The Good Wine Guru » Chilean Wine

Folatre Carmenere Reserve 2007

George — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:00:11 +0000

Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chile – Curico Valley
Cost: $8

Winemaker’s Notes: Dark garnet color or great intensity with an aroma of generous ripe red fruit and merged peppers with toasted French oak. A silky, flavorful mouth feel, creamy with great volume. Firm tannins provide an enjoyable finish. Best paired with light hors d’oeuvres and pastas.

My Review: My wife and I are always on the lookout for inexpensive wines that may not excite or inspire us, but are easy to sip on and are more interesting than cheap merlot or cabernet sauvignon from California, Australia, or New Zealand. Chile has become a favored region to get affordable wines that mix it up ever so much. When a friend recently brought over a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that he had picked up and we enjoyed it we decided to pick some up at the store the next time we went. They were out of the Cab Sauv, but had a healthy supply of the Carmenere that we decided to give a try to.

On Sunday, while watching my 49ers lose to the Giants (frigging special teams!), we opened up the bottle of 2007 Folatre Carmenere Reserve. We had tried another bottle of it before, but there was something different about it this time. The wine is a nice deep red in the glass, and on the nose I got some fruit but a good amount of green peppers and brambles that I didn’t experience the first time we opened one of these bottles.

In the mouth I got more of the same that I got on the nose and a smoother finish than I remembered from my first try at the wine. Since we were watching football I had whipped up some buffalo chicken bites and while I wouldn’t call the pairing a revelation, it certainly wasn’t horrible.

I’m not going to sit here and say this is the best carmenere I’ve ever had – it’s not even the best one I’ve had in the last 6 months, but for an affordable wine you can do a lot worse and if nothing else it was a good bottle to drown my sorrows in while watching Kyle Williams give the game to the Giants.

Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

George — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:40 +0000

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Chile
Cost: $10-12

My Review: So as they are want to do, on a recent trip to my parents’ house they insisted on sending home some wine with my wife and I as they are big supporters of this site and of my drinking habits. I love my mom and dad.

In the glass the wine was a dark purple color that can only be described as inky. It was so dark (how dark was it?) that the only way I was actually able to pick up some of the color was thanks to some bubbles on the surface right after I poured the wine. On the nose I got jammy aromas of dark fruit with a little spice and a smoky/tobacco note.

In the mouth the wine was medium to full-bodied with lots of dark fruit and a nice smoky finish that I really enjoyed. Paired with a dinner of some sausage tortellini (or tortelloni…it’s really all the same to me to be honest) in some red sauce it really brought out the bolder flavors of the meal, though honestly I’d love to pair this wine with a steak and plan to grab another bottle in the future to do just that.

While it’s certainly no secret that I’m a fan of Chilean wine, this bottle is just another example of why. A Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for less than $15 is a value any way you slice it, and the fact that this one is full of flavors that just scream to be paired with something off the grill makes this a great wine to pick up during the summer months when the grill gets the most use.

If you can’t find the 2008 Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon at your local store, you can, as always, follow this link and have some shipped to you.

Chilensis Carmenere Reserva 2009

George — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:59 +0000

Varietal: 100% Carmenere
Region: Chile – Maule Valley
Cost: $10

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep in color with aromas of cherry, plum, vanilla, and green pepper that lead through to the mouth. Pairs well with fresh cheeses, meats, and pasta dishes.

My Review: In case you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a fan of Chilean wine. I think the vineyards and winemakers down there are doing great work coming up with great wines at an amazing cost to the consumer. While during the warmer months I usually turn to a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for something to sip on, thanks to a wine tasting last year, I’m finding myself more and more drawn to Carmenere when I’m looking for a red. The flavors of green pepper and fruit are a great combination that’s unique from most any other grape I’ve tried and one I find I like quite a bit.

