Carménère traces its origins to the Bordeaux region in France. The red wine grape would have gone extinct had it not been mistaken for Merlot and planted in Chile during the 19th century. Today, many know it as Chile’s signature grape variety.
Characteristics
Carménère usually produces full-bodied wines with high levels of tannin and medium acidity. When picked ripe, it gives wines with fresh black fruit flavours and herbal notes. Due to the presence of an organic aromatic compound called methoxypyrazine, the expressions of this grape variety have an unmistakable note of bell pepper.
A typical Carménère is deeply coloured and is often matured in oak barrels to soften the tannins and add complex flavours like coffee and chocolate. If the grape is plucked before it fully ripens, it will produce an expression that has overtly herbaceous aromas.
While it is found as a single-varietal wine as well, Carménère is also blended with other varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Winemaking
Carménère is a late-ripening grape variety which requires a long and sunny growing season to ripen successfully. It shares a parent grape with popular varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the form of Cabernet Franc.
Many winemakers believe that Carménère is a moderately difficult variety to grow. The fruits ripen very slowly, and demand ample amount of hang time and good weather. The result is small bunches of deep blue-black grapes with low yield. It does give good results in sandy soils- producing wines that are both elegant and aromatic, and clay-based soils which tend to give the wines a richer and better structure.
The variety was nearly extinct in France in the 19th century due to the phylloxera infestation. Nearly all the vines of this grape variety were wiped out by the notorious pest. When grape growers in Bordeaux decided to replant wine grapes, they chose varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot over Carménère as they were easier to grow.
But in the mid-1800s, the variety found a new home in Chile, where winemakers planted it while assuming that it was Merlot. While Chile can be credited for saving this variety from extinction, the country that has the largest plantings of Carménère in the world is China. Here, it is known as Cabernet Gernischt.
Chile
The majority of Carménère is grown in the Central Valley of Chile. This is the largest wine-producing zone in Chile, and it contains several regions to know for Carménère:
i. Maipo Valley
Maipo is the northernmost region of the Central Valley Region. Quality Carménère from this area is somewhat lighter and has aromas of red fruits like cherry, lovely floral notes of hibiscus and rose, along with a subtle granite-like minerality.
ii. Cachapoal Valley
The Cachapoal Valley produces Carménère wines that offer a great balance between sweet and sour cherry fruit and the grape’s signature herbal green peppercorn note. Wines often have high acidity, which gives them a good ageing potential.
iii. Colchagua Valley
Most Carménère wines available in the market come from Colchagua Valley. This expression of the grape variety exhibits rich raspberry sauce aromas along with a distinct green peppercorn herbal note. However, since the region extends from the coast to the foothills of the Andes it can produce versatile styles of wine.
Storage and Service
Serving temperature – 16-20 °C
Glass type – Standard red wine glass
Food Pairing
Because of the abundant flavours of green bell pepper and herbs, Carménère pairs well with tomato salsas, chimichurri, and many vegetable-based dishes. Carménère is also a great wine to pair with most Mexican food because of its peppery notes and high acidity. A full-bodied expression of the wine with high tannins will pair well with hearty meat dishes like lamb curry or lamb kebabs. Vegetarians can pair it with lentil-based dishes and black beans and black-eyed peas. For lighter styles of Carménère, you can try dishes that are less fatty.
A great tip for pairing food with Carménère is to focus on its herbaceous and peppery notes and go for dishes that are loaded with herbs like thyme, oregano, chives, coriander or spices like black pepper, cumin and red chilli flake.
Depending on the style of wine, you can pair Carménère with a variety of soft and hard cheeses like Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Pecorino, etc.
