Winemaker Notes
Dark red in color with an intense and complex nose of spices and ripe red fruits such as cherries, raspberries, and plums mixed with aromas of blackberries and anise. The palate is juicy and powerful with velvety-soft tannins providing a long and satisfying finish.
Vegan-friendly
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fresh and juicy carmenere with plenty of spiced currants, quince and tomato leaves. Fresh herbs and currants on the sleek, medium-bodied palate with fresh, dusty tannins. Lovely balance and fresh finish. From organically grown grapes with Ecocert certification. Vegan.
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Vinous
The 2020 Carménère Orzada from Cauquenes, Maule, is purple in color with attractive aromas of orange zest, mint and a whiff of blackberry. Indulgent on the palate, with a smooth, voluminous feel, gentle tannins and a fruity expression, it ends with gusts of herbs.
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.
Maule is the Central Valley’s most southern and coolest zone, reaching a southern latitude of 35°S, yet it is still warmer and drier than Bío-Bío to its south. The Maule Valley enjoys success with a unique set of grapes.
It lays claim to the local variety, Pais (synonymous with Tinta Pais, which is actually Tempranillo), which has dominated much of the region’s area under vine until the recent past. Now many growers, not confined by the tradition and regulations of the Old World, also successfully grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
While Maule’s total area under vine remains relatively static, its old Carignan vineyards are undergoing a great revival. The VIGNO (Vignadores del Carignan Vintners) group, an association in charge of promoting this long-forgotten variety, is getting fantastic results from the old vines in its dry-farmed coastal zones.
The Maule includes the subregions of Talca, San Clemente, San Javier, Parral, Linares and Cauquenes.