Rediscovered in 1994, Carmenere has become the icon grape of Chile (like it or loathe it) -
here is one of the country's icon producers doing it justice, in a big way
Montes Wines 2020 Purple Angel
Spicy, earthy and coffee bean notes mix it up with blackberry, cassis and black cherry - there's a whole lot of more-ish-ness about this wine and age ability too. (****+)
Montes makes some amazing wines, this one was new to me,
but it still delivered everything I expect from this winery in Chile
Montes Wines 2019 Wings
A nod to Paul McCartney or Red Bull, either way, this wine flew high to represent another really good offering from Montes. Smoky-black cherry and hints of coffee - the fruit just sores and sings, and it's stays a long time on the palate. Beauty.
Carmenere is a tough grape to get right; but I think Cono Sur nails it in this bottle of
2019 Carmenere "La Rinconada"
Nice to see someone who knows their way around the finicky Carmenere grape. There's some earthy nuances here, plus some smoky and herbal characteristics. The fruit hits in the cassis realm and there's also coffee bean and spice all wrapped in a medium length finish. It's a lovely Carmenere from a grape that doesn’t see enough love and get enough respect. (****)
