2020 Vina Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | Chile |
| Region | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
| Drink window | 2022 - 2028 |
Description
The best terroirs for Cabernet Sauvignon are undoubtedly at the foot of the Andes. Among these terroirs, Alto Maipo is certainly one of the best, so it is no surprise that the grapes for this wine come from the Carmen vineyards in this beautiful part of Chile. The secret of this terroir lies in the high temperatures during the day and the strong cooling in the late afternoon and night, when the wind blows from the mountains. The high location ensures further cooling at night, which ensures grapes with a lot of flavor. Moreover, yields are low by Chilean standards, around 55 hectoliters per hectare. That is about as much as in the top vineyards of Bordeaux. Because the grapes are perfectly ripe and healthy, the fermentation period can last more than six weeks. This creates a wine with beautiful depth and lots of fruit, which then matures for another ten months in French oak barriques. The result is a special glass of Cabernet Sauvignon of great class.
the Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva is made from the best grapes and the best vineyards, and you can taste this in its complex character. It is wonderfully fresh and peppery, smooth and accessible, cool and sultry, with a delicious little pepper, soft and intense at the same time. Perfect with steak with pepper sauce, confit de canard, hard aged cheeses.
Awards:
Vintage 2017 - 97pt (Decanter)
Vintage 2017 - 4.5* (Press wine)
Vintage 2017 - 9- and excels in its class (DGH)
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Maipo Valley |
| Winery | Vina Carmen |
| Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2028 |
| Alcohol % | 13.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Tasting Profiles | Dark fruit, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Tannines, Full |
| Drink moments | Barbecue, Cadeau!, Lekker luxe, Met vrienden, Open haard, Romantisch |
Wijnhuis
Carmen is the oldest of the bodegas still active in Chilean viticulture. The house was founded in 1850 by Chistian Lanz, who named the winery after his beloved wife Carmen. Until 1987 it led a fairly inconspicuous existence. However, it was then taken over by the Claro family, who were also involved as co-owners in companies such as Santa Rita and Los Vascos. Substantial investments were made, and the opportunity was seized to establish one of Chile's most modern wine companies. In 1994, the carménère grape variety was rediscovered in the vineyards of Carmen. It was long thought that this grape variety was extinct because of the phylloxera, but research showed that the grape was still planted in the Alta Maipo Valley vineyards of Carmen. Since its rediscovery, the carménère grape has become the signature variety for Chilean viticulture. Due to the construction at the foot of the Andes mountains, the new cellars from the winery could be constructed in such a way that all movements with the wine only take place under the influence of gravity. The use of pumps, which somehow 'damage' the wine, make it less of a quality, is completely avoided in this way.
However, the basis of Carmen's success does not even lie in the state-of-the-art installations, but in the vineyard. The professional team of oenologists, led by MarÃa del Pilar González, also plays an important role in the production of quality wines. With its arrival in the early 1990s, the emphasis was placed on the quality of the grapes by the young winemaker Alvaro Espinoza. Now that winemaker Emily Faulconer has taken over Carmen's premium range, the focus is on making wines with their own identity and salvaging the value of the terroir they come from. Winemaker Emily Faulconer studied agricultural engineering at the Universidad Católica de Chile. She worked in wineries in the United States (Cakebread Cellars), New Zealand (Trinity Hill Winery) and France (Chateau Canon). Faulconer has also previously worked as head winemaker in Viña Arboleda, where she managed the viticultural and viticultural areas, emphasizing the production of fine wines with a sense of origin.