Anakena Carmenere

Name: Anakena
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: Chile
Region: Rapel Valley
Price: $8
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Good deal for the price.  This wine was smooth and fruity, dominated by blackberry and some pepper.  I would prefer it to be a little richer and bigger in the mouth, but for the price it served its purpose as a good wine to pair with pizza.  It was also nice on its own.

Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere

Name: Santa Alicia Reserva
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We enjoyed the Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere last night with pizza and were really pleased with it. This wine was very good, and we quickly finished the bottle before the kids even went to bed, which is rare for us. Usually, we manage to make a bottle last most of the night, but this one went very quickly. We've had a couple of other Carmeneres that we really liked (Tierra del Fuego and Casillero del Diablo), so it's safe to say we are now 3 for 3 with this lovely wine from Chile.

The Santa Alicia featured dark fruits and dark chocolate. It wasn't very complex, but the aromas and flavors were right on target. This is one smooth, delicious wine. The dark chocolate really came through on the mid-palate, and the finish was fairly long. The price makes it a real steal!

Tierra del Fuego Carmenere

Name: Tierra del Fuego Reserva
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Chile
Region: Maule Valley
Price: $15
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We had the Tierra del Fuego Carmenere last night with a dinner of grilled chicken sandwiches (from a Bobby Flay recipe) and pasta. We bought this wine at a little wine store in St. Augustine when Krista and I spent a couple of days there in December for our anniversary. The wine was highly recommended by the store owner and since we both love Carmenere, we were excited to try it.

This wine was right in our comfort zone -- it was big and bold with dark fruit, chocolate, and coffee. It had nice big tannins and a weighty feel in the mouth. We poured it through the Vinturi to get some air into the wine quickly and to tame some of the oak.

We really liked this one. You can't really go wrong with a good Carmenere from Chile.

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere

Name: Casillero del Diablo
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Chile
Region: Rapel Valley
Price: $8
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

This Carmenere from Concha y Toro's Casillero del Diablo label is an outstanding bargain. For less than $10, it's a delicious, medium bodied everyday red. We enjoyed a couple of glasses last night with pizza.

The color is a deep, dark purple in the glass, almost like a Syrah. The nose is mostly dark fruit, with chocolate and a hint of tobacco. I tasted dark berries and chocolate, with some good earthy qualities. The finish was very pleasant and quite long. This Carmenere is very smooth, and I highly recommend it.

I can't wait to try the other Carmenere we have at the house -- the Tierra del Fuego, also from Chile.