Whip unblended Carmenere and Malbec into shape
New World wines tend to be more viscous, released younger, often with higher sugar content, than more traditional wines. They are also often made with grapes that never saw favour in France.
Back in the 1970s, New World vintners assumed the only good grapes were the grapes of France, and then only a half-dozen or so. You can make a pretty good wine out of any grape, but it will take experimenting to find the right combination of ripeness, yeast and vinification.
If you want an example, check out what the Californians have done with Zinfandel. It may not be my wine of choice but the difference between this wine now and the Zin of 1985 is astonishing. Likewise, the South Americans have advanced the cause of Malbec and Carmenere.
Both grapes present certain palate problems. I prefer both in blends. But more than a few people are cheerleaders for the 80 to 100 per cent versions of these wines. Often the drinkers of these wines particularly like them as cocktail wines. This is where we part company. I find these fatter, younger versions of wine are really tough to take on an empty stomach. They both have very stiff tannins which are problematic.
Traditionally, Carmenere was blended with Cabernet Franc. The latter provided the perfume and acidity to lighten the rather dark profile of Carmenere. By itself the grape tends to a meaty, fat, flavour set with the aromas of herbs and cedar.
If you really want to taste this wine, though, you need to apply the Myhrvold technique and dump it in the KitchenAid set to Frappe for three minutes, because behind the earth and herbs is a real wine.
Torreon de Paredes Carmenere is a wine I’ve long recommended, partly because I like how they make wines and also because it is a good bang for the buck. The bouquet is full of fruit, a wee bit smoky, with some earth behind it. The palate is mostly fruity, with fairly soft tannins and a meaty long finish. After time in the decanter, bright cherry flavours and a great balance become noticeable.
Medalla Real is a Santa Rita wine priced at the top end of their mid-range. It was a 2013 so I had hopes for this wine but truthfully it could use another five to 10 years in the cellar. The bouquet was dark, Caliban-esque. Brooding is the adjective I’d apply if I were feeling fanciful. It is dominated by aromas of smoked meats. The fruit is more obvious on the palate. The texture is still quite thick and the finish lasts forever. After decanted, this is a really nice wine with great fruit and good acidity. I expect it will age another 10 years happily.
Bouchonis is another more expensive Carmenere. The wine is inky dark, with a bouquet of green olives and some bell pepper. The palate tends to a bit of spice and some earth. After time in the decanter the bouquet is still dominated by bell peppers. The palate becomes brighter with the acidity a bit more apparent. The earth never fades on this one
I like them below room temperature, around 15 degrees or so. But if you really want to understand them, make sure they air for a while. People don’t believe me but the blender is best.
Wine of the Week: Torreon de Paredes Reserva Carmenere 2014 $19 Other Choices:
Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva 2013 $29
J Bouchon Block Series Carmenere Reserva Especial 2014 $28 Next week the whisky clip column for Christmas hints. twitter.com/drbooze