Because of both mine and my wife’s enjoyment for the wine, we try to keep a bottle of it on hand, and recently we had been keeping the Root:1 Carmenere in the house. However, on a recent trip the wine store, when we went to pick up a bottle of it, they were out. Not ones to be deterred from the wine we wanted, we decided to try another bottle of Carmenere, and grabbed the 2009 Chilensis Carmenere Reserva.

The wine itself is a deep red color with just a hint of violet running through it, the kind you really only notice when pouring and you get some bubbles on the edges of the glass. The aroma of cherry and green pepper were most noticeable to me, and carried through into the mouth, where the cherry lead the way and the green pepper finished out the wine with a nice, subtle finish.

Paired with a dinner of wheat penne in red sauce, it was a great compliment to the juiciness of the meal, adding a bit of dryness to it that was welcome, but not being so dry that you couldn’t enjoy the wine without the food. For the price, this is a great wine to keep around the house thanks to the versatility, but also because it’s different than the usual merlot/cabernet/syrah/shiraz wines you find as table wines (not that I’m demeaning those).

If you can’t find this wine at your local wine store, you can follow this link and have it shipped to you, and if you haven’t tried Carmenere before, this is a great one to get you started.

Spotlight on a Varietal: Carmenere

George — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:15 +0000

A member of the Cabernet family of grapes, Carmenere is a grape originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. The name originates from the French word for crimson (carmin). Carmenere, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, is considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux, France.

History

Carmenere is one of the most ancient European varieties, and is thought to be the antecedent of better known varieties. While Carmenere can trace origins to the Medoc region of Bordeaux, it is almost impossible to find the grape in France today as a Phylloxera plague in 1867 nearly destroyed all the vineyards in Europe, and the Carmenere grape in particular. The extent of the damage was so great that for a time Carmenere was thought to be extinct.

Far from being extinct, the grape has thrived in several areas outside of France, most notably Chile, where growers preserved the grape for 150 years almost by mistake, thinking it to be Merlot. It wasn’t until 1998 that the Chilean Department of Agriculture recognized Carmenere as a distinct variety.

Carmenere Grapes

Carmenere favors a longer growing season in moderate to warm climates. High levels of rain or irrigation water during harvest time and the winter period can be detrimental to the vines, particularly in poor-soil plantings. Over-watering during these periods accentuates the herbaceous and green pepper characteristics of the grape.

Carmenere grapes naturally develop high levels of sugar before tannic ripeness is achieved. If grown in a climate that is too hot, the resulting wine will have a higher alcohol content and low balance. Carmenere buds and flowers three to seven days later than Merlot and the yield is lower. Carmenere leaves turn to crimson before dropping.

Carmenere is produced in wineries as either a single-variety wine, or as blend, usually with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and/or Merlot.

While Carmenere and Merlot are similar, and may in fact be genetically related, there are some differences to help pick them apart. When young, Carmenere leaves have a reddish hue underneath, while Merlot leaves are white underneath. Merlot ripens two to three weeks earlier than Carmenere.

Regions

While originating in France, only a few hundred acres of Carmenere officlally exist in the country now. Chile and Italy both produce the grape, with Eastern Washington State’s Walla Walla Valley and California also growing the grape. Australia and New Zealand also grow Carmenere, though in much smaller qualities.

Carmenere Wine

Carmenere is often blended with other grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. When offered as a single variety, the wines offer softer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon and cherry-like flavors, smoky notes, spicy earth flavors, dark chocolate, tobacco, leather, and green pepper flavors.

Wines of Chile: Blended Reds Blogger Tasting

George — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:00:24 +0000

This past Wednesday I once again was lucky enough to participate in the Wines of Chile Virtual Blogger Tasting. For anybody that hasn’t seen me write about this before, Wines of Chile allows bloggers such as myself the opportunity to sample several bottles of Chilean wine and interact with the wine makers. It’s definitely one of the highlights of being a wine writer for me.

This particular tasting was of blended red wines, and I have to say that once I got the tasting kit I quickly wanted the 13th of October to arrive so I could open up the bottles. Given that they send us 8 bottles of wine, I invited several friends and family members over to participate in the tasting with me. So, here’s what we thought about the wines.

