Carmenere

Carmenère is a fascinating red grape variety from Chile that was long confused with Merlot. The vine originally comes from Bordeaux, but achieved its greatest fame in Chile, where it is now regarded as the country's “national grape”. The berries are small to medium-sized, round and have a thick, dark-blue skin. This provides intense colour pigments, protects the berries against disease and gives the wine a deep ruby-red colour.

Carmenère thrives best in moderate to warm climates. Its modern home is in Chile's sunny, dry valleys. There the vines benefit from warm days and cool nights, which promote fruit ripeness while preserving natural acidity. Conditions in the Central Valley and Colchagua are particularly favourable: long growing seasons allow the berries to ripen fully and help prevent the green, vegetal notes that can occur when the grapes are harvested too early.

In the glass, Carmenère displays an unmistakable aromatic spectrum. Typical notes include blackcurrant, blackberry, plum and cherry, accompanied by spicy accents of green pepper, black pepper, cocoa and tobacco. Hints of dark chocolate, coffee or herbs are also common. Natural acidity is moderate to low, giving the wine a soft, accessible structure. Body ranges from medium to full, always supported by velvety, ripe tannins. These provide pleasant richness and make Carmenère particularly harmonious and rounded.

The influence of terroir is especially noticeable: cooler Andean sites produce wines with greater freshness, structure and spice, while Carmenère from warmer river valleys is often softer, riper and more fruit-driven. Mineral soils and large day-night temperature differences provide balance and complexity.