($25):  Carmenere (often spelled Carménère), originally and still planted in Bordeaux, has taken off in Chile.  Growers there confused the grape with Merlot (which was often planted in the same areas long before precise record keeping became the norm) and wound up harvesting it too early, which led to weedy, green flavors in the wine.  But now, growers know the difference, give it adequate time to achieve full ripeness, and make lovely, fleshy wine from it.  Take this example from Concha y Toro, one of Chile’s top producers.  This moderately sized wine delivers plummy black fruit-like flavors complemented by intriguing leafy and earthy ones.  Its polished textured makes it a good choice for hearty fall fare.
90 Michael Apstein Oct 19, 2021