2005 Valdivieso Eclat

A blend of 56% Carignan, 24% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah with a SRP of $27. Garnet in color with hints of purple in the color, red fruit on the nose with a flavor of tart berry on the palate with a noticeable tannic finish. Overall it wasn’t a bad way to start the tasting, but it wasn’t my favorite of the evening.

2006 De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Las Cruces”

A blend of 66% Malbec and 34% Carmenere with a SRP of $45. Dark red in color with aromas of dark chocolate and concord grapes. Flavors of fruit and bell pepper, prominent flavors in both Malbec and Carmenere, seemed to be fighting each other with neither one being able to win. While I didn’t dislike the wine, I don’t know that I could justify paying $45 for it.

2008 Estampa Gold Assemblage Carmenere

A blend of 57% Carmenere, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot with a SRP of $22. Dark, ruby red colors with aromas of pepper, tobacco, smoke, red fruit, and herbs. The flavor of bell pepper from the Carmenere really came through with the Petit Verdot smoothing out the finish. As I enjoy Carmenere by itself this wine was successful to me.

2008 Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Carmenere with a SRP of $15. Garnet color with aromas of bell pepper and eucalyptus. Flavors of Bell pepper and what I could only call dish rag made me hesitant on this one. It wasn’t my least favorite, but it wasn’t my favorite either, though I will say some time in the decanter helped mellow out the dish rag flavors.

2006 Maquis Lien

A blend of 42% Syrah, 30% Carmenere, 12% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec with a SRP of $19. Medium-dark red in color with aromas of ripe black fruit, berry, spice, and a hint of bell pepper. Flavors of bell pepper, black pepper, and crushed fruit with a nice smooth finish made this one both enjoyable, and a great value for the price.

2008 Hacienda Araucano Clos de Lolol

A blend of 31% Syrah, 29% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Carmenere with a SRP of $23. Medium-dark red in color with aromas of licorice, tobacco leaf, blackberry, black cherry, and spices. Flavors of raspberry with a smooth tannic finish that made this one of my favorites on the evening and another great value.

2007 Emiliana Coyam

A blend of 38% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Mourvedre with a SRP of $29. An intense dark red color with aromas of dark fruit and earth with which lead into an earthy, dry palate with crushed berry flavors with a bit of oak on it as well. This was probably my favorite of the evening and one I would definitely pick up in the store.

2007 Casas del Bosque Gran Estate Selection Private Reserve

A blend of 61% Syrah, 26% Merlot, 13% Pinot Noir with a SRP of $50. Deep red in color, perhaps the deepest of the night, with aromas of currant, anise, berry, and lavender. Earthy flavors with flavors of black cherry, leather, and what I could only call Robitussin (though not in a bad way). This was easily the wine I was most looking forward to opening once I got the kit, and while I have a hard time spending $50 on any bottle of wine, this bottle was definitely far more worth the cost than the De Martino.

All in all I had a great time doing another Wines of Chile Blogger Tasting, and I look forward to doing more in the future. It was nice to try some other varietals from Chile, though I do think I like Carmenere either all by itself, or as a much smaller percentage of a blend – the bell pepper flavors tend to conflict with others to me.

I want to thank Wines of Chile for including me in this tasting, and thank my friends and family for coming over and helping me enjoy all the wine.

Terra Andina Chardonnay 2008

George — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:00:54 +0000

Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Chile
Cost: $9

Golden yellow in color with aromas of pineapple and papaya with hints of vanilla. Pineapple, citrus, and a subtle acid on the palate. Pairs well with roasted chicken and shellfish in a light cream sauce.

Recommendations: There was a distinct lack of white wine in my house recently, and so during a tasting at my local wine shop I picked up a couple of bottles of white to have around. My wife doesn’t like Chardonnay with a heavy oak flavor, so when I saw the Terra Andina (of which I’ve had other varietals and enjoyed), I grabbed it.

