Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Also from their vineyards in Marchigue, the 2014 Carmenere Ecos de Rulo was harvested early but with good ripeness. It fermented in stainless steel with selected yeasts and matured in foudres and used barrels for 12 months. The whole range is quite fresh and fruit-driven, showing varietal notes, in this case herbal and spicy, with a hint of paprika. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins and good balance. 36,000 bottles were filled in April 2016.
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.