Water into Wino

A Duo of Non-Chilean Carmenere

Wines made from the Carmenere grape have always been fun for me. It’s one of the first grapes that I became obsessed with that no one else in my circle of drinking buddies knew anything about. It seems like I never got sick of throwing down ten bucks for a rich, fruity, spicy wine that outshined other bottles at twice the price.

With time and a more developed palate come downsides and my appreciation of most cheap Carmenere has diminished as I generally prefer wines with more acidity. I’m noticing overripe flavors more these days and generally bulk made wines are as exciting as drinking Coors Light or Bud. I know there is outstanding Chilean Carmenere in the $20-$40 price range but hey, there’s a ton of great wine around the world in that price range, so I don’t often taste at that price point.

Luckily a few bottles made their way into my possession that renewed my curiosity in Bordeaux’s forgotten grape. First off I found a bottle of Inama Carmenere Piu 2006 from the Veneto Region of Italy at Vino Aroma in Williamsville NY. Only a few days later my friends from Long Island surprised me with a bottle of Osprey’s Dominion Carmenere 2007, which is, the only New York State grown Carmenere I know of.

I recently opened up both of these bottles back to back and was blown away by the differences among them and overall when compared to Chilean Carmenere.

The Osprey’s Carmenere had a familiar tone that I got with Long Island reds and this winery specifically; that is a tight core of fruit with fresh acidity and a gentle rusticity. The blackberry aromas were pure and spicy with hints of black cherry and tobacco. There was a polished feel to this wine that gave it a universal appeal while making the case that Carmenere can work as well as Cabernet Franc on Long Island, especially in warm years like 2007.

The Inama Carmenere Piu 2006 was a different wine entirely. On the nose it showed much more funk and chocolate notes with its fruit presence of plum and black currant taking a back seat to the barnyard, smoke and tar aromas. The mouth feel was simply stunning with rustic tannins and smooth acidity that filled out the palate while sticking around long enough to leave a delicate chocolate tootsie roll meets black fruit finish.

Fruit loving drinkers will appreciate the Osprey’s for its pure fruit and luxurious structure while those that seek rustic more eccentric flavors may find the Inama to be just what they are looking for. Personally, I loved both for their original take on the grape. Both went beyond the jammy overripe traits I often find in lower priced versions. I’d love to get these wines together again and pour them with Chilean versions in the same price range and see how they go over as it looks like I’m not anywhere near done being excited about this grape.

Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2008

Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2008
Central Valley, Chile ($8)

I’ve put down plenty of carmenere. When I need to find a big ripe and juicy red for under ten bucks I know I can count on Chile’s national grape. I’m all about the spice and bell pepper I often get and I dig the ripe dark fruit.

When I bought this bottle of Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2008 I was not expecting to be blown away but was anticipating a solid red to warm me up. I’ve had earlier vintages and been satisfied in this ultra low price point. I can usually count on Concha Y Toro, Calina Reserva and this 120 to deliver.

It turns out I either grew out of this wine or this was an off vintage because I wasn’t very satisfied with this wine. Simply put…it was soupy. The pepper and plum aromas were pleasant enough but the mouth feel lacked acidity. Made me think of Rachel Ray’s “thicker than a soup but thinner than a stew” bit from 30 Minute Meals.

Now I may have just grown accustomed to my cool climate wines, and as a more experienced wine drinker these days, I need that balance that acidity offers. Even for $7 I won’t be buying this particular wine again any time soon, but I will be drinking more Carmenere looking for those good buys under $10. That being said I’m sure a bottle like this would go over extremely with party guests and crowds who tend to like juicy mouth filling reds.

Calina Carmenere Reserve 2004

Calina Carmenere Reserve 2004
Chile, Maule Valley ($6)

I'm constantly trying new wines with the hopes of finding affordable table wines that I can open and not feel guilty over any night of the week. While trying to save the pricier bottles for the weekend, I've found one wine that never lets me down. With all the buzz about the unbeatable deals coming from Chile these days, it's not a surprise that I've been drinking a $6 Carmenere like it's going out of style. Turns out the more Carmenere I buy at the $12-$15 range, the more I appreciate the $6-$8 ones as they are far more food friendly.

Vina Calina is a rather large winery owned by Kendall-Jackson with vineyards in several regions of Chile. The Carmenere Reserve is from the Maule Valley, but they also grow their Cabernets in the Colchagua Valley. In fact his bottle is 80% Carmenere, 11% Cabernet (Maule), and another 9% Cabernet (Colchagua) grapes. It spends 9 months in French and American oak, contains 13.5% alcohol, and the production was 11,500 cases.

