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Varietal: Carmenere
Carmenere varietal grapes have plenty to offer the world of fine, complex red wines. Their beautiful blue fruits hold plenty of fleshy juice, which produces gorgeously dark red wines packed full of interesting flavors In their native France, Carmenere has the prestigious honor of being amongst the few grape varietals allowed by French law for the inclusion in blended Bordeaux wines, often argued to be the finest to be found anywhere in the world. In other countries, particularly in the New World, Carmenere is still mainly used as a blending varietal, as it adds plenty of unique flavors to the wines it is included in. These often include big, powerful and unusual flavors such as tobacco, chocolate and leather, with the younger wines holding plenty of rich, intense cherry character which can come through beautifully in single variety bottles.
Region: Valle Central
The Valle Central of Chile is widely regarded as being one of the oldest 'New World' wine regions of earth, with a history that extends back over five hundred years to the time of the first European settlers in South America. Whilst they were mainly preoccupied with planting vines for the production of sacramental wines, today, the wine industry of Valle Central has never been stronger. With a wide range of vines flourishing in the region, thanks to the many micro-climates the valley provides, wineries can make the most of their particular location and produce fully ripened grapes of exquisite flavour and character. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere grow very well all throughout the various areas within Valle Central, and the region is developing a serious reputation for excellence on the world stage.
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.