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Carta Vieja
Varietal: Carmenere
The Carmenere grapes have a long and illustrious history in their native France, and are still used today by a select few wineries for the production of the exceptionally fine blended Bordeaux wines, widely considered to be the best in the world. However, it has been in the New World where Carmenere has seen the largest developments, with plenty of countries cultivating these grapes to make the most of their fine and unique characteristics. Carmenere grapes carry a beautiful dark red color, and pack a real punch with their intense flavors of chocolate, sour cherries, pepper and leather. They are particularly aromatic, and the single variety wines made from Carmenere are widely regarded to be amongst the most interesting to come out of countries in South America, particularly, over the past few decades.
Region: Valle Central
Chile is a fascinating country when it comes to wines and viticulture, and by far the most internationally renowned wine region in the country is the Valle Central. This expansive valley is located close to the Chilean capital of Santiago, and stretches between the Maipo Valley and Maule Valley, a long, winding fault through the mountainous regions of the country which is now almost completely covered by vineyards producing wines of exquisite character. The region itself may well be associated with the 'New World' of wines, but in actual fact, vineyards have been cultivated around the Maipo valley since the 16th century, when settlers from Europe brought vines across the ocean with which to make sacramental wines. A wide range of grape varietals thrive in the hot climate of Valle Central, from the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines the country is most famous for, to Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere.
Country: Chile
When the wealthy new landowners of the 19th century began planting large vineyards in the fertile central valleys of Chile, they must have been impressed at how successful the imported Old World grape varietals took to the land. However, such a fact is hardly surprising; with eight months of blazing sunshine coupled with oceanic winds from the west, and crystal clear spring waters from the Andes irrigating the soil, grapes such as Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were given everything they needed to flourish, and more. As the centuries passed, Chilean wineries continued to expand and experiment, resulting in a wide range of wine production methods and techniques, and consistently producing fine quality wines perfect for the international market. Nowadays, Chile is renowned for producing a wide variety of crisp white wines, and juicy, fruity reds enjoyed around the world for their drinkability and flavorful character, making this country very much one of the 'New World', albeit one with a fascinating link to the Old.