Wine Blogging Wednesday #52: Cono Sur 2007 Carmenere
I'm a bad bad founder. I didn't taste this wine until tonight, even though I've had it lined up for a while now, and this is going to be a quickie review… not what I typically like to do for Wine Blogging Wednesday.
This month's edition, hosted by "Big Cincy" Tim Lemke of Cheap Wine Ratings, focuses on value red wines from Chile, a country I've not explored much in the past. To take the exploration even further, I decided to taste a Carmenere, a grape that I don't taste very often. In fact, I can't remember the last time I tasted it.
You can learn more about the grape over at Wikipedia.
This bottle, which retails for around $15 is Cono Sur's 2007 Carmenere. Everything I've read suggests that Carmenere is best in its youth, so this wine's relative youth wasn't a worry.
Extremely dark in the glass, the nose is pretty straightforward with blueberries, cassis, and a little bit of dark chocolate. With some time in the glass, a coffee-chicory aroma peeks in as well. Medium-bodied and much softer than I expected, the tannins are fine-grained and provide little structure. The flavors, which match the nose closely, also feature some black pepper spice as well.
I think that lovers of soft, fruity reds will like it and with the spice and chocolate, there is a little more going on here. Not really my cup of tea though.
Thanks for hosting, Tim!
Thanks for taking part. It does sound like an interesting wine, but not necessarily for everyone. Cheers!
Wow, if Lenn is allowed to be late then up is down and left is right.
Funny, I reviewed a carmenere as well, but mine was fantastic….just goes to show!!