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EP 822 Chilean Carmenere Tasting

Gary introduces a grape that’s made a splash in Chile and brings some great value to the table.

Wines tasted in this episode:

Vina Chocalan Carmenere 2008Chile Carmenere
2008 Tamaya CarmenereChile Carmenere
2006 Vina San Pedro 1865 CarmenereChile Carmenere


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AndersN

Wrong video for this caption….its 821 showing Mott 🙂

Tags: Carmenere, Chilean, red, review, wine, wines

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  • nitaT

    QOTD: dont think Ive had it. im usually not a big fan of that area but worth a try i guess.

    short show?!?!?!? sometimes you just have to say what you have to say and thats it. maybe ill watch the show with your dad from this week again.

  • Short term memory as well, eh? Look down. That's Ok with me. ; )

    Just enjoy them. That's what they're all about. Well Life as well, eh?

    ; )

    Rock on!

  • QOTD: I've had around ten, but I have to say that I almost always like 50-50 Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon blends better.

    Solid week, it's been old-school. I love that tried-and-true format where you just pick a topic and drop some knowledge about it in 10-15 minutes. Also I'm liking this new commenting system, I will try to mix it up in here more often from now on.

  • Watch out It's EXPENSIVE!!!!

    Keep it a couple of years, please!!!!

    Well what the hell, we only live once,,,, Right?

  • Thanks Man! I Think it's Great QPR!!!!! Maybe a bit one-dimensional, but it's tastes great. Don't make wine into something it isn't… OK?

    I know you won't… But, let's just enjoy life, while we can, right?

  • Nice, short episode…

    QOTD: First heard and tried Carmenere at Chalk Hill winery in Sonoma, Summer of 2008. They had a 2005 Cab-Carm blend (a la Medoc) and it was very nice… purchased a bottle and is laying down for another 4-5 years…

  • rootstock

    I've had two. Both were good. The one that was not Concha Y Toro was over oaked. Forgot the name. Sorry. PJ's in the Heights sells a ton of the stuff.

  • vankula

    QOTD: Only had 2-3 maybe. Love the 2006 Concha y Toro Carménère Terrunyo Peumo Vineyard Block 27 and have 9-10 bottles left in the cellar. Yes, trying to sound cool 😉

  • That's cool my Man!!! Keep on to them…. My prediction is that they will last 10-15+ years. So no need to drink them right now…………………….
    ******** Pause***************

    Rock on ; )

    Cool, Love Terrunyo myself

  • saraleib

    LOVE LOVE LOVE the concha y toro carmenere. GREAT with lamb, best $8 bottle I know of…great buy at trader joes'…

  • Wow, all this love for the el cheapo Concha Y Torro's Castillo De Diablo Carmenere….last time I had it it was so freakin oaky I couldn't drink it. Maybe that bottle just had a wood chip in it 😉 Guess I'll try it again…maybe tonight!

  • This is too easy….. Or maybe a bit too much Woody Allen?? ?? ?? ; )

  • Try others, PLEASE!!! ; )

    Well, as long as it makes you happy!

  • drt999

    QOTD — had a few back 7-15 years ago, but nothing recently. Back then, they didn't thrill me, even at low price points

  • mattgmann

    qotd; I actually had carmenere for the first time on a trip to Chile a few years ago. I went on bit of a fishing walkabout through patagonia for a few weeks, and carmenere kept popping up. I went on a big chilean wine binge after I returned, and in all honesty have been burned out on carmeneres for quite a while. I find they're hit or miss, and to me are best blended instead of a straight varietal. I also tend to compare carmenere to cab franc.

    Montes makes a cab/carmenere blend (~$15)that I liked very much in the '05 vintage, but the '06 didn't do it for me. I haven't tried the '07.

    The last carmenere I had was a Santa Rita Reserva '07 a few weeks ago. Not a bad effort, but very tight tannins and too much oak. I think thats my problem with a lot of the carmeneres I've had. The tannins tend to be too strong, and in general are oaked more than I care for.

  • Carmenere is great, and great valued wines…as is so often the case from our Latin American compadres. I'm so glad you did the Cabernet Franc call out comparison on the Carmeneres! Damn, that was some serious accidental alliteration.

    I always think they taste like a little weekend tryst between Cabernet Franc and Malbec…little old world, little new world, rolling around between the sheets. Good stuff. I've had a dozen or so, mostly because I hang out at a local wine shop at opportune times.

  • missatiejacket

    nice episode, thanks. I have had several Chilean carmeneres. I haven't liked any of what I've had. The ones I have had all tasted underripe to me. I seem to get a lot of greenness (green bell pepper, jalapeno) with awkward spice and smoke character. A little of any of those can be fine, but when they're all together without much fruit and the greenness is quite pronounced, I am not happy.

    Gary, I know you like green flavors in wine, but don't you think that some of the wines you enjoy for those qualities are made with underripe or overcropped grapes? Not that that has to be a problem for you if you like it, but don't you think that says something about the overall quality of such a wine?

