Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Gran Reserva Carmenere is produced with fruit from Maipo (San Bernardo) and matured in 2,000- and 4,000-liter oak foudres for 14 months. It has the herbal and spicy aromas of the variety. I've come to enjoy this style of the grape a lot more than the old style. This is harvested in April (not in May), and the grapes achieve less sugar (alcohol) and retain more freshness. If you're not against pyrazines, this is one for you. I'd rather have this than the cooked green Carmenere from yesteryear.
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 Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.