Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby red. Expressive and intense, this wine reflects the great character of Carmenere from Maipo. It has vegetal notes which give it freshness, alongside many ripe fruit aromas, such as plums, blackberries and black cherries. Soon, floral hints, like violets, begin to appear, along with spicy notes like dill, cloves, black pepper and vanilla. Great texture and silkiness. A well-balanced wine with fine, smooth and elegant tannins. It has a very long and pleasant finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black fruit, tomato leaf, graphite and spice. Medium-to full-bodied with chewy tannins. Fruity and energetic with the right amount of structure. Flavorful finish with length. This is an excellent, dry carmenere. Drink or hold.
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.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.