Winemaker Notes
CA1 is a Carmenere of great character and power. The round tannins and intense aromas of ripe red fruit reveal the best expression of Carmenere grown at the foot of the Andes Mountains.
CA1 is made with grapes from Los Lingues vineyard at the foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Colchagua Valley. Where the Andes meet with the Coastal Range, they create a corridor of wind that maintains a constant temperature ideal for slow ripening.
Enjoy CA1 with pulled pork, lentil dahl, or roasted eggplant.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Carménère CA2 Costa from Lolol, Colchagua Costa, was aged for 16 months in 42% new 300-liter French barrels with 58% in untoasted foudres. A vivid purple hue. The nose presents jalapeño and ash notes over a layer of plum and blackberry with hints of herbs. Indulgent and intense on the palate with a broad flow and finely grained tannins. The pleasant, juicy finish features gum-tickling, overripe dark fruit.
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James Suckling
A medium-bodied red with spiced cherries, red berries and bell peppers on the nose. Round tannins with a spicy edge and a flavorful finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The spicy, peppery and deeply varietal 2020 Carmenere Ca2 Costa ois ripe without excess at 14.3% alcohol and keeps good freshness. It is light to medium-bodied, with abundant grainy tannins and a finish of black peppercorns. It matured in a combination of untoasted foudre and barriques and has integrated oak.
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.