Winemaker Notes
The 2019 vintage of the 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
A medium-bodied red with currants, spices and some dried flowers. Creamy and chewy. Pretty fruit. 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.
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.