Winemaker Notes
The 2017 La Playa Carmenere is velvety light purple in color. Deliciously intense with hints of blackcurrants, chocolate, coffee and spicy pepper aromas. On the nose, ripe blueberries with a hint of fine smoke. Medium bodied on the palate with velvety smooth fresh berry fruit flavors. The wine is lightly oaked to give body, toasted notes and sweet spices such as cinnamon and vanilla on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of blueberry and blackberry aromas in this medium-bodied and soft carmenere that’s well balanced, thanks also to having almost zero tannins. A good party-wine.
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.