2019 Casas del Bosque Reserva Carménère (Rapel)

Deep red with a garnet hue. Aromas reminiscent of black cherries, plums and dry leaves with a hint of green bell pepper are complemented with tertiary notes of chocolate and spice . This Carménère is soft and plump, with supple tannins and good length.

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Viticulture

Most of the fruit is from an area called Almahue, long recognized for the quality of its Carménère, and part of the famed Peumo sub-appellation. Crop levels are less than 10 tons per hectare (4.5 tons per acre). Warm days and cool nights throughout the season. Average temperatures in summer are 21.8ºC and in winter 10.8ºC. Mean diurnal shifts in March are 17ºC. Yearly rainfall is 315 mm on average, falling mostly between May and September.

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Vinification

Upon arrival at the winery all grapes were destemmed and crushed to stainless steel tanks and inoculated with selected yeasts. Fermentation occurred quickly; temperatures reached 32ºC. The wine was left to macerate for an additional 7 days, for added structure and longevity. Half the resulting wine underwent malolactic in barrels, where it was left to age for an average time of 6 months. The other half was kept in tanks to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was finally assembled, filtered and bottled.

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Recommendation

Ideally served at 16-18. Suggested pairings: lamb with herbs (coriander), smoked bacon-spinach-blue cheese salad, roasted and grilled Mediterranean vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant, seared tuna and finally the famous chilean empanada!