Winemaker Notes
Delicious with steak, barbecue, venison, game birds, and ripe blue cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Carmenere Medalla Real is nicely framed by its oak. Aromas of pain grille, graphite, dark chocolate, plum, and blackberry are followed by a medium- to full-bodied, layered, full-flavored wine with enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years at which point it could well merit an outstanding rating. As is, it is an outstanding value.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and racy, with plenty of juicy acidity behind the plush raspberry, dark currant and coffee flavors. Shows white pepper accents midpalate, lingering on the slate-filled finish. Drink now through 2018.
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.