Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Carménère – Tour of Chile Wine #3

100% Carménère from Colchagua Valley, Chile.

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

From the bottle:

“Carmenere
D.O. Colchagua Valley

Santa Rita is broadly recognized as an international ambassador for world-class Chilean wines. Since our foundation in 1880, Santa Rita has focused on crafting superb quality wines becoming one of Chile’s most admired, traditional and innovative wine estates.

Our Medalla Real Carmenere from the Colchagua Valley, one of the world’s finest wine regions, has a complex bouquet that combines fresh black fruits and spicy notes of vanilla and chocolate from aging in French oak barrels for 10 months. This is a big, concentrated, elegant, deep, flavorful and persistent wine.

Santa Rita…Memorable Every Time.
14.1% Alcohol”

I think there’s something to be said for tasting a wine in the area it was produced. The ultimate for me has always been Italy, but as I’ve been learning more and more about Chile, I think this is a trip that is definitely moving higher up my list. Deserts, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers…the sheer breadth of what can be found in this country is a bit mind boggling. Given all these different climates, the breadth of wine made in Chile is huge as well. But this week it is all about Carménère and today we have a great one.

The 2008 Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Carménère starts with a very nice, very fragrant bouquet featuring aromas of blackberry, plum, spice, oak and vanilla. The wine tastes of dark fruit plus a little bit of oaky spice. This is a surprisingly smooth wine with a lush, velvety texture that opens up a little more as it gets air. It ends with soft tannins and blackberry flavors that linger for awhile. Very nice.

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.