventy-some years after its inception, the winery is still run by descendants of its founders. The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard named La Capilla, near the town of Peralillo. It’s 100% Carménère […]
Espiritu de Chile is a joint venture between A. Racke from Germany and Aresti Vineyards in Chile. And while they have a long list of awards, accolades and good reviews from well-respected reviewers I don’t expect they’ll be adding the 2007 Classic Carménère to that list. I guess not all the wines I review can […]
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, […]
Viña La Rosa is one of the oldest wineries in Chile, established in 1824 by don Francisco Ignacio Ossa y Mercado. That’s a name and a half, if you ask me. I’m not going to get into a lot of background on this wine, but instead jump ahead to, “90 alert, 90 alert!!!” As a […]