Carmen
Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Carmenère
Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Central Valley, Chile
Carmen — Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Carménère 2024
Colchagua Valley, Chile 🇨🇱
Overview:
100% Carménère. A step up in precision and refinement, labeled as Single Vineyard. This vintage elevates the style with greater clarity, structure, and a more polished finish.
Aromas & Flavors:
Ripe blackberries, cassis, and dark plum, layered with baking spices, cocoa, and tobacco. Subtle herbal tones remain present but better integrated, adding complexity without dominating.
Mouthfeel:
Full-bodied yet more defined and structured than the 2022. Silky tannins, excellent balance, and a longer, more refined finish that lingers with elegance.
Food Pairings:
Grilled steak, braised short ribs, roasted eggplant, or aged cheeses. Handles richer dishes effortlessly.
Verdict:
The standout of the two. More composed, more complete, and more refined, this vintage shows the next level of Carménère with finesse and depth.
Did You Know?
Chile holds the largest plantings of Carménère in the world today, transforming what was once a nearly extinct Bordeaux grape into a national icon.
🍷 Personal Pick:
2024 takes the crown, better structure, cleaner finish, and overall a more elevated expression. Cheers!
Carmen — Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Carménère 2024
Colchagua Valley, Chile 🇨🇱
Overview:
100% Carménère. A step up in precision and refinement, labeled as Single Vineyard. This vintage elevates the style with greater clarity, structure, and a more polished finish.
Aromas & Flavors:
Ripe blackberries, cassis, and dark plum, layered with baking spices, cocoa, and tobacco. Subtle herbal tones remain present but better integrated, adding complexity without dominating.
Mouthfeel:
Full-bodied yet more defined and structured than the 2022. Silky tannins, excellent balance, and a longer, more refined finish that lingers with elegance.
Food Pairings:
Grilled steak, braised short ribs, roasted eggplant, or aged cheeses. Handles richer dishes effortlessly.
Verdict:
The standout of the two. More composed, more complete, and more refined, this vintage shows the next level of Carménère with finesse and depth.
Did You Know?
Chile holds the largest plantings of Carménère in the world today, transforming what was once a nearly extinct Bordeaux grape into a national icon.
🍷 Personal Pick:
2024 takes the crown, better structure, cleaner finish, and overall a more elevated expression. Cheers!
Carmen — Gran Reserva Carménère 2022
Colchagua Valley, Chile 🇨🇱
Overview:
100% Carménère from Colchagua Valley. A classic expression of Chile’s flagship grape, showing richness, spice, and balance. While often associated with Apalta sourcing, this vintage is best presented at the broader Colchagua level for accuracy.
Aromas & Flavors:
Ripe blackberries, plums, and dark cherries lead the profile. Layers of sweet spices, tobacco leaf, and subtle herbal notes (green peppercorn, paprika) add depth and varietal identity.
Mouthfeel:
Medium to full-bodied with smooth, rounded tannins. Plush texture with balanced acidity keeping it fresh. Long, savory finish with lingering spice and dark fruit.
Food Pairings:
Grilled meats, roasted vegetables, herb-marinated lamb, or smoky dishes. Also great as a standalone sipper.
Verdict:
A polished and expressive Carménère that delivers excellent value. True to style, crowd-pleasing, and versatile.
🍷 Did You Know?
Carménère was long mistaken for Merlot in Chile until DNA testing in 1994 revealed its true identity as a lost Bordeaux variety, now fully embraced as Chile’s signature grape.
Carmen — Gran Reserva Carménère 2022
Colchagua Valley, Chile 🇨🇱
Overview:
100% Carménère from Colchagua Valley. A classic expression of Chile’s flagship grape, showing richness, spice, and balance. While often associated with Apalta sourcing, this vintage is best presented at the broader Colchagua level for accuracy.
Aromas & Flavors:
Ripe blackberries, plums, and dark cherries lead the profile. Layers of sweet spices, tobacco leaf, and subtle herbal notes (green peppercorn, paprika) add depth and varietal identity.
Mouthfeel:
Medium to full-bodied with smooth, rounded tannins. Plush texture with balanced acidity keeping it fresh. Long, savory finish with lingering spice and dark fruit.
Food Pairings:
Grilled meats, roasted vegetables, herb-marinated lamb, or smoky dishes. Also great as a standalone sipper.
Verdict:
A polished and expressive Carménère that delivers excellent value. True to style, crowd-pleasing, and versatile.
🍷 Did You Know?
Carménère was long mistaken for Merlot in Chile until DNA testing in 1994 revealed its true identity as a lost Bordeaux variety, now fully embraced as Chile’s signature grape.
We have been on a Carmenere kick lately and love this one. A calmer version with green pepper and plum notes. A bit dryer than some but with a lovely finish.
We have been on a Carmenere kick lately and love this one. A calmer version with green pepper and plum notes. A bit dryer than some but with a lovely finish.
Mar 29th, 2025
Could taste pomegranate and the spiced mulberry, loved it
Could taste pomegranate and the spiced mulberry, loved it
Dec 27th, 2024
This one is a knockout, especially at the price. Lovely on the nose and the palate. Dark plum, paprika, dark herbs maybe toward horehound. Some spice, a bit of green pepper, and some raspberry -it lingers on the palate at length. Quite uniquely beautiful.
This one is a knockout, especially at the price. Lovely on the nose and the palate. Dark plum, paprika, dark herbs maybe toward horehound. Some spice, a bit of green pepper, and some raspberry -it lingers on the palate at length. Quite uniquely beautiful.
Oct 11th, 2024Rich tannins on the nose, Maybe some minerality?
Medium bodied, with a lingering finish ending in toasted berry.
Not as good and spicy as the 2018
Rich tannins on the nose, Maybe some minerality?
Medium bodied, with a lingering finish ending in toasted berry.
Not as good and spicy as the 2018
Pretty solid - been awhile since I’ve had Carmenere and this hit the spot: big time black & red fruit, veering on tart side, but smooth & lush - polished on palate. As it opened, strutted secondary flavors of soil, pepper, spice, and some herbaceousness. Silky thru finish - balanced & well done.
Pretty solid - been awhile since I’ve had Carmenere and this hit the spot: big time black & red fruit, veering on tart side, but smooth & lush - polished on palate. As it opened, strutted secondary flavors of soil, pepper, spice, and some herbaceousness. Silky thru finish - balanced & well done.
Oct 6th, 2021Savory, would pair with pepperoni,
Spicy with a long finish that tickles.
Savory, would pair with pepperoni,
Spicy with a long finish that tickles.