Characteristics: A glass of Carmenère wine.

Carmenère is deep crimson in color, with fruit-filled aromas and flavors of dark cherries, berries, spice and smoke. It is a medium-bodied wine, with tannins that are gentler and softer than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is best consumed young, in order to fully enjoy its vibrant fruit character.
The History
The name "Carmenère" originates from the French word for crimson (carmin), a reference to the hue of the grape at full ripeness and the deeply-colored wines it produces.  Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Carmenère is considered one of the original six noble grapes of Bordeaux. Believed to be a member of the Cabernet family, it is also known as Grande Vidure, a historic Bordeaux synonym, and may be directly related to Biturica, a vine praised in ancient Rome and also the name by which the city of Bordeaux was known during that era.

The Carmenère grape was widely planted in Bordeaux until the vines were struck with oidium (mildew) and then largely destroyed by phylloxera (a vine pest) in the 1860s.  When Bordeaux was eventually replanted with vines, many growers chose not to plant Carmenère, which is difficult to grow and prone to disease in the region's damp climate conditions, and instead focused on the easier-to-cultivate varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today the grape is rarely found in France, but it thrives in the ideal climate that Chile offers. In fact, the world's largest area planted with this variety is in Chile with more than 4,000 hectares (2006) cultivated in the Central Valley. As such, Chile produces the vast majority of Carmenère wines available today as a single varietal wine and also as a component of a blend.

Re-discovering the Carmenère grape
While the Carmenère grape has been planted in Chile for over 150 years, it was only recently that growers have distinguished it from Merlot in their vineyards. Until the early 1990s, it was mistaken as a clone of Merlot and harvested along with the Merlot crop.

Genetic research has shown that Carmenère may be distantly-related to Merlot and the similarities in appearance have linked the two vines for centuries. Nevertheless, there are noticeable differences between the two, and they are now being treated separately in the vineyards of Chile.

Viticulture
Carmenère favors a long growing season in moderate to warm climates. During harvest time and the winter period, the vine fares poorly if introduced to high levels of rain or irrigation water. Over-watering accentuates the herbaceous and green pepper characteristics of the grape. The grape naturally develops high levels of sugar before the tannins achieve ripeness. If grown in too hot a climate the resulting wine will have a high alcohol level and low balance. Chile’s dry, warm and moderated climate provides the perfect growing conditions for Carmenere.