Celebrating 30 Years of Carménère’s Rediscovery at Chile’s Viña Carmen

 

Celebrating 30 Years of Carménère’s Rediscovery at Chile’s Viña Carmen

 
Until thirty years ago on Nov. 24, 1994, everyone thought that Merlot from Chile was a little odd. Good, yes. Tasty, yes. But very different than merlot grown elsewhere. The leaves of this “Chilean Merlot” turned bright crimson after harvest in a completely different way than merlot grown other places, and the way the leaves looked all year was just different too. The fruit of this “Chilean Merlot” tasted much more “green” and so did the resulting wine– less fruity and lots more herbal notes from the pyrazines aka the chemical compound in wines that give them notes of green peppers, jalapeños, bell peppers, green beans, basil, bay leaves. Was it just that the terroir in Chile produced such a distinct version of merlot? 
 
Turns out, this merlot from Chile wasn’t actually strange at all– it was a case of mistaken identity! For 150 years, it was actually Carménère, a grape basically considered extinct in its native Bordeaux, France, and rediscovered by French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot in Chile’s Maipo Valley where it had been growing for 150 years as merlot.

Celebrating 30 Years of Carménère’s Rediscovery at Chile’s Viña Carmen

 
While I’ve known this fascinating story for a few years (scroll down for some of our stories and pairings),and I imagine in the 1980s I drank Merlot from Chile thinking it was Merlot when two was actually Carmenere, this year there’s a twist:

I’m celebrating the 30 year history of its rediscovery by tasting a wine from Viña Carmen where the ampelographer made his stunning realization about the true nature of “Chilean Merlot.”
From the time of its rediscovery, Viña Carmen sought to solidify its status as one of Chile’s great grapes, to promote its potential, and to celebrate the role Chilean Carménère has had on the wine world. In Viña Carmen’s “Delanz” Carmenere Apalta 2021, discover a Carménère-drive blend for this holiday season if you’re looking for a wine with a fun back story, one that works well with dishes from empanadas to squash to steak. Consider Carménère! Scroll down for more content and pairings about Carmenere. 
 

Pairings for Viña Carmen “Delanz” Carmenere Apalta 2021

  • squash sopaipillas
  • beef empanadas de ropa vieja
  • green salad with tomatoes, basil, buratta
  • flank steak 
  • asparagus

 

Celebrating 30 Years of Carménère’s Rediscovery at Chile’s Viña Carmen

Viña Carmen “Delanz” Carmenere Apalta 2021

ABV: 13.5%
SRP: $30
Grapes: 71% Carmenere, 15% Syrah, 9 % Petite Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Importer Saranty Imports
sample for my review 

The pyrazines or green notes we found in this wine are an authentic aspect of Carménère  as pyrazines occur naturally in grapes, some more than others. If you’re a fan of pyrazine loaded Cabernet Franc, you’ll be a fan! Cabernet Franc is actually a parent to Carménère with Cabernet Sauvignon a sibling. While similar in character to its parent, Carménère’s pyrazine qualities are more pronounced in Chile’s 23 microclimates!

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the rediscovery of Cameleer at Viña Carmen, winemaker Ana María Cumsille created a crowd-pleasing Carménère-driven blend.

Appearance:  Dark ruby or ruby going to violet, deep and dark, bright pink/ruby rim, very pretty

Aroma: Jalapeno peppers, cherry, green bell pepper, eucalyptus, richness and complexity that is very enticing, 

Palate: Juicy tart, mouthwateringly tart, cherry, tobacco, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, very much like fresh cherries, bold tannins, very dry, eucalyptus and bay leaf on the finish, 

Pairing: The empanadas de ropa vieja were perfect with the wine, the flavor profiles matched each other nicely and the spices in the filling matched the spices in the wine. The wine is also great with the squash sopiapillas, it loved the richness of the squash and the rich deep fried flavor. Fabulous with the flank steak (of course) but a solid pairing with the green salad too. There’s a classic rolled flank steak recipes, but we kept it simple with a marinade for 30 minutes then on the grill. 

Celebrating 30 Years of Carménère’s Rediscovery at Chile’s Viña Carmen

Happy Carmenere Day! 

Curious about Carménère? Check out our Carménère stories over the years:

More Wine Days: December 2024

  • Weds. December 4th Cab Franc Day #CabFrancDay
    Like those wines with green notes? You do know about Cab France yes? In 2024, we’re headed to the Loire– where Sue and I traveled in 2019 to compete in the World Bling Wine Tasting Competition! We’re excited to share these elegant and interesting wines with you which we are pairing with a fall friendly food: stuffed squash. 

  • Th. December 5th Prohibition Repeal Day
    Not sure if Sue and I will be celebrating with an article on this topic, but I’ll be celebrating as it’s my last day of teaching classes at the college! Finals the following week, grades in, and then I’m done teaching until Feb 10!

  • Sat. Dec. 14 — World Wine Travel
     Sparkling wines with small bites is the theme– and we have a vintage sparkling wine from Germany to share. We’re thinking about pairing it with fondue for a fun evening with friends and family. What do you like to pair with sparkling wine?  

  • Mon. December 16th Pinot Meunier Day #MeunierDay
    This grape is found most often in Champagne– so find a Champagne made from Pinot Meunier! I know I’m looking for one! 

  • Fri. December 20thSangria Day
    Here’s a recipe to make your own!

  • December 31st National Champagne Day or is it Sparkling Wine Day?
    Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, and Champagne Day is the final Friday of October which we celebrated this way in 2024.  Sparkling wine is any wine with bubbles coming from anywhere in the world — but certain regions have specific names for their sparkling wines also — bubbles form other parts of France are cremant, in Spain it’s Cava, Italy has Prosecco etc etc. 

  • January 5-31
    Where should I go? What should I do? January is my birthday month, and I’m looking for good wine, food, and travel stories– and a distraction from recent US events. South America like Chile or Uruguay, or in Europe, returning to France, Portugal, or Italy with sunny Sicily high on my list for a January escape. I don’t have to be back in town until Monday Feb 10 2025 and I want to make the most of it! Where would you go and what would you do on a limited budget? 
 
 
 

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