Curated from the best regions, vineyards and vintages, the Fine Wine Collection is meant to celebrate winemaking at its finest. This wine represents our commitment to excellence, to exploration and to you.
2021 Carménère Rapel Valley DO, Chile
Our Carménère comes from old vines rooted in the incredible volcanic soils of Chile’s Rapel Valley. Following heavy January rains, the 2021 vintage was welcomed by cooler weather than we’ve experienced in the past two years. As summer continued, we enjoyed warm temperatures and bright sunny days. Afternoon breezes and chilly nights shaped our Carménère’s beautiful balance, followed by a final heat wave in late February that amplified ripe fruit flavors, just in time for a bountiful harvest.
The Rapel Valley is nestled between Chile’s Coastal Range to the west and Andes Mountains to the east. Warmth-loving Carménère flourishes throughout the region’s dry lowlands and mountainous foothills, where towering peaks protect vineyards from cool ocean influences and wet weather. Soils here are incredibly diverse due to a remarkable geological history of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, glaciation and minerals deposited by local rivers. This environment creates powerful expressions of Chile’s signature grape variety through wines recognized for complexity and spice.
Our Carménère balances concentration and freshness as layers of complexity unfold in your glass. The nose begins with black pepper and cinnamon stick aromas, followed by dense, resinous scents of balsamic and pine. This savory bouquet previews the power you will discover on the palate, where each sip presents a flood of flavor and texture. Juicy acidity and firm tannins support notes of redcurrant and blackberry preserves that linger beyond a dry, cedarlike finish.
Redcurrant, blackberry, black pepper, cinnamon, balsamic, pine, cedar
Profile
Body:
Acidity: Sweetness: Tannin:
This Carménère’s harmony of fruit, earth and spice characteristics make it an exciting and versatile pairing companion. Highlight all three with juicy meats in salty marinades accentuating the wine’s full body and rich flavors. Play into its notes of cedar and pine by grilling with wood chips or planks—season with peppery rubs and ground cinnamon. For vegetarian dishes, stick to hearty stews and casseroles that stand up to the wine’s bold flavors and textures.
Menu suggestions
• Roasted root vegetables with cinnamon maple glaze
• Cheesy zucchini casserole
• Grilled portobello with peppercorn sauce
• Black pepper baby back ribs
• Brined cedar plank pork chops
• Beef tenderloin in balsamic glaze
Temperature: Room temperature (60–65°F)
Decanting time: 45 minutes
Glassware: Bordeaux glass
With each winemaking decision, our goal is to evoke a sense of place and tradition with our wines. We select native yeast for fermentation to encourage each nuance formed by the vineyard and vintage to shine through. For aging, we favor older French oak barrels to highlight natural varietal flavors and help cushion structure. The final wine expresses the classic spiciness and rich fruit character for which Rapel Valley Carménère is known and treasured.
• Native yeast ferments wine slowly, increasing complexity.
• Grapes ripen slower during cooler vintages, creating wines with bold structures and rich flavors.
• Warm days and cool nights balance ripe flavors and fresh textures.
• Volcanic soils drain water quickly, creating small grapes with concentrated flavors.
Ilike - dislike the wine: vintage brand varietal region .
It has aromas of aroma 1 , aroma 2 , and aroma 3 .
It is dry - off-dry - sweet with low - medium - high acidity and tastes like flavor 1 , flavor 2 , and flavor 3 . It has no - low - medium - high tannins and a light - medium - full body with a short - medium - long finish.
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