Viu Manent Reserva Carmenere 2008

Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Chile
$20-23

The February 27th, 8.8 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami had a real affect on Chile’s wine industry.  Not just to the wineries and cellars, but most importantly, to the homes of the vineyard and winery workers.   The majority of the damage occurred to the Maule, Cachapoal and Colchagua areas – all major wine regions. An assessment by Wines of Chile indicates that the damage sustained by wineries affected less than 13% of the country’s cellared wine. This equals approximately US $250M. Supply to countries around the world will not be affected and the 2010 harvest, which has begun in the northern wine regions, is proceeding as planned.

The best way to help these wineries – and their real life human resources – is to keep purchasing Chilean wine. Not that you need any other reasons to pick up this lovely red. Though Carmenere can be a stemmy hard sell in the wrong hands, when yields are low and care is taken, wines like this result. A dark ruby hue and whiffs of black cherry, ash and cedar is your introduction to this bottle of 100 percent Carménère. On the palate, characteristic Chilean leafy herbaceousness balances out with savory dark chocolate, ripe black plum and leather. A fourteen-month stint in French Oak plumps up the mouthfeel and softens the tannins. Pair with meaty pasta – carmenere can take the salty olives, bell peppers and chunky tomatoes that scare many big reds.

The Colchagua Valley, where Viu Manent is centered, lies within the Rapel Valley Wine District, sandwiched between the foothills of the Andes and the winds of the Pacific. Wine Enthusiast named Colchagua Valley as Wine Region of the Year 2005, and numerous international wineries have invested here, including Rothschild-Lafite.

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By Treve Ring – online wine editor