Taking the advice of the tasting notes on the back of the bottle, and because we had both available in the house for an easy dinner, we paired the wine with a dinner of shrimp in a garlic alfredo sauce with some farfalle pasta. The acid of the Terra Andina did a nice job of cutting through the cream sauce, and the citrus flavors, particularly pineapple, were a nice compliment to the taste of the shrimp.

While this is by no means a life altering Chardonnay, it’s a great one to keep around the house. For the price, you’d be hard pressed to find a quality Chardonnay that will pair well with food and be enjoyable just by itself. If you’re looking for a white wine on a budget, the Terra Andina Chardonnay is definitely one worth looking at.

Wines of Chile Sauvignon Blanc Virtual Blogger Tasting

George — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:00:28 +0000

So this past Wednesday I was fortunate enough to get to participate in a virtual blogger tasting of 8 Chilean Sauvignon Blancs. Myself and several other bloggers were all sent tasting kits that included wine that we would taste on the 12th while interacting with the wine makers via webcam and chatroom.

Since they sent us 8 bottles of wine, I did the only wise thing, and invited several friends over to help me taste all the wines and to get their opinions on them as well. If you’re in the Richmond area you can follow them on twitter at: @ptmartinez ; @melrv ; @jkennett ; @akennett ; and @knownhuman.

All of the wines we tasted were the 2009 vintage and all were 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Our first wine was the Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley (SRP $10.99). It featured a good bit of citrus with a bit of an effervescent, tart finish, while remaining crisp. Nice and light this would be a great deck wine and was the favorite of my wife’s friend Marisa (she’s not on Twitter or I’d share her login).

Next up was the Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc, also from the Casablanca Valley (SRP $17.00). With a bit of pepper on both the nose and the palate – there was debate if it was bell pepper or jalepeno – I found it more enjoyable than the first wine, only because I could see pairing it with food better.

Our third wine of the evening was the Undurraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $15.99 – 16.99). A combination of grapefruit and melon on the nose lead into apple flavors, with us debating the type (I settled on Granny Smith, others were saying Gala and Fuji).

Our forth wine was actually the least favorite of the entire group. The Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $21.99) had a smell that my friend Pedro best described as “new leather shoe” which wouldn’t have been bad in a robust red wine, but was fairly off-putting in a white, particularly a Sauvignon Blanc. With a flavor that reminded us of sherry more than anything, we weren’t a huge fan of this one. (Author’s note: I’ve been contacted about this wine as there was some bottle variation amongst the bloggers on this one. We’re all being sent new bottles to review and I’ll write up a separate review of this wine to either confirm or refute my thoughts here after it arrives.)

The fifth wine of the night was the Santa Rita Medalla Real Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $19.99). Light in color the nose reminded me of celery more than anything, though others said they got tomato vine for the nose. With a flavor of grapefruit rind it was a step up from the previous wine, but still not a favorite.

The sixth wine was the Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc from the San Antonio Valley (SRP $13.00). An organic wine, this one also featured what I called a celery nose, but it was much more subtle and quickly lead into a good citrus flavor that was refreshing. This was the hands down favorite of the group and was quickly gone after the tasting was over.

Our seventh wine was the Haras de Pirque Sauvignon Blanc from the Maipo Valley (SRP $12.00). It reminded me of the first wine we sampled, but not quite as enjoyable, with grapefruit and other citrus flavors.

Finally, our eighth wine of the night was the Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc from the Colchagua Valley (SRP $22.99). Crisp with a nose of bell pepper and grapefruit flavors and a hint of effervescence. My only complaint with this wine was that we all agreed it was a bit overpriced.

I want to give a special thanks to Wines of Chile for including not just myself, but my friends, and other wine bloggers in this event. I look forward to the next one, and if any of my readers have questions about any of these wines, feel free to ask me – I have packets of information on each one that I’m happy to share.