  • I agree paryb…they should rename their wines Cronky Y Oaky

  • eduardobrito

    Hi Gary, first coment from me. Here in Brazil we drink a lot of Carmenere from Chile since chilean wines are more available and have better QPR than most of the others that are imported to this country. I love a Carmenere called El Huique and would like yuo to try it an say what you think. I think it is great for the price.
    Thanks
    Eduardo

  • I don't agree with you.

    I have never experienced any greenness with any Carmenere wine i've ever had. Just fruity-bomb-like-awesomenss. Can't follow you there, i don't think Gary would either? ? = ; )

    It's not old world OK….!

  • D_Rod

    QOTD: 1. The Calina Carmenere. It was cheap and good. A nice combination.

  • D_Rod

    P.S. You werent excited about wine #3 but you gave it an 85? You going soft on us GV?

  • Yes, I've had a couple Carmenere. I like them. I like how they can have the bell pepper flavors mixed with the chocolate.

  • You've got to be a jerk not to like Carmenere….. Nuff Said!

    Where is Gary V & my beaten friend Carlo???

    Come on Mr. V, let's Disqus it!!!

  • mikeyworld

    Meh – find the green pepper thing a common enough trait in Chilean Carmenere – particularly Chocolan (and some Languedoc reds, strangely) – no likey. LOVIN the show tho

  • CBone

    I don't think I've ever had one. Huh. Homework!

  • troytee

    QOTD- Apaltagua Envero Carmenere 2006 is the one I've most recently liked a lot. Taste many Carmeneres but they are a hard sell. I love the slight “green” flavors in these wines. The Chocolate-Jalapeno combo was the highlight.

  • FingerLakesRVResort

    Only had one last year, a 2006 Vina Santa Rita Reserva. It was a solid bottle for 10 bones and similar fllavor profile to the frst 2 wines you tasted, some greeness with red fruit, leather and tobacco.

  • Had a couple (prob 2 or 3) before. Like it a lot, esp for the price and QPR!
    http://bonappyall.blogspot.com/

  • zHeadless

    I've had a few Carménères (Guess I cheated though, I went to a Chile wine tasting in Monteal last october and tasted about 120 different Chilean wines, the Chocalan is one that I have enjoyed but the greenness turns me off, it doesn't seem as refined as say a good Chinon from Baudry.

    Although if you enjoy Chocalan's products, you should definitely check out their Gran Reserva Blend which I simply fell in love with!

  • Phredd3

    Never had single-grape wine made from carmenere. Had it in several blends, though, including one that was about half carmenere.

  • Phredd3

    I'm telling you, that 4-year anniversary show needs to be favorited up. It's a classic vintage.

  • I think I have yet to try a carmenere, but so far not a huge fan of low price chilean wines

  • Meh,

    QOTD: I have a few cameneres even one from the PNW that was decent, bad qpr though.

  • “My heart is cryin' cryin' lonely teardrops, my pillow don't ever dries…….”

  • TommyB

    Its a strange varietal; I 've had a few and am still a little on the fence. You do commonly get quite a green nose on these wines in my experience, and they are very dry and sometimes quite tannic. My mum likes them though! They are cheap in the UK as well but maybe over here you get what you pay for – I think I need to spend a few more bucks to get the true Carmenere experience.

  • Never had a Carmenere. Might look for one this weekend.

  • adrums

    The Concha y Toro Peumo block 27 has been very enjoyable to my palate over the last few vintages…

  • Thanks for joining the cool pack! It ROCKS!!!!!

  • Do It! Go Wild! ; )

  • QOTD: Not only have I yet to try a Carmenere, I have never knowingly had a Chilean wine at all. So much wine, so little spending money!

  • Soo sad man, Rob a bank! ; )

  • jenna35

    how awesome would a t-shirt be that had a picture of a jalapeño and a piece of chocolate with speech bubbles saying hola chocolate and hello jalapeño pepper!

  • Anonymous

    Really?? You’re that pissed because I disagree with you? I didn’t say I hate carmenere, I just posted my opinions about it. I didn’t attack you. WTF? You need to go pull the cork out of your ass and cool down internet tough-guy.

  • Vinny

    QOTD – I have tried a few Carmeneres – maybe 6-8. I like some of the unique flavors they deliver but I have found some of them to be “strange” – with either excessive greenness, barnyard flavors or super-heavy-oak treatment. I would love to really taste a lot of Carmenere at different price points and see what's up. It's the only variety from Chile that I'm currently interested in drinking.

  • robrx

    QOTD-I have never intentionally had an unblended carmenere outside wine tastings.

  • Cool. LOL!

    Wicked!

  • tooch

    Haven't drank much carmenere at all Gary. So many good wines out there, I'm having trouble expanding out to regions and varietals such as these.

  • scotty b

    Standard episode. Still on a high from Sasha though.

    QOTD: Only one Carmenere from Hope & Grace in Napa. It was solid.

  • tooch

    robbing a bank is one option, robbing a wine shop might be easier.

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