I became a fan of Carmenere wines when first introduced to them, most likely via Alex Guarachi of Guarachi Wine Partners when his distribution company was formerly known as TGIC – Thank God it’s Chilean – a decade or more ago. The grape is one of the noble Bordeaux grape varieties and made especially well in the Chilean terroir, in my humble opinion. Today I share my tasting notes of three from the recent 2016 vintage.
Photo of Carmenere grapes from Wine.com
Marques de Casa Concha 2016: SRP $25
Color: Dark purple opaque in color.
Aromas: boysenberry, sweet plums, blackberry, blueberry, stems, mild spice, cigar, coffee grounds, rich.
Taste: big and jammy, spicy, blue to black fruit, tobacco, oak, dark chocolate, espresso.
90 Eve pts.
Casillero del Diablo Reserva 2016: SRP $11
Color: Deep purple.
Aromas: blueberry, blackberry, milk chocolate, coffee, black pepper, balanced.
Taste: tart, bright red fruit but dark fruit and tannins on the back palate that delivered a nice medium length finish.
87 Eve pts.
Serie Riberas Gran Reserva 2016: SRP $17
Color: Purple, dark edge
Aromas: red, blue and black fruit, cloves, mint, black tea, pepper.
Taste: dark and tannic, predominant black fruit, dusty and spicy.
89 Eve pts.
Carmenere Over The Years (Abbreviated facts from Distributor)
Ancient grape variety from Médoc region of France, where it rarely played more than a walk-on role in the pre-Phylloxera (i.e. pre-1867) Bordeaux blend. Possibly a clone of Cabernet Sauvignon (debatable). Prone to coulure (prevents vine buds from flowering) in Bordeaux’s damp, old spring climate; hence, Bordeaux growers opted not to replant in the post-Phylloxera era.
Rediscovered in Chile in 1994 by visiting French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot who, noting the unusual length of time certain portions of Chilean Merlot took to mature, deduced that those vines were in fact Carmenere. It’s thought that Carmenere cuttings from Bordeaux were introduced in Chile in the 1900s and quickly confused with Merlot.
Chile’s long, dry growing season has proven far more conducive to quality, stand-alone Carmenere than Bordeaux’s Médoc, with its damp, chilly spring and early-autumn rains. South of Santiago, Chile’s Cachapoal region and the Peumo area in particular produce the country’s finest Carmenere — a super-finicky grape when it comes to terroir. Carmenere requires a long growing season: in Chile, Merlot is harvested in early March; Cabernet Sauvignon in mid-April; Carmenere, however, is best left on the vine until mid-May.
As its name suggests, Carmenere has a high natural color index, resulting in a crimson-red wine, but it’s equally likely the name refers to the carmine-red foliage of Carmenere vines in the fall.
At its best, a Carmenere is silky, dense, juicy even, with barely perceptible tannins, which is why it was and still often is used to counterbalance other varieties with harder tannins.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
Approximately 20 million bottles of the 2019 Prosecco DOC Rosé were produced, with 15-20% distributed in Italy. The balance has begun export to leading foreign markets, such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, East Asia, France, and the Nordic countries. There are between 40 and 50 million bottles of the 2020 vintage of Prosecco DOC Rosé in production and set to be released in January of 2021.
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Convinced that Quintessa had all the quality elements as an estate to be a true Napa Valley classic, the only thing missing was an understanding of the wine’s capacity to age and improve with time. So in the summer of 2012, shortly after bottling the 2010 vintage, proprietors Agustin and Valeria Huneeus decided to set aside a limited number of bottles of the 2010 vintage to rest undisturbed in perfect conditions without leaving the estate.
Please join us for a special virtual tasting led by Philippe Rolet, Estate Manager of 
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Starting with Ampelos we met with Matt, a “cellar rat” at the winery and tasting room staffer. We went through their current lineup of wines to taste, but only after first noting the unique tasting notes done by their marketing director. Instead of the usual aromas and flavors, these tasting notes also called up more memories, or visions, of where each wine could take you. For example, the 2019 Santa Barbara County Viognier was described as, “The click clack of rails, puffs of jasmine glinted steam, the sneaky smile of a Mandarin orange sun. Teak wood bar, juicy pineapple rings, shaved coconut flesh, the sway of palm trees passing quickly by. A new day swaggers through the lounge car with unlimited possibilities while I ride alongside ‘phi’ the ‘golden girl’ of my dreams.” These kind of tasting notes, albeit not for everyone, makes the writer in me want to strive much harder. It’s boring to read, “jasmine, orange, teak, pineapple” alone. Now, moving on and back to the tasting, and my tasting notes, I found the fruit in the Viognier to be fresh with a lovely mouthfeel. A great start to our tasting.
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New this year, Appellation Collection loyalists and buyers will also have the chance to meet the vintners and winemakers through a series of interactive virtual tastings, giving Cabernet Sauvignon enthusiasts the chance to learn more about the nuances of each prestigious wine. Reservations for the tastings, which will be hosted at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Friday afternoons in November and December, can be made at 
Owners Jim and Jeff Carter, 25-year Temecula vineyard proprietors, received a certificate of recognition on behalf of State Senator Melissa Melendez of the 28thDistrict for “going far beyond the call of duty and doing more than others expect by displaying outstanding hospitality and service to visitors and members in our community.” They also received an awards plaque from Visit Temecula Valley.