Carma Colchagua Valley Estate Carmenere 2007

George — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:45 +0000

Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chile
Cost: $19.50

Deep purple in color with aromas of fresh raspberries, mulberries, cherry, herb, and roasted coffee beans. Fruit, spice, and dark chocolate on the palate. Pairs well with steak, chicken, veal, duck, lamb, lighter food, or by itself.

Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been on a bit of Carmenere kick ever since I participated in a blogger tasting for Wines of Chile back in November that featured a lot of Carmenere, so I was rather happy when the International Wine of the Month Club sent me a bottle of Carmenere that I had yet to try. It’s all about expanding horizons.

I picked up some notes of raspberry and cherry on the nose, and I certainly got some spice in the mouth, but I was surprised by how much more mellow this wine was than what I was expecting. Carmenere I’ve had in the past had a distinct bell pepper finish that I found quite enjoyable, and while it started to come through a bit more towards the end of the bottle, after it’d had even more time to open up than I initially gave it, this Carmenere doesn’t feature that in your face flavor that I was expecting.

Now, just because the wine wasn’t what I was expecting, doesn’t mean it wasn’t good – the more subtle, medium-bodied flavors made this wine ideal for just sipping by itself without the need to pair it with something as I’ve felt compelled with other Carmenere.

If you’re new to Carmenere, or you’re not a big fan of the bell pepper flavor, this is probably the Carmenere for you. It’s great by itself, and the subtle flavors will allow it to pair with a range of foods. Definitely a good value buy and one I would certainly recommend for any fan of Chilean wines.

Pepperwood Groves Pinot Noir 2007

George — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:00:29 +0000

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Chile
Cost: $10

Light to medium red in the glass with aromas of red berry, spice, and black cherry. Light on the palate with flavors of berry that will pair well with turkey.

Recommendations: I had been hearing good things about Pinot Noir from Chile, and given my love of Pinot Noir in general, I picked up this bottle while restocking my wine cellar, recently opening it while relaxing at home with my wife and parents.

Light, garnet color in the glass gave me an idea of what to expect once I tasted it, and I wasn’t surprised. Light on the palate with flavors of berry and a very subtle tanninc finish, the wine was a nice pairing for the cheese and crackers that we had out to munch on while relaxing after a light dinner out.

I would be interested to pair this wine with a turkey dinner, but I almost feel like it would be overwhelmed by a more robust meal. That being said, it’s a good value for anybody looking for a Pinot Noir to keep around simply for sipping on, and its subtle flavors make it good for enjoying without food.

Worth checking out, but don’t fool yourself into believing that there aren’t better Pinot’s out there for about the same price that will be a bit more versatile.

Root:1 Carmenere 2007

George — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:00:49 +0000

Varietal: Carmenere (75% Carmenere; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Syrah)
Region: Chile
Cost: $13

Deep red in color with gentle and silky tannins and rich flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice. Pair with pasta, grilled meats, spicy entrees, eggplant, or bell peppers.

Recommendations: I’ve been a fan of Root:1 wines for a while, regularly keeping their Sauvignon Blanc on hand. While restocking our wine cellar after the rampant snow we’ve had here in Virginia, my wife and I found a bottle of Carmenere from Root:1 and were quick to grab it.

Paired with a dinner of baked herb chicken and garlic green beans, we were soon ignoring the meal to focus on the wine. Beautifully dark red with aromas of berry and green bell peppers, the spice and bell pepper on the palate are amazing, and reminded me of the Viu Manent Carmenere that I enjoyed during the Wines of Chile Blogger tasting, though the flavors of bell pepper were much more mellow – which was not a bad thing.

The best part of the wine was that the more it was allowed to open up, the better the flavors of bell pepper became, easily masking the high alcohol content (14%), something that I appreciated. If you’ve never had Carmenere before I highly recommend that you try it, and the Root:1 is a great place to start.

Not only do I recommend this wine, but I expect to be picking up more of it very soon.