Winemaker Notes
Deep purplish-red in color. The intense nose offers pleasing notes of ripe blackberries, figs, and dried plums. Spicy notes of nutmeg and black pepper complement a backdrop of tobacco, leather, and a subtle hint balsamic and dark chocolate aromas. The palate is well balanced, lush, and structured, with soft tannins that lead to a long and very elegant finish.
Highly recommended with red meats, stir-fried beef and vegetables, pork chops, spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, lamb chops, and mushroom ravioli.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A well-balanced carmenere showing plenty of ripe fruit as well as spices and a hint of tobacco. Eclectic style. Tannins are fine-grained on the medium- to full-bodied palate with generous, flattering fruit. Marchigue and Apalta. Drink or hold.
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.