Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Carménère From Chile

The 2022 Carmen Delanz Carménère Apalta was grown in Chile's Colchagua Valley, in the Apalta region. The varietal makeup is 71% Carménère grapes, 15% Syrah, 9% Petite Verdot, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Carmen's Carmenere vineyard was planted in 1935. I'm told that Carménère was considered extinct from its original home in Bordeaux, until 1994. That's when a noted wine expert identified the grape in Chile's Maipo Valley, where it had been known as Chilean Merlot. This wine is a tip of the hat to that discovery. It carries alcohol at 14% abv and retails for $30. Winemaker Ana Maria Cumsille has done a fine job with this Carménère blend.

This wine is dark ruby in the glass. The nose carries rich notes of cherry, strawberry, and cassis. A savory angle joins the fruit and presents a more complex bouquet. The palate brings similar dark fruit flavors, along with some clove, anise and oak spice. The tannins are firm, yet the sip is elegant and smooth. Pair this with any sort of meat or cheese. 


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