Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Carmenere Limited Edition contains 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and like all wines in the Limited Edition range, it fermented in stainless steel and matured in used oak barrels for around 15 months. There are notes of ripe plum and something toasty and smoky. It doesn't have the clarity or focus of the Cabernet Franc, and there are abundant tannins that seem to provide some bitter notes in the finish. Carmenere is not an easy grape. Range: 89-90
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.