Wine Review: 2011 Carmen Carmenere Apalta Colchagua Valley, Chile
The Carménère varietal has gradually been picking up steam in the American market, and this is a good thing. Move over Merlot and make way for curiously captivating Carmenère.
A few years back you would be lucky to find any wine made from this grape on your retailers’ shelves. These days, well-stocked, large wine retailers like Total Wine and More will have a whole section of Carmenère choices. With four years in the bottle, this wine is in the perfect window of maturity for consumption. Immediately after uncorking; this wine flips the switch delivering a surprisingly big elegant barrage of savory and sweet aromas.
The roundness of flavors exhibited and lack of herbaceous greenness can be attributed to a good harvest that provided the winemaker with fully matured ripe fruit. Vina Carmen adds a small amount of Carignan and Tempranillo to fill out structure and bolster aromas. Big smooth flavors of chocolate, tobacco and black fruit integrate well with the rich plush texture. Those attributes amplify the mid-palate with a seductively racy blend of flavor that lingers on the finish. Seldom have I tasted a Carmenère that filled out its walking shoes so well, Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenère brings so much tasty goodness to the table. This wine makes me want to jump up and cook something.
Rating: Excellent (90) | $17 | 14.3% ABV
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