Winemaker Notes
Enjoy the distinctive taste of Terrunyo Carmenere with tomato-based pasta, game, duck, red meat and robust cheese.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Hoping to show the carmenère fruit from a cool vintage with precision, Ignacio Recabarren aged Lot No. 1 for six months in oak, rather than the 13 months for the regular Terrunyo Block 27 (recommended below). It’s filled with spicy red fruit, without any of the overt vegetal notes that carmenère can give; the tannins create plenty of grip without being aggressive. This is harmoniously balanced, great for meat empanadas.
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Wine Spectator
A rich and well-sculpted red, bursting with fresh avors of dark plum, cherry tart and dried blackberry. Asian spice notes ll in midpalate. e complex nish balances savory and dark chocolate notes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There is also a 'regular' 2013 Terrunyo Carménère that is sourced from a 20-hectare plot in their Peumo vineyard, which was influenced by the Lot 1. They used less new barrels and reduced the time the wine spent in oak, so it follows the same path of freshness with red fruit and zero pyrazines; it's full of red cherries and reveals a juicy palate with very fine tannins and a silky texture. This has nothing to do with the Carménère of yesteryear. This is really pleasurable. 86,600 bottles produced.
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.
With an outstanding reputation for its bold reds, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere, the Cachapoal Valley spreads through the northern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with a continuous backdrop of the majestic Andes to its east. This region reaches as far north as the southern outskirts of the city of Santiago where it meets the famous region of the Maipo. The Cachapoal Valley produces no shortage of plum and berry dominated full-bodied reds with aromas and flavors reminiscent of mint, cocoa, spice or smoked meat.