Tag Archives: carmenere

Red Wine Review: Koyle Royale Carmenere

Koyle Royale Carmenere 2009 | Colchagua, Chile

Looking at the name of this wine, for some reason I can’t get the image of a deck of cards out of my head.

This wine has a really smokey, green, and mineral nose with notes of cloves, tobacco, bell pepper, earth, and something stony/mineral that I can’t quite place — slate, if slate has a smell? Flint? Concrete? Can’t really put my finger on it, but it’s the smell of a freshly built stone cellar. In the mouth there is a rush of rich, luscious raspberry, blueberry, and boysenberry upfront, toning down in the midpalate before finishing with those same red- and blue-berry notes along with hints of clove and spice. Ample acidity and tannins, along with hot alcohol, all make an appearance simultaneously at the tail end of the finish. Enjoyable on its own, much better with food. I recommend it with a pot roast, stew, and gamey fowl such as turkey.

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Other wine blog reviews for Koyle Royale Carmenere can be found at The Reverse Wine Snob, Drinkhacker, Dallas Wine Chick, Chilean-Wine, The Good Wine Guru, and The Yum List.

Disclosure: I received this wine as a press sample

Red Wine Review: Montes Cabernet – Carmenere

Montes Cabernet – Carmenere Limited Selection Apalta Vineyard | Colchagua Valley, Chile

Why the sudden Carmenere kick? Well, because I was the beneficiary of a selection of Carmenere blends as a result of being included in a “twitter tasting” hosted by the Wines of Chile a few months ago. Yes, I’m sometimes (often?) slow in getting my reviews published to the blog. But hey, better late than never, right? Anyway, on to the wine.

It’s kind of funny that the label explains the wine as a “Limited Selection” — I mean, if it’s so limited how could it sell for under 15 bucks? But as a person in the business of marketing wine I understand the power of such words, ergo the reasoning behind the nonsense. Heck, I’m guilty of promoting similar types of “fantasy” hype on labels, and California wines have been doing it for decades. But I digress …

Beyond the fancy language on the label, we have a very nice wine here — which doesn’t surprise me, as I’ve enjoyed nearly every bottle I’ve Montes I’ve ever tried; they are a “reliable producer” in my book. Bright, open, and expressive red and black berry fruit aromas jump into the nose, with a slight touch of earth and bell pepper. The palate does not disappoint, offering similarly forward fruit that is ripe with red berries, sweet black fruits, and hints of earth, spice, and mild tobacco. Tannins and acidity are both soft, but there’s enough structure to keep the wine from being described as “fat” or out of balance. The finish is kind of quick but that’s hardly a complaint, considering all the juicy delicious fruit at the front end.

I matched this successfully with a smattering of dishes, including chicken pot pie, cheese and potato pierogies, and stuffed cabbage (yes, I had take-out from the Polish restaurant). It’s enjoyable on its own but also completely versatile with a variety of victuals. At around or about $15, it’s a good value.

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Red Wine Review: Santa Digna Carmenere

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Carmenere Reserve 2009 | Chile

This is a fairly typical Carmenere from Chile, offering earthy, green and black pepper aromas that you might also associate with Merlot (hence, the confusion for so many years between the two varietals down there). The inky, almost black color in the middle of this wine belies its softness on the palate. Upfront there are juicy black and red berry fruits that move to a mild bitterness (cranberry and tobacco) in the midpalate and finish, which is quick but pleasant and without heat. Tannins are mild, but there is ample acidity for food matching. Try it with lean meats or vegan dishes.

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Emiliana Coyam

The 2007 vintage of this wine was originally sent to me by Wines of Chile for their blogger tasting in October; I tasted the 2005 vintage at an “importers seminar” at Puro Chile a few days ago. Both were led by Master Sommelier and Chilean wine expert Fred Dexheimer.

Interestingly, I didn’t realize the other day that I’d tasted the Coyam before. More interestingly, when I compared my notes, they were almost identical — and highly positive. The ’07 is not surprisingly slightly more fresh, but both are juicy, complex, and delicious wine — and one of the best I’ve had from Chile. That’s saying something, considering that my company imports some outstanding wines from De Martino.

The blend is 38% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Mourvedre, all from the Colchagua Valley.

The nose exudes typical Chilean aromas, which to me are similar to earthiness you smell in a classic French Merlot — i.e., distinct green bell pepper, dirt, and tobacco — along with ripe red and black fruits and hint of chocolate. Similar flavors flow on the palate: ripe red and black berries, mild earth notes, hint of chocolate — all held together by ripe tannins and ample acidity. On its own, the tannins and acid are slightly too much, but those elements are ideal when pairing with food; I matched it perfectly with a buffalo burger.

According to the label, “coyam” is a Mapuche term meaning “oak” (the Mapuches were a tribe of peoples native to South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina). However, this wine does not have overwhelming oak influence; on the contrary, there is just enough wood to add a lovely, subtle spice component (I think this is where the chocolate element comes from).

This is a very tasty, complex, well-balanced wine that is best enjoyed with lean protein. Match it with the buffalo burgers that I did, or try it with turkey burgers, mildly spiced chili, bean-based dishes, mild cheeses.

By the way, this is also an organic / biodynamic wine, if you care.