Carmenere Reserva 2022

Founded in 1874, Viña Tarapacá is one of Chile’s oldest and most respected wineries, with a long tradition of producing high-quality wines combined with respect for terroir and innovation. The winery is dedicated to producing wines that reflect the authenticity and diversity of the Chilean terroir. It strives to combine traditional viticultural practices with modern techniques to produce balanced and expressive wines.

Do you know Carménère ? We thought this was an ancient Bordeaux grape variety extinct following the ravages of Phylloxera in the 19th century . And yet a Chilean aristocrat by the name of Silvestre Ochagavia , traveling in Europe, will import noble French grape varieties and bring back a few Carménère vines that he then planted in Chile. The vines grow in the Maipo Valley where the summers are hot and dry and the winters cool and rainy. The soils are mainly alluvial, composed of sand, silt and clay. The grapes of this cuvée are harvested by hand to ensure a rigorous selection of the best bunches. After destemming and crushing, the grapes ferment in stainless steel vats and will then be aged in French oak barrels for a period of 8 to 12 months. This wine develops aromas of tobacco , coffee , strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, plum and smoked paprika . The palate is well structured, with silky tannins and a nice acidity that brings freshness.

It was Hernán Cortés who ordered, upon the conquest of Mexico, the cultivation of vines in 1524. It gradually extended from Mexico southwards to reach Chile in 1555. During the first 3 centuries of colonization, there was no Cultivated in Chile as país, a black grape variety without character and very productive. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that noble varieties were introduced: mainly cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Twenty years later, winemaking was modernized under the leadership of wealthy owners and French experts who were forced into unemployment by phylloxera in Europe. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is wedged between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it has ideal conditions for growing warm, intermediate and cool grape varieties, so much so that it is often described as a paradise for growing grapes. With nearly 300 properties producing bottled wines, Chile fluctuates between 6th and 8th place in the world.