South American Wine Guide, Independent Guide to the Best Wines in South America for Visitors to Peru

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South American Wines

An Introduction to the Wines of South America for Visitors to Peru

Red Wine Varieties: CARMENERE

Other Red Wine Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon / Malbec / Merlot / Carmenere / Syrah / Pinot Noir / Cabernet Franc / Bonarda / Tempranillo / Sangiovese / Tannat

CARMENERE
This grape was once widely planted in Bordeaux, but is now associated primarily with Chile. Carmenere, along with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, was imported to Chile around 1850. According to Chilean vintners, Carmenere has been mislabeled for so long that many growers and the Chilean government now consider it Merlot.

Carménère wine has a deep red color and aromas found in red fruits, spices and berries.[1] The tannins are gentler and softer than those in Cabernet Sauvignon and it is a medium body wine.[8] Although mostly used as a blending grape, wineries do bottle a pure varietal Carménère which, when produced from grapes at optimal ripeness, imparts a cherry-like, fruity flavor with smokey, spicy and earthy notes and a deep crimson color. Its taste might also be reminiscent of dark chocolate, tobacco, and leather. The wine is best drunk young.[2

Carmenére: Also known as the Grande Vidure grape, this grape was best known for its use in Medoc wines. While some thought this grape had been destroyed by phylloxera, cuttings were taken to Chile in the mid-nineteenth century, where phylloxera has not arrived yet. The grape is known for problems with coloure and oidium, and produces low yields.

Carmenère - Chile's distinctive offering
http://www.southamericanwinesonline.co.uk/page.asp?id=carm

Chile’s signature grape, Carmenère (sometimes spelled carménère or carmenere), is the “lost grape of Bordeaux.”

The Carmenère grape is member of the Cabernet family of grapes and was widely planted in Bordeaux before phylloxera devastated European vineyards in the late 1800s. It was known to be a difficult grape to grow in Bordeaux, since it needed more heat to ripen than other Bordeaux grapes and was prone to catch coulure, a disease that caused the grapes to drop before they were ripe for harvest.

Despite its repute for producing excellent wine, because it was so low yielding, it was not replanted in any significant quantities in Bordeaux after phylloxera.

Fast-forward to the early 1990s when French scientists visiting Chile were curious about the appearance and character of Chilean Merlot. Further studies revealed that in fact much of the Merlot planted in Chile was actually Carmenère, originating most likely from cuttings brought over in the mid-19th century. In 1998 the Chilean Department of Agriculture officially recognised Carmenère as a distinct variety.

Chile’s warm climate, long growing season, and fertile soils are ideal for this unique grape and it has adapted well in the 150 years since its replanting. It is typically harvested several weeks later than Merlot, and the range of its flavour and versatility is suddenly being appreciated.

Once only blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it is now enjoying an existence of its own, with a wide range of flavours, from green pepper to blackberry to chocolate, and textures that are entirely distinctive from one vineyard to the next

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South American Wines - An Independent Guide to the some of the Best Wines from Peru, Argentina & Chile.