Winemaker Notes
This wine has a lively violet colour. The nose is very fresh, with lots of red andblack fruit accompanied by notes of tobacco leaf, spices and pepper. Thepalate is medium-bodied and intense with a velvety texture and very softtannins, complemented by ripe black fruit, fresh acidity and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Isla de Maipo's alluvial soils are well suited to Carmenère, especially when the grapes are picked early, which was the case with this 2019 release. Very lightly wooded in foudres and neutral oak barrels, it's definitely at the fresher, more floral end of the spectrum, showing mint and rose petal aromas and fresh, tangy bramble and black cherry fruit.
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Vinous
The 2019 Carménère Legado comes from Maipo and was aged for 15 months in used barrels. Violet in hue. The aromas include the variety’s signature white and green pepper and blackberry. Mild and voluminous in the mouth, it is defined by its easygoing nature and herbal hints.
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James Suckling
A medium-bodied red with aromas of dark fruit, tobacco, green chili, smoked meat and bitter chocolate. Focused with fine-grained tannins. Lightly bitter on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Zesty, with plenty of fresh green herbal accents to the dried red berry flavors. Fresh acidity lingers into the finish, with slate and peppery hints. Drink now.
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.
Dramatic geographic and climatic changes from west to east make Chile an exciting frontier for wines of all styles. Chile’s entire western border is Pacific coastline, its center is composed of warm valleys and on its eastern border, are the soaring Andes Mountains.
Chile’s central valleys, sheltered by the costal ranges, and in some parts climbing the eastern slopes of the Andes, remain relatively warm and dry. The conditions are ideal for producing concentrated, full-bodied, aromatic reds rich in black and red fruits. The eponymous Aconcagua Valley—hot and dry—is home to intense red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.
The Maipo, Rapel, Curicó and Maule Valleys specialize in Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends as well as Carmenère, Chile’s unofficial signature grape.
Chilly breezes from the Antarctic Humboldt Current allow the coastal regions of Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley to focus on the cool climate loving varieties, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Chile’s Coquimbo region in the far north, containing the Elqui and Limari Valleys, historically focused solely on Pisco production. But here the minimal rainfall, intense sunlight and chilly ocean breezes allow success with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The up-and-coming southern regions of Bio Bio and Itata in the south make excellent Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Spanish settlers, Juan Jufre and Diego Garcia de Cáceres, most likely brought Vitis vinifera (Europe’s wine producing vine species) to the Central Valley of Chile sometime in the 1550s. One fun fact about Chile is that its natural geographical borders have allowed it to avoid phylloxera and as a result, vines are often planted on their own rootstock rather than grafted.