Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carménère – Tour of Chile Wine #6

100% Carménère from Rapel Valley, Chile.

SRP of $19.99 but available for as low as $13.99. Sample received courtesy Wines of Chile for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Reserva de Familia
Gran Reserva Carménère
D.O. Valle del Rapel

Deep ruby red in colour with a violet tinge, this wine has intense, ripe ref fruit aromas and hints of spice. The palate is also fruity; blackcurrant and blueberry are beautifully integrated with flavours from 12 months of barrel-ageing such as vanilla, truffles and smoky notes. It’s a concentrated and smooth wine with a long finish. Best served with red meats or pasta with seasoned sauces.

15.0% Alcohol”

The founder of the Santa Carolina winery dreamed of producing Bordeaux style wines so he convinced several French winemakers to pack up and move to Chile. Not only that, but they brought their vines with them. It’s rather amazing to think that someone in 1800s could basically bring vine clippings from France all the way to Chile, plant them, and many years later have thriving vineyards. Not only is it true, but it’s a story that happened in many different countries. Today we have a lot of good wine like the Santa Carolina as a result.

The 2009 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carménère begins with aromas of dark, ripe fruit mixed with earthy spice. There are also some slight cedar and vanilla notes. The wine tastes of blackberry and plum while the earthy/herbal notes from the nose also carry over and mix with some oaky spice. This is a full-bodied, savory wine with smooth fruit flavors. The finish features dense, spicy tannins and black pepper. Smoky notes linger in the mouth. This is one of my favorite wines in this series.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

Wines in the Tour of Chile Series

1) 2010 Emiliana Natura Carménère
2) 2008 Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carménère
3) 2008 Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Carménère
4) 2008 Montes Alpha Carménère
5) 2009 Carmen Gran Reserva Carménère
6) 2009 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carménère
7) 2009 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Carménère
8) 2007 Haras de Pirque Character

All ratings use a simple 10 point scale with 10 being the best. Find out more about my rating systemhere and check out the Interactive Wine Rating Chart to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive spreadsheet.