Riding the Carmenere wave

First post in a long time., and apologies for my extended silence. The move-in saga progresses, and the level of moving-related chaos in my life is diminishing. I hope to get back to more regular posts soon.

In an effort to keep up with the trends being set by WineWineWine, I picked up a bottle of the 2003 Viu Manent Carmenere (Chile) at my local MLCC last night. For $11.05, I wasn’t expecting a lot but I was very impressed. To be honest, I was feeling cheap and didn’t want to pay the $11.30 for a bottle of the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet. So I saved a whole quarter by going for the Viu Manent instead. Lucky me. If I do that seven more times, I’ll have enough for a big cup of tasty coffee at the Fyxx.

In the glass, it showed off a beautiful deep purple colour, almost a stereotypical “wine” colour. The nose was very strong, with lots of tea and rich plumy fruit. In the mouth, there was a hint of green pepper on the finish, suggesting that the grapes may not have been as ripe as possible.

Typically, Carmenere ripens later, so this could be the case. But otherwise, it was fantastic. I typically associate plums with Carmenere, and this held true, although it was tempered by some black currant zippiness and an herbal flavour I couldn’t place. The tasting sheet suggests sage, which is pretty accurate. Plenty of chewy tannins and a nice long finish wrapped it all up very well.

At 14%, it’s probably better with food. I had a glass on its own, which was just peachy. But the strong flavours and the alcohol content make this more a “serve with food” wine than a “sip on its own” wine. For $11 and change, this is not only a steal, but it is also an excellent example of what Chile can do with Carmenere.

Funnily enough, despite its low price tag, I found this in the “Fine Wine” section of my local MLCC. Perhaps the local wine column is indeed having an impact, and $11 wines are being shelved in the back in favour of $8 wines?

Quick update

Apologies for the total absence of posts recently. We took possession of our new house last Friday, which has kept me a little busy. And with recent events on the Gulf Coast, I have to admit that wine blogging has not been the first thing on my mind.

I do have a quick tasting note for you though. More to follow soon, including a fantastic red blend from Bogle Vineyards and some new sparkling wine from Australia. But here’s my take on the newest addition to the Yellowtail clan:

Yellowtail Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc

The classic Bordeaux blend meets the Australian marketing machine. I was a little suspicious at first, since I had a hard time imagining a fruit-bomb Sem/Sauv blend. But it worked surprisingly well, and might just be the first Yellowtail wine that I have actually enjoyed.

Lots of herbal notes and a hint of minerals in the nose, which carried through well to the mouth. There were some ripe fruit flavours, and a very appealing softness to the wine. The long finish made it the perfect antidote to a long afternoon of moving boxes into our new house. It wasn’t as crisp as I’d expect from this varietal blend, but it most certainly wasn’t a fruit bomb. At $12.95, this is a nice, easy-drinking white, and would be perfect served up cold on the back porch.