The Carmenere grape has had quite an interesting history, especially in Chile. Originally a mainstay in Bordeaux, the grape fell out of favor and by 1994 there were less than 25 acres under vine. At the same time, more or less, there was another area of the world where the grape still grew in abundance, however it was not even known. In Chile, large vineyards of grapes that were thought to be Merlot actually turned out to be Carmenere. It was also in 1994 that the grape was positively identified as a unique varietal in Chile, and two years later the first bottle of wine made from the newly identified “Carmenere” was released. That wine still didn’t say Carmenere, but was labeled as “Grande Vidure Cabernet”. Still, Carmenere had been set free, and it would continue to grow into an important varietal for the Chilean wine industry.
Today, Carmenere accounts for about 11% of the vineyards in Chile, behind Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pais. It is mostly located south of Santiago, where a mild Meditteranean climate allows for a long ripening cycle. That is important to Carmenere to get the full expression of the grape. It brings a wonderful fruit core to these wines, as we’ll see in a bit. The grape is related to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In autumn the vines turn deep crimson red, which is where it gets its name, from the French “Carmin”, translating to “crimson”.
Chile is the world leader in the amount of Carmenere under vine, with over 25,000 acres. By comparison France has only 200 acres
today. it is also grown in the Veneto region of Italy as well as China, but Chile is clearly the dominant player and the epicenter of Carmenere production worldwide.
We have six Carmenere wines from Chile to review and compare. They range in price from $13 to $55. Vineyards are located in the central valley area between the mountains, as well as in the coastal range near the coast.
We went through these and made out notes, also tasting along with Joaquin Hidalgo during an online seminar. Joaquin is the South American editor for Vinuous magazine, and he knows the South American wine industry as well as anyone. To add a little more breadth to the insights on the wines, we invited some neighbors over to try the wines and share their thoughts. This was a fun way to get other impressions from other palates. It made for an enjoyable evening. In general there was a lot of consensus on the quality progression between these wines, but not necessarily on which one was best. Let’s take a look.
2022 Vina San Esteban In Situ Camenere Reserva – this wine is a blend of 95% Carmenere with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes
come from hillside vineyards as well as the riverbanks of the Aconcagua River, in the Aconcagua Valley. This saw a very long, 18 day maceration, fermentation in stainless steel and then 12 months of aging in half French and half American oak barrels. There was another 3 months of bottle aging prior to release. What was the result?
On the nose there is caramel, chocolate, currant and blackberry. This is a smooth wine, really easy to approach and pleasing all around. It’s not super deep, or rich, and makes a great sipping wine or pair it with lighter fare. It is well made and an excellent value at only $13.
2021 Morande Vitis Unica Carmenere – grapes here are from the San Bernardo estate in the Maipo Valley, and pure gravel soils. 
Hand harvested grapes are fermented in stainless, then aged in a combination of oak foudres (80%) and French oak barrels (20%). The foudres are large oak vats of between 2000 and 4000 liters in size, in comparison to the standard 225 liters in a typical barrel. Aging lasts about 16 months. The result?
On the nose there is a definitive blueberry core, joined by currant and cherry, along with spice. The palate is full of red fruit with a great purity. There are notes of ash. This wine is quite smooth, and would pair well with many foods. It is an easy drinker. Guests added “earthy, lingering” and “floral”. It is very good and a solid value at $20.
2020 InVina Luma Chequen Gran Reserva Carmenere – from vineyards with a large diurnal temperature range, the grapes are
harvested by hand, cold macerated at the winery for five days and fermented in stainless tanks for 10 days. Specific vineyards included are Batuco, Las Tizas and Buena Vista. Aging lasts for 12 months in barrel. Our impressions:
The nose is rich, with tar, ripe fruit, ash, pine or balsam and other notes. This is seriously complex and the wines just took a significant step up in quality with this one. You get some of that ashy char on the palate, along with medium tannins and good acid to keep things balanced. This is a deep and complex juice. Our fellow tasters noted “herbs, slightly sour smell (but in a good way)” and “more complex”. This is a nice wine, and was favored by one of the tasters. Great value at $17.
2020 Primus Carmenere – from Apalta in the Colchagua Valley, where the vineyards are surrounded by native forests, and from vines in the
higher elevations of the estate. These are organic vineyards. After fermentation the wine was aged in French oak barrels, 12% of which were new. Our thoughts:
Very dark in color, this was the darkest of the six wines. The nose is full of rich fruit, red and black and ripe. The wine is rich on the palate, with notes of balsam and herbs. Cherry fruit shines through. Tannins are medium+. We thought the ending was a little bitter, but a guest described the wine as “smooth and silky” as well as noting oak on the nose. $21 and a favorite among the guests. This is a good wine and value at this price.
2020 TerraNoble CA2 – also from the Colchagua Valley, and the Lolo vineyard to be specific. The vineyard is located in the
western side of the valley, on the slopes of the Coastal Mountains. This location has moderate temperature swings. Grapes are picked by hand, with manual berry selection in the winery. They macerate in wood tanks for 10 days followed by a nominal 10 day fermentation. The wine was aged in a combination of larger, untoasted wood vats as well as new and used french oak barrels. Aging time was 16 months, then another 9 months in the bottle prior to release. What did we think?
The color was similar to all the others, dark purple red. On the nose distinct blackberry aromas were mingled with other berry fruit. There was a noticeable ash blanket around the fruit, which can be typical for Carmenere from this area. On the palate the wine also displayed chocolate and mint notes. It has medium tannins, freshness and good length. Overall this is an excellent wine. Comments from our guests included “pepper on the nose, warming and full bodied”. We really like this. Excellent value at $36.
2020 Montes Wings Carmenere – this is made from vineyards in the Colchagua Valley, located on steep slopes 200 meters above the
valley floor. 2020 was a dry season. The grapes were harvested by hand, and bunches were also hand selected prior to destemming. After a cool soak for 5-7 days grapes were fermented for 12-15 days. The juice was left in contact with the skins for some time while and was tasted daily. The final wine was aged in French barrels, a mixture of new, second and third year. There is a dash of Cabernet Franc in the juice. Let’s see what ended up in the bottle:
The wine is very dark purple red in color. Aromas of bell pepper, black pepper, blackberry and caramel define a seriously complex and rich wine. You get the same on the palate. This is luscious, long, complex and integrated beautifully. World class without a doubt, it was the favorite of the night for both Cheri and I, as well as several others who attended our tasting party. Comments from guests included “rich and fragrant”. $55 and worth every penny. If you don’t think Carmenere can compete with the more well know great varietals, try this and change your mind.
Wow! This was a good lineup and a great progression of wines. For a grape that was once mistaken for a totally different varietal, Carmenere has blossomed. It has earned a place next to the great red wine grapes. Try some of these and decide for yourself. There is some serious quality and value here.
A votre santé!
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