Surprise, surprise… I’m off to Chile again to try another Cabernet Sauvignon. This one from the Maipo Valley region in Central Chile, just south of Santiago. The Maipo Valley appellation is rather small in size but well regarded as a wine growing region, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to its reputation for producing excellent wine, the vineyards are dense in this region.
This is the second Cabernet I’ve reviewed from this region. The first was from Cousiño Macul and garnered an 88 rating. When I wrote about that one, I touted the age of the Cousiño Macul winery—having been founded in 1856—well, Viña Carmen is even older as it was founded in 1850 and it’s the first vineyard in Chile to cultivate grapes organically.
Viña Carmen has been showered with accolades lately. They were awarded 2007 Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits Magazine, and the 2005 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon was given a “Best Value” status with an 87 rating from Wine Spectator Magazine.
While I enjoyed the 2005 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon, I didn’t find it quite as exceptional as some other Chilean Cabernets I’ve tried. On the nose it’s cherry, tobacco and currant. It has good concentration on the palate, with cherry, blackberry, and currant. It has very smooth tannins, giving this a nice mouth feel. I gave it an 86 and definitely recommend this wine, particularly at the price $7.99.
Wine: Carmen
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price Paid: $7.99