WTN: Winemaker's Lot 152 Carmenere 2005

Peumo Vineyard, Rapel Valley
Concha Y Toro

Very dark purple in the glass.

A huge nose, tarry, floral, fresh crushed fruit, smoky and chocolate.

Very rich, fleshy and juicy black cherry and blackberry, currantmedium weight, good acidity, chocolate, black licorice, peppery, smooth and plush, with a slightly drying-bitter streak.

A berry finish that goes on for minutes.

One of the better wines I have had in a while.

Purchased at $18.95 (Canadian).

Peumo Vineyard, Rapel Valley
Concha Y Toro

Very dark purple in the glass.

A huge nose, tarry, floral, fresh crushed fruit, smoky and chocolate.

Very rich, fleshy and juicy black cherry and blackberry, currantmedium weight, good acidity, chocolate, black licorice, peppery, smooth and plush, with a slightly drying-bitter streak.

A berry finish that goes on for minutes.

One of the better wines I have had in a while.

Purchased at $18.95 (Canadian).

Bruce, I often find that carmenere mimics merlot in the mouth. do you find this to be so? IMO it is soft and often a bit fat, lacking in acidity and tannin. Just my impression, not a flat out judgement on carmenere.

Bruce, I often find that carmenere mimics merlot in the mouth. do you find this to be so? IMO it is soft and often a bit fat, lacking in acidity and tannin. Just my impression, not a flat out judgement on carmenere.

I haven't found that in my experience Bob. The Carmenere I can recall usually has a nice brambly bush character to it, along with a nice edge.

Thanks for the note, I'll give it a try based on your positive assessment. I have yet to find a carmenére that I've liked, despite great sympathy for the Chilean project of establishing a "national wine." The fancier ones (and I tried an earlier vintage of the 152) had too much american oak vanillin, a taste I don't particularly care for and don't see as particularly Chilean, just generic "new world."

Bob, interestingly enough, carmenére in Chile was misidentified as merlot until quite recently, and was only identified through DNA analysis after somebody grew suspicious because this strain of merlot ripened later. Before that, it was picked too green, helping to give Chilean merlot a bad name.

Bob, interestingly enough, carmenére in Chile was misidentified as merlot until quite recently, and was only identified through DNA analysis after somebody grew suspicious because this strain of merlot ripened later. Before that, it was picked too green, helping to give Chilean merlot a bad name.

Thanks Oswaldo for that information. So, I am not fully "out in left field" with my thinking re carmenére. Sometimes I wish I could like a wine just because so much effort went into growing and making it, but alas, I can't. A few days ago I was talking with someone about the Bonny Doon "Pacific Rim" riesling. The point of the conversations was that the wine didn't taste of riesling at all, but rather like an underripe sauvignon blanc. I suspect the whole problem with the wine was cheap overcropped grapes that were green when picked. But that is just a guess.