Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A full and rich wine with blackberry, blueberry and spice. Round yet silky tannins and a pretty finish. Refined. Drink or hold.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
One of Chile's top red wines, the 2012 Los Vascos Grande Reserve Carmenère speaks well of the grape variety. The wine shows red fruits and dried earth in the aromas and flavors. Its soft tannins make it a solid choice with lighter meat dishes. Drinks well now. (Tasted: February 1, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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.