Tasting Notes – Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenére
Tasting Notes
Wine: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenére 2019
Grape: The wine is produced using Carmenére grapes. A dark-skinned grape originating in the Bordeaux wine region of France. Today, the real powerbase of Carmenére is in Chile. Carmenére was brought to Chile in the mid-nineteenth century where is was originally thought to be Merlot. It wasn’t until 1997 that DNA analysis confirmed the grapes were Carmenére. Chilean authorities officially recognized Carmenére as a variety in 1998.
Color: deep purple
Aromas: oak, tobacco, dark chocolate, leather, cassis, mint, mushrooms
Flavors: oak, vanilla, coffee, plum, blackberry, chocolate, tobacco, spice, bell pepper
Body: Full
Alcohol: 14.0%
Acid: Medium
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Medium
Balance: Nicely balanced full-bodied wine with a lot of fruit and earthy flavors
Serving Tips: 60 0 to 65 0 F, in a red wine glass, decant for 60 minutes
Aging: age up to 10 years
Food Pairings: creamy cheeses like goat cheese and mozzarella, lamb, beef, pork sausage, duck, chicken, turkey, and rabbit, and pasta
Winery Notes: The winery producing this wine is in the Maipo Valley wine region of Chile. The Maipo Wine region is located just south of the capital of Chile, Santiago. The Maipo Valley is home to some of the Chile’s most prestigious wines. The winery was founded in 1874 and is one of the most traditional and historical wineries in Chile. The winery was sold in 1892 to Don Antonio Zavala and became known as “Viña Zavala. As a result of a divorce, the wife, Mrs. Mercedes Ulloa, received the winery as part of her alimony. Doña Mercedes named the winery “Viña Tarapacá Ex Zavala” to honor her attorney, Don Arturo Allesandri, known as “The Lion of Tarapacá”.