2008 Anakena Indo Carmenere

On August 22, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Indo Carmenere by Vina Anakena from the Cachapoal Valley in Chile. This 100% Carmenere based wine was purchased for under $11. I’ve previously tried both the 2009 Anakena Indo Sauvignon Blanc and the 2008 Anakena Indo Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Color

In the glass this is a medium ruby red.

Aroma

On the nose there is a hint of dirt. It isn’t a strong earthy wine though. There is also blackberry aromas and a big eucalyptus component. The eucalyptus is so strong that it clears the sinuses when you get way into the glass after swirling. Definitely distinctive.

Flavor

On the attack there is some dark cherry flavor which leads to red currant and a hint of chocolate on the mid-palate. The finish shows some cedar notes. This wine is a little hot on the finish for me. Overall it improves after breathing as the fruit begins to show more.

Rating

This wine was a lighter bodied Carmenere than some others. It was decent and I rate it 86 points. However, for my palate, I think there are better matches for this price range. What about you?

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2009 Natura Carmenere

On August 17, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Natura Carmenere by Emiliana Vineyards from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. The Natura line is their organic line and I found this bottle for under $10. I’ve previously tasted the 2008 Natura Carmenere which I recommended. This wine is a blend of 87% Carmenère, 4% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Tempranillo, and 1% Malbec.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark garnet red.

Aroma

The nose of this wine is very green. It reminds me of plants in wet dirt. It has a lot of mint and pine notes. Although there are no sweet fruit aromas, it does show some blackberry.

Flavor

On the palate this wine is remarkable smooth. The attack has black cherry and black plum notes. The mid palate shows some sour cherry components and the long finish is a combination of cloves and a smokey flavor with mild tannins. The wine has a decent weight and could pair well with dark chocolate.

Rating

I enjoyed this Carmenere and recommend it as a great dry wine without strong tannins (no puckering potential). I rate it 90 points.

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2008 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon

On May 28, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon from the Valle Central region of Chile. I applaud Cono Sur for their commitment to CarbonNeutral delivery of this product. This wine was purchased for under $8 and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 3% Syrah and 2% Carmenere. I have previously had the 2007 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon, so it will be interesting to compare them.

Color

In the glass it is a dark purplish red color.

Aroma

There is a lot of blackberry and black currant on the nose of this wine. It is almost like a cobbler. That is to say it is very much a cooked or over ripe fruit aroma. There is a also a mint component. It is a rich full nose.

Flavor

This is definitely a fruit-forward, new world style of wine. I like the fact that it is not heavily oaked. The attack is more a mix of black and red currant. In the mid-palate I get some cherry flavors and then the finish has some minor tannins and a bit of a beef jerky note. Perhaps it is better described as a smoky note. The finish is longer than I would have expected.

Rating

For the price this is a decent everyday wine. It goes with strong flavored dishes, but for sipping on its own I find it a bit sweet for my palate. I rate it 85 points.

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2008 Chateau Los Boldos Carmenere Momentos

On May 2, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Momentos de Chile Carmenere by Chateau Los Boldos from the Valle de Rapel in Chile. This wine was purchased for under $10 and made of 100% Carmenere grapes with aging of 6 months in Oak. I previously tried the 2009 Chateau Los Boldos Sauvignon Blanc Momentos, so it will be interesting to see how Chile’s flagship grape fairs from this producer.

Color

In the glass this wine is almost like a Pinot Noir in color.

Aroma

There is a strong earth component to the nose of this wine. However, the primary note is blackberry. I also get a hint of mulberries after it has been allowed to fully open up. Overall it is a good nose, if a bit simple.

Flavor

On the attack and mid-palate this wine shows a lot of dark plum flavor. Throughout, I also note a smoky component which strikes me as unique for a Carmenere. The finish is herbal with a similarity to dried basil. This is a medium bodied wine that won’t over power food with too much fruit or sugar. It is not showing a lot of tannin structure, so drink it early.

Rating

For my palate this wine was very harmless. It had no unpleasant notes. Unfortunately it doesn’t stand out much either. I rate it 85 points.

Have you tried this wine? How did you like it? Where there any unusual flavors or aromas in it?