Deep purple color. Aromas of black fruits, spice, and perhaps a touch of leather. Full bodied and velvety on the palate with ripe plum and black pepper. Easy drinking with a long finish. Every sip reveals a balanced and fairly complex flavor that cannot be matched for the price. I'm pretty much buying up the last case at the liquor store in my neighborhood. My grade: B+

La Playa Carmenere 2001

La Playa Carmenere 2001 Reserve
Chile, Colchagua Valley ($9)

I know some day I'm gonna find a Carmenere under $10 that will make for a good sipping wine as well as a good dinner wine. Out of all them at the store I was in the other day, this one had the most respectable label. Revealing itself to be from the Colchagua Valley this Chilean wine also is listed as an estate reserve. Grown on 10 year old vines, this blend of 90% Carmenere and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in 8 to 12 months in oak and another 2 years in the bottle.

Dark purple color. Aromas of blackberry jam and bitter chocolate. Lush texture and killer legs make this an attractive wine in the glass. Concentrated ripe dark fruits with a little spice on the palate. Sweet gentle tannins add to the experience. The only negative is the short and somewhat bitter finish. I might have felt some heat too. Good food wine and I'll use it in my meat ragu again soon as it is the best Carmenere I've tasted. My grade: B

Solario Carmenere Reserve 2004

Solario Carmenere Reserve 2004
Chile, Maipo Valley ($8)

A few weeks ago I drank a couple $6 Carmenere bottles that weren't all that bad for the price. During the 25% sale at Astor Wines I picked up a couple more from a producer named Solario. It is not unusual that Astor carries wines that you won't find anywhere else. They will simply stock each varietal from that producer as if they got a huge deal on a bulk sale from the winery. Since finding info on the web about these wines are impossible, you kind of have to trust that the buyers there aren't buying crap. Solario produces Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and this Carmenere in Chile. Since Chile is on the map for its Merlot and Carmenere, I assumed this one would be better that the random bottles I drank before.

Dark opaque purple color. Intense aromas of dark berries and peppercorn. Full flavor with some toast from the aging I assume. Blackberry is most recognizable characteristic. Finishes quick yet balanced with some peppery spice. Not bad at all. I must say that this is the second of the two I tried. The first bottle tasted flat and its tannins weren't integrated well. This one tasted remarkably better. I might be inclined to pick up another at the sale price. My grade: B-

A Chilean in search of an identity

During one of my obsessive journeys for more info on Cab Franc I came across a winery that mentioned their older vines consisted of some Carmenere grapes among the Franc. It even mentioned that Carmenere was its "near twin". So apparently Cab Franc has a Spanish speaking twin that is much cheaper and can be found on those dusty untouched shelves of Chilean wine at my local liquor store. The good Dr. Vino lists one among his value picks page made by MontGras. Another internet search claimed that this grape is most similar to Merlot... not as glamorous these days. Who needs glamor when you want a simple dinner wine for those weekday pick me ups? And for under $10 what can it hurt? I'll buy two.

Agustos Carmenere 2001 Chile, Central Valley ($6)

I picked this one first because of the classier label and the 2001 vintage. I assumed the extra 2 years would mellow out the tannins and go with the meal I was having. Inky purple color. Aromas of dark fruit and bell pepper with a dusty almost smoky tinge. Palate consisted of raisins, green tea, and plum. The finish was short but clean. Didn't dry the mouth of give off any heat. I was surprised at the complexity of this wine for the price. It evolved with every glass and was delicious with the chocolate truffles we had for dessert. My grade: B-

Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserve 2003 Chile, Maipo Valley ($6)

This wine had one of those labels I instinctively pass over at the store. Since I knew what I was looking for this time, the only thing that mattered was the varietal. It's labeled as a reserve 2003 from the Maipo Valley, Chile. Slightly darker than the other Carmenere, this one had aromas of leather and tobacco with a little plum. This wine tasted fatter with more ripe fruit flavors of plum and raison. Noticeably more tannic with a longer finish of spice and some heat. Might be better with another year of aging. Once again not bad for the price. My grade: C+

I cannot deny that the price of these wines have influence on the ratings. With appropriate food pairings, I think the average wine drinker would enjoy these as dinner wines. I'll pick up a couple to have on standby for a good stewed meat dish.