Anakena Carmenère 2009

Rapel Valley (Valle del Rapel), Region del Valle Central, Chile
$13-16 +72157 at BC Liquor Stores and private liquor stores
www.anakenawines.cl

A continuation of my January bottles on a budget theme, today’s DRINK is from Chile – a hotbed of value finds in the BC market. Carmenère is Chile’s claim to wine fame, though the grape originated in France’s Bordeaux region. The name “Carménère” originates from the French word for crimson (carmin) which refers to the brilliant crimson colour of the autumn leaves. The grape is rarely seen in France today, but has found a firm stead in Chile. In fact, Chile has the world’s largest area planted to Carmenère, with more than 8,800 hectares cultivated in the Central Valley alone.

If you’re new to Carmenère, this Anakena is a great place to start. Spicy, dusty red fruits and plum aromas lead to a medium bodied, plump and plush palate of ripe cherry, leafy bramble, anise, pepper, plum and red currant. Soft and smooth and easy to down, this is a great weekday red with sausage, tomato sauced pasta or polenta.

Anakena was founded by school buddies Felipe Ibáñez and Jorge Gutiérrez in 1999. It has now grown into quite a sizeable operation, with 155 hectares of vineyards in Alto Cachapoal, 128 hectares in Leyda, 70 hectares in Colchagua and 60 hectaures in Las Cabras. Their wines are now exported to more than 40 countries, and they produced 400,000 cases in 2009.

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Anakena Carmenère 2009

Spicy, dusty red fruits and plum aromas lead to a medium bodied, plump and plush palate of ripe cherry, leafy bramble, anise, pepper, plum and red currant. Soft and smooth and easy to down, this is a great weekday red with sausage, tomato sauced pasta or polenta.

Written By:

Treve Ring is a wine writer, editor, judge, consultant and certified sommelier, and has been with EAT Magazine for over a decade.\r\n\r\nIn addition to her work with EAT, she is a Wine Critic and National Judge for ...

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