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2008 Porta Carmenere Reserva

On March 23, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Porta Carmenere Reserva from the Maipo Valley of Chile. This bottle was purchased for under $10. I’ve previously tried the 2009 Porta Reserva Pinot Noir and the 2008 Porta Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple.

Aroma

This wine has one of the strongest barnyard and cabbage aromas I have come across recently. It eventually starts to blow off in the glass and will probably disappear as the wine ages. But it is impressive right now. There is also a combination of red raspberry and blackberry aromas.

Flavor

On the attack there is some more of the red raspberry notes showing. The mid-palate exhibits black cherry cola notes. The finish has some chalky tannins which are mild. There is also a little oregano note on the finish. Unfortunately the heat on this wine is substantial. It is more than I prefer, particularly on the finish. Therefore, this wine is better with food. I suggest something rich like a strong cheese.

Rating

This wine has a surprisingly strong nose, but unlike a lot of cheeses with strong smells, it doesn’t bring the reward in the mouth. The heat on this wine is too distracting for me. I rate it 82 points.

Does this wine match your palate or sound like something that would?

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2007 Calcu

On March 15, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Calcuicon by Los Maquis from the Colchagua valley region of Chile. This wine was acquired for under $11 and is a Bordeaux style blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Pertit Verdot varieties of grapes.

Color

In the glass this wine is a very dark purple.

Aroma

The aroma of this wine took over the room as soon as it was poured into the glass. The nose of this wine is a huge mixture of berries. There are both black and red berry components such as black currants, black cherries, red raspberries, and red plums. In addition there is a radish component combined with mint. This is the kind of complex, beautiful nose that a blend of these varieties can produce. I suspect the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are really excelling here.

Flavor

On the attack there is a strong black cherry component combined with subtle cranberry notes. In the mid-palate the cherry mixes with bell pepper . The finish is dry with some mild tannins, sour cherries, and oregano. The finish is very long, but too hot. This is a food friendly dry wine. Unlike a young Bordeaux it has all the flavor without the bitter tannins.

Rating

I like this wine a lot. The aromas on the nose are spectacular. It is immediately drinkable and not overly extracted. I rate it 90 points.

Recently, I’ve been noticing the red wine blends from Chile have been better than the varietals alone. The tend to be more complex (more aromas and flavors) and offer something on the nose as well as in every phase of the palate. It reminds me of what the French have known for many years. Have you seen this too? I wonder if we will see more white wine blends from there as well.

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Wine Varietal: Carménère

On February 16, 2010, In Education, By dcpatton

The Carmenere grape is a variety originally planted in Bordeaux, France where it was known as Grande Vidure. Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Carmenere is considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux. It is an ancient grape going back to the time of the Roman Empire. It was wiped out in France by phylloxera. Today, Chile is the largest producer of Carmenere followed by Italy and the USA.

Wait a second, this isn’t Merlot!

Carmenere is Chile’s signature grape variety. It was rediscovered in 1994 where it had previously been thought to be Merlot. DNA testing has shown that it is derived from cuttings of the Grand Vidure vines taken in Bordeaux in the late 1800s. Carmenere makes up about 6 percent of Chile’s planted area.

Aromas and Flavors of Carmenere

Similar to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, I find Carmenere to be good on its own or when blended with other red wine grapes. It usually isn’t overly tannic and is approachable. I have gotten a combination of red fruit and dark fruit along with chocolate. Occasionally it shows a bit of green vegetable character. Of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux I find it to be the most like Merlot and Malbec.

What is your favorite Carmenere based wine?

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2007 Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere

On January 31, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Single Vineyard Carmenereicon by Vina Errazuriz from the Don Maximiano Estate in the Aconcagua Valley of Chile. You can find some great notes on the harvesting and production of this 97% Carmenere and 3% Syrah based wine. This wine can generally be found for around $15.

Color

In the glass this wine shows excellent color of dark purple.

Aroma

The nose makes you immediately aware of the 12 months in new oak barrels that this wine was aged. It also exhibits a piney menthol note which might be some eucalyptus showing. There is good blackberry components along with a intriguing red beet aroma.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberry is dominant, followed up by sweet blueberries. The mid-palate exhibits cherry flavor with good tannins. The finish again shows some oak but also a bit too much alcohol. This wine is rated at 14.5% alcohol. The wine starts with a thick sweet nature and ends hot and dry. Quite a roller coaster on the palate. After breathing for a while, it starts to show some red fruit components such as strawberry on the mid-palate. Also of note is the length of the finish which is quite impressive. This is a big wine and will pair well with steak or blue cheese.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine, particularly after letting it open up some. It should age nicely. I rate it 89 points.

