Winemaker Notes
The 2018 vintage of our MAX Carmenere displays a dull and deep violet color. On the nose, notes of black and red fruits, herbs and spiced character as roasted red bell pepper, rosemary and dill, all framed by soft notes of chocolate and roasted coffee beans. On the palate, appears notes of nuts, dark cherries and coffee. It shows good structure with elegant, fine grained tannins that give a silky texture on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some bell-pepper notes here with blackcurrants and violets. The palate has a succulent, tangy feel with bright, ripe blackcurrant flavors and soft, pastry-like tannin. Special 150th anniversary edition. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
The spicy blackberry aroma has an herbal edge and is lifted by a hint of lemony oak, while this is racy and not the least bit lazy or heavy. Tomatoey plum, berry, peppery spice, chocolate and licorice flavors span a wide spectrum, while this is comported and balanced through the finish. If you like honest Carmenère, this is for you. Drink through 2024.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Carménère MAX is more herbal, with lots of ripe black fruits, peppery herbs, coffee, and hints of chocolate in its medium-bodied, nicely balanced, ripe, and textured profile. I love its balance, it has a good spine of acidity, and present yet supple tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I had not tasted the Carmenere from the Max vineyards for a while until they presented the still-unbottled 2018 Max Reserva Carmenere. The grapes were hand picked early in the morning and went through a sorting table before being crushed and put in stainless steel to ferment. The wine matured for 12 months in French oak barrels, 30% of them new. It's intensely herbal and spicy, varietal and defined, with clean aromas and focused flavors. The palate is juicy and tender, with moderate acidity and a soft mouthfeel.
Barrel Sample: 89-90
Dark, full-bodied and herbaceous with a spicy kick, Carménère found great success with its move to Chile in the mid-19th century. However, the variety went a bit undercover until 1994 when many plantings previously thought to be Merlot, were profiled as Carménère. Somm Secret— Carménère is both a progeny and a great-grandchild of the similarly flavored Cabernet Franc.
The Aconcagua River runs east from the charming costal town of Valparaiso and bisects the land creating the valley after which it was named. While alluvial soils predominate the Aconcagua Valey along its river throughout, its east-west flow creates drastically different conditions on each of its ends. Its western, seaside vineyards, with clay and stony soils upon gently rolling hills, produce cool-climate varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its inner region is one of Chile’s hottest and produces some of its best red wines. Panquehue in the inner Aconcagua is the site of Chile’s first Syrah vines, planted in 1993.