{"id":5003,"date":"2024-04-15T17:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/?p=5003"},"modified":"2024-05-01T14:19:13","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T21:19:13","slug":"carmenere-greater-than-ever-and-still-undervalued","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/carmenere-greater-than-ever-and-still-undervalued\/","title":{"rendered":"Carmen\u00e8re: Greater Than Ever and Still Undervalued"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red<\/a>Carmen\u00e8re, one of Bordeaux\u2019s oldest grape varietals and Chile\u2019s emblematic grape, continues to outperform its South American rivals. However, it rarely receives the recognition in North America that it deserves and remains undervalued, which makes it a boon to savvy consumers. Of all South American wines, Carmen\u00e8re clearly stands out as the most distinctive and enjoyable, especially when consumed in the first five years of life, which is when the vast majority of all wines are consumed. Even more impressive, well-made Carmen\u00e8res age gracefully to perfection for up to a decade or more in bottle. Increasingly, critics and writers sing the praises of Carmen\u00e8re, especially from top producers such as Casa Silva, Casas del Bosque, Carmen, and Errazuriz, and every time we serve a Carmen\u00e8re at a tasting or share it with friends, it\u2019s a hit with red wine drinkers, both young and old. When asked why they don\u2019t drink more Carmen\u00e8re, the usual retorts still sound something like these: \u201cI didn\u2019t know what it was\u201d or \u201cI never had one before, so I was afraid to try it.\u201d Adam should have exercised a bit more caution when handed the apple, but when it comes to wine, we implore you to be more adventuresome, courageous, even audacious!<\/p>\n

Why hasn\u2019t Carmen\u00e8re taken the wine world by storm? For one, Carmen\u00e8re is close to being the missing link of Bordeaux varietals, and it has only been since the 1980\u2019s that DNA testing ascertained that Chile\u2019s distinctive red grape is indeed Carmen\u00e8re. Carmen\u00e8re\u2019s origins go back many centuries, and it is still one of the six legal red Bordeaux grape varietals for Classified Bordeaux. Carmen\u00e8re, like Malbec, figured prominently in Bordeaux until the advent of phylloxera in the 19th<\/sup> century. However, post phylloxera, the prolific, earlier ripening Merlot became Bordeaux\u2019s dominant varietal followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Brought to Chile in the 19th<\/sup> century before the dreaded vine disease, phylloxera, Carmen\u00e8re was mistaken for a clone of Merlot until the 1980\u2019s. This surely accounts for Carmen\u00e8re languishing for so long in relative obscurity, though it\u2019s hard to believe that one of Bordeaux\u2019s six legal red grape varietals could be misidentified for so long; but then the truth is nearly always stranger than fiction. Political and economic instability in Chile until the 1990\u2019s is another reason Carmen\u00e8re is a relative late comer to our shores. Lastly, some of the first Carmen\u00e8re wines sent to the US were under-ripe and not all indicative of what this premium grape is capable of being.<\/p>\n

So, what does Carmen\u00e8re have going for it? Plenty! Let\u2019s start with Carmen\u00e8re\u2019s deep purple color, followed by a hedonistic aroma: savory red and black fruit flavors, deft touches of bell pepper, black pepper, dark chocolate, coffee and spice. But, best of all, Carmen\u00e8re\u2019s tannins are smoother than those of Cabernet Sauvignon and its Bordeaux compatriots. Most of all, people enjoy it, especially after it\u2019s had a few minutes to breathe. The only caveat with Carmen\u00e8re is this: never judge a Carmen\u00e8re on first sip. Any good Carmen\u00e8re needs at least a few minutes of aeration to undergo metamorphosis and blossom in the glass. Yet, one doesn\u2019t have to wait years to enjoy this varietal. Just allow Carmen\u00e8re a little time in the glass to collect itself, and enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carmen\u00e8re, one of Bordeaux\u2019s oldest grape varietals and Chile\u2019s emblematic grape, continues to outperform its South American rivals. However, it rarely receives the recognition in North America that it deserves and remains undervalued, which makes it a boon to savvy consumers. Of all South American wines, Carmen\u00e8re clearly stands out as the most distinctive and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[7,9,11,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCarmen\u00e8re: Greater Than Ever and Still Undervalued | Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Carmen\u00e8re, one of Bordeaux\u2019s oldest grape varietals and Chile\u2019s emblematic grape, continues to outperform its South American rivals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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