Winemaker Notes
Blend: 99% Carmenere, 1% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh, spicy nose with plenty of black cherries and cassis. Fennel and cumin with a hint of graphite, red chili and rose petal. The juicy, medium- to full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit. The tannins are juicy and silky. A very pure expression of carmenere. Drink now or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Opens with floral peppercorn and mace details that complement the rich raspberry and cherry core, adding herb and vanilla accents around suave, mineral-tinged tannins. Drink now through 2028. 7,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.
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.