Carménère, that grape that found its groove in Chile!
The name Carménère, comes from the French word “Carmin,” which means crimson, the color of the vine’s leaves in fall. Before the spread of Phylloxera, this vine was ground in the Médoc of Bordeaux and was considered one of this region’s original six red grapes. Phylloxera and Oidium (powdery mildew) all but wiped this grape out in France, but it ended up mixed in with varieties taken to Chile, where it thrives.
This grape came to Chile in the mid-1800s from Bordeaux, where it was often used in Bordeaux blends.
For decades, this grape was mixed in with Merlot, and it was not until 1994 that it was discovered that about 1/3 of the plantings in Chile that were believed to be Merlot were actually Carménère!
Variation from terroir
We did a tasting last year with Wine of Chile, exploring the different regions for Carménère.
The variety peaked around 2014, with 40,000 acres planted, producing big, ripe styles of wine.
Since then, these wines have become more terroir-driven, and we saw this in the wines we tasted. Altitude, proximity to the ocean, and soil can all significantly affect the flavors and aromas in the wine.
As we tasted wines from the Cachapoal, Colchagua, Maule, Curico, and Cauquenes regions, we could see terroir’s impact on these wines, from the spicy menthol notes of wines near the coast to the silkier wines near the Maipo River grown in gravel.
In between are regions with warm days and cool nights where the grapes ripen more fully, and the wines are richer and riper.
The nuances in these wines make it an excellent variety to explore!
Pyrazines in Carménère
Carménère is known for its pyrazines. Pyrazines are those green pepper notes you can get in a wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc also can have notable pyrazines. If the grapes are picked at a very underripe stage, these notes can be offputting (which can easily happen with late-ripening grapes), but these notes can be managed.
Today, more and more Chilean winemakers are embracing these green notes, balancing them, and creating deeply complex wines.
Flavors & Aromas in Carménère
Sour cherry, tart raspberry, green peppercorn. This grape is known for its pyrazines, a compound that can give you green pepper notes in a wine. Depending on the style and the region, you can find dark fruit notes, smoke, and dried herbs. Pepper notes like jalapeno or poblano and richer chocolate, leather, tobacco, and forest floor notes.
Pairings for Carménère
Pair Carménère with rich meat dishes of steak, lamb, or pork. Grilled steak with chimichurri sauce is a great go-to! Try it with a mole or a range of foods with peppercorns or peppery spice. Vegetables lean into peppers and legumes with an added tang from olives or capers!
We paired a Carménère with Charquican, a stew traditionally made with dried Llama meat. The name comes from the Incan word “charquikanka,” meaning “stew with jerky.” Jerky was used because it traveled well, and this stew was often made by soldiers and peasants, withstanding the extreme weather encountered by nomadic people.
Today, this dish is often made with ground beef, corn, peas, and beans.
We also paired a Carménère with a delicious stuffed pork loin with chimichurri
In our book “Tempting Spoonfuls – Small Bites Paired with Wines from around the Globe,” we paired Chilean Carménère with Mini stuffed sweet peppers with a mole sauce!
More on Carménère from Crushed Grape Chronicles
https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/day-11-chile-vistamar-carmenere/
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
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