It may have a chequered history, but Carmenere has found its home in the vineyards of Chile, becoming the country’s emblematic grape. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports.
Carmenere is a name that should flow across the tongue of any astute wine drinker. The wines from this once almost unknown grape variety are a treasure trove and prove excellent value for money, as the judges discovered in our second Global Carmenere Masters.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the grape was cultivated in Bordeaux, usually in a field blend with its parent Cabernet Franc and its half-siblings Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Together these varieties established the reputations of many top properties. But then the dreaded phylloxera struck and, upon replanting, most properties used the more prolific, easier-to-grow Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and the aromatic, lighter-bodied Cabernet Franc.
Luckily, a few intrepid travellers exported Carmenere to Chile before the onset of phylloxera, where it continues to thrive, although small pockets of Carmenere can still be found in Bordeaux, and indeed in north Italy. In the drier climate of Chile, Carmenere has better fruit set and more resistance to fungal diseases and, therefore, higher yields. It also gives riper fruit at harvest. As this year’s Global Carmenere Masters competition demonstrates, Chile is undoubtedly the modern powerhouse of this variety, delivering a wide range of styles and prices. In fact, nearly all of our Gold and Master medals in this year’s tasting went to Chilean producers.
Oak ageing
Carmenere seems to need some oak ageing to fill the mid-palate and add depth to the bright fruit, herbal and mint nuances. The judges unearthed some Gold winners at less than £10, making Casa Silva and Cono Sur well worth looking out for. At £15–£20, Concha y Toro’s Marques de Casa Concha is exemplary. The wines at £20–£30 are truly interesting: textured, layered and balanced. The fruit quality shines through, the use of oak welljudged. The wines from Terra Noble, Casa Silva and VIK are worth sourcing and have time in hand for cellaring.
At around £45, Viña Sutil Acrux, a blend of Carmenere and other Bordeaux varieties from Colchagua, is a real gem, showing balance and texture, and pairing especially well with rare beef or lamb. Inama’s Carminium, evocative of the region’s Roman ancestry in the Colli Berici near Vicenza, is another fabulous wine at under £50.
Based on this year’s judging, it’s impossible to go wrong with Carmenere over £50, whether as a varietal or as a blend. Viña Santa Rita’s Pewën and Viña Montes’s Wings are both from the Apalta area of Colchagua Valley, suggesting that this may be a sub-zone to watch closely for outstanding Carmenere.
Unoaked 100% Carmenere
Winery
Name of Wine
Region
Country
Vint.
Medal
Under £10
Viña del Nuevo Mundo
Las Niñas Ella Carmenere Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Viña del Nuevo Mundo
Capachito Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Félix Solís
Casa Solis Carmenere
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2023
Bronze
£10-£15
Tenuta Monte San Giorgio
Colli Berici DOC Carmenere
Veneto
Italy
2021
Bronze
£10-£15
Les Quelles de la Coste
Carmenere
Provence
France
2023
Silver
Oaked 100% Carmenere
Winery
Name of Wine
Region
Country
Vint.
Medal
Under £10
Cono Sur
Single Vineyard
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Gold
Casa Silva
Doña Dominga Gran Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2023
Gold
Alpaca
Carmenere
Central Valley
Chile
2023
Silver
Casa Silva
Terroir de Familia Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2023
Silver
Basso di Basso Fabio e
Graziano Carmenere Colli Berici DOC
Veneto
Italy
2022
Bronze
£10-£15
Viña Santa Rita
Medalla Real Gran Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Viña Concha y Toro
Casillero del Diablo Reserva Especial
Peumo
Chile
2021
Silver
£15-£20
Viña Carmen
Gran Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Casa Silva
Gran Terroir
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2023
Silver
Vignalta
Colli Euganei DOC Carmenere Riserva
Veneto
Italy
2021
Bronze
£20-£30
TerraNoble
CA2 Costa
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2021
Master
Casa Silva
S7 Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2023
Gold
TerraNoble
CA1 Andes
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2021
Gold
Viña Santa Rita
Floresta
Apalta
Chile
2022
Silver
Encierra
Encierra
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
MontGras
Antu
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Viña Sutil
Limited Release Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
£30-£50
Inama
Carminium
Veneto
Italy
2021
Gold
Viña Siegel
Gran Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Viña Siegel
Single Vineyard
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2019
Silver
Del Rèbene
Colli Berici DOC Carmenere Riserva
Veneto
Italy
2020
Bronze
£50-£70
Viña Santa Rita
Pewen Carmenere
Apalta
Chile
2022
Gold
£100+
Inama
Oratorio di San Lorenzo – Carmenere Riserva
Veneto
Italy
2018
Gold
Unoaked Carmenere Blend
Winery
Name of Wine
Region
Country
Vint.
Medal
£10-£15
Viña Concha y Toro
Casillero Del Diablo Reserva
Central Valley
Chile
2021
Silver
Oaked Carmenere Blend
Winery
Name of Wine
Region
Country
Vint.
Medal
Under £10
Viña San Pedro
Gato Negro
Central Valley
Chile
2023
Silver
Viña Luis Felipe Edwards
Carmenere Reserva
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Cono Sur
Green Society
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Cono Sur
Bicicleta
Central Valley
Chile
2022
Bronze
£10-£15
Viña Morandé
Selección de Viñedos Gran Reserva
Maipo Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
£15-£20
Viña Maquis
Revela Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Gold
Viña Concha y Toro
Marques de Casa Concha
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Gold
Viñedos Calcu
Tiny Blocks
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
£20-£30
VIK
Omega
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Gold
VIK
“A”
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2022
Bronze
£30-£50
Viña Sutil
Acrux
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Gold
Viña Carmen
Carmen Delanz Apalta
Apalta
Chile
2022
Silver
Concha y Toro
Terrunyo
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2021
Silver
Viñedos Veramonte
Organic Carmenere
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
Neyen de Apalta
Tesis Primus
Colchagua Valley
Chile
2022
Silver
£50-£70
Viña Montes
Montes Wings
Apalta
Chile
2020
Master
£70-£100
VIK
La Piu Belle Red
Cachapoal Valley
Chile
2021
Master
About the competition
With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Carmenere Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine. The 2024 competition was judged on 14 May at The White Horse in Parsons Green, London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Carmenere Master. This report features the medal winners only.
Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com
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