Friday, April 22, 2005

Review: Carmen Reserve 2001

Carmen Reserve 2001 (chile) $14.99
Blend of Carmenere (60%) varietal
and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%)

Wine maker comments indicate that the wine is aged for 10 months in French and American oak barriques and then another 6 months of bottle aging prior to release.

On the pour: dark dusky red
Nose: large, thick and complex. Dark cherries and tobacco alongside a background of oaky smoothiness.

On the palate: a fine full flavor and excellently balanced. The fruit is soft - definitely an old world style wine – and well couched in a fine maturity. There is a roundness with a hint of spice and olive though not nearly like some of the other “olivey” wines.

The finish is smooth and quintessentially old world exiting from the mouth with a flourish that begs for an encore.


After letting this red breathe, it obtains a silky smoothiness and a bit more fruit. This is definitely going on the recommendation list, though I believe you can probably find if for two or three dollars less than the $15 or so I paid for it.

No comments:

Post a Comment