This wine has been reviewed by a lot of other bloggers and it is interesting to see what aromas and flavors they detected. How about you?

Here are some of those reviews for you to check out:

CheapWineRatings.com

A Good Time With Wine

2 Days Per Bottle

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2006 Veramonte Primus

On January 21, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2006 Primusicon by Veramonte from Chile. This Bordeaux style blend of 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 17% Merlot and 16% Carmenere is available for around $20. Kudos to Veramonte for such good labeling of the varietal percentage used.

Day One

I’ve just opened this wine and let it breathe for only 30 minutes.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple with a dark ruby rim.

Aroma

On the nose there is quite a bit of oak at first. Next there are dark berries including black berry and mulberry components. In addition, there is a hint of strawberry. Overall it has a good nose and isn’t shy.

Flavor

Loads of oak throughout this wine. It is a bit challenging to find the flavor of the wine. It finishes a little too hot for me as well. It has a medium to full body and on the attack there is some dark cherry and black berry. The mid-palate shows some sour cherry and dry tannins. The finish is long and dominated by the oak with some herbaceous notes such as oregano and thyme. I really like the tannins. It will pair well with smoked meat and strong flavored cheese.

Rating

This wine is not a good match for my palate. I rate it 81 points.

Day Two

The wine has now been open for over 24 hours and was re-corked after Day One.

Aroma

The oak is still quite prominent on the nose of this wine. There are also good components of strawberries, black currant and blackberries. A hint of mint is also noticeable.

Flavor

Blackberries on the attack quickly replaced by black cherry. The mid palate has some nice sour cherry and the finish is really hot with a herbaceous touch. The tannins are impressive, so this wine is probably going to last for a very long time. The only really big difference from the prior day is the intensity of the cherry which has improved the flavor.

Rating

This wine is not an easy wine to drink and isn’t showing well at this stage. As such it isn’t a match for my palate. I rate it 83 points.

Summary

Although this wine improved over time, it never really became enjoyable. It is well made and has some great tannins but needs better fruit for me to really get into it.

Have you had it? If so, did it match your palate?

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2007 TerraNoble Reserva Carmenere

On January 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 TerraNoble Reserva Carmenere from the Maule Valley region of Chile. This wine is from 95% Carmenere and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be found for under $12. This wine is aged for ten months in oak, followed by an additional eight months of aging in the bottle. This will be a multiple day tasting to see how the wine evolves after being uncorked.

Day One

The bottle has just been opened.

Color

In the glass it is deep purple with red edges.

Aroma

On the nose there is luscious black currant notes along with a hint of dark chocolate. There is also a substantial component of sulfur. It could offend those that are sensitive to the wet dog type of odors, but to me this is an intriguing wine.

Flavor

On the attack, I get some red raspberry. The mid-palate is chalky and has red-currant notes. It finishes with medium tannins and very nice cherry. Overall the fruit is very muted. The wine is well made and the oak is not overdone. It will pair well with pizza.

Rating

For my palate this is a little too ordinary for me to get excited. It is easy to see why Carmenere was thought to be Merlot in Chile for so many years. This drinks very similar to Merlot based wines. I rate it 86 points.

Day Two

The bottle has now been open for about 24 hours with only a wine stopper in place.

Aroma

Most of the sulfur component has disappeared from the prior day and the black currant is still showing well. There is also a ripe strawberry component contributing to the nice berry nose.

Flavor

On the attack the fruit is quite intense with good cherry and strawberry. The mid-palate is actually quite sweet with cherry dominating. The finish is long and a little hot. Overall the fruit is intense and a bit sweet. There are not vegetable flavors to note and there is no oak component either. This wine will pair well with tomato-based Italian dishes.

Rating

For me this is a decent Carmenere. I have had similar bottles for less than $10. I rate it 86 points.

Summary

It was interesting to see how this wine showed over time. It definitely opened up and the fruit went from being muted to being intense. It was sweeter than I would like. Overall it is a good wine, just nothing special.

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