When I first learned about carmenere several years ago I was enchanted. The idea that this Bordeaux grape, which was thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in South America is a great story.
Although I was enchanted, I soon found myself avoiding carmenere due to quality issues. In addition to being a rediscovered grape, it’s a grape that can show a strong green pepper aroma if harvested before it’s fully ripe. A little bit of that green pepper can be interesting in small doses, but I came across far too much carmenere where the green pepper just punched you in the face. This seemed to be particularly common in inexpensive carmenere.
That is not the case with the Marques de Casa Concha carmenere. At a suggested retail price of $25 a bottle, this one comes in at the upper end of the price scale I cover — so it’s not uber-cheap. But you can likely find it at retail for under $20. And perhaps that’s the price one pays for quality carmenere.
The nose is like a spice cabinet, overflowing with intense aromas like licorice, clove, cedar, leather and blackberry pie. It’s equally intense and complex on the palate, offering juicy blackberry, currant, plum and spice flavors. The mouth feel is nice. The acidity is vibrant. The finish is long and delicious.
Wine: Marques de Casa Concha, Carmenere
Varieties: Carmenere
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $24.99
Disclosure: This wine was provided as a media sample.
