Winemaker Notes
Impressive deep purplish-red in color. The aromas are complex, with pronounced blackberry and ripe blueberry fruit. There is also dried plum, cooked cherry and candied fruit. The 18 months of aging in French oak gives a complex nose of toasted aromas, nuts, sweet spice, and touches of dairy and vanilla. On the palate, the flavors follow the aromas, with sensations of dark fruit and toast leading to a long finish that is finely balanced with good body and structure.
Blend: 92% Carmenere, 8% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberry, blueberry, sage and five spice on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced and creamy with a fresh, juicy character palate. Silky texture with great structure. Savory finish with length. Peppery and spicy aftertaste. A blend of 92% carmenere and 8% petit verdot.
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Wine Spectator
Unctuously rich and juicy, with concentrated dark cherry and blackberry flavors that are loaded with cooking spice accents. Features ripe tannins and savory hints on the long, creamy finish. Carmenere and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026. 18,000 cases made, 5,350 cases imported.
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.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.