Casa Silva Colchagua Valley Carmenere Reserva 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Fresh dark berries and green pepper notes on the nose

Full bodied and firmly textured on the palate

Dark berries and currants with some vegetal and oak notes on the finish

Summary:

I saw some good reviews of this wine, but I disagree. This wine has too much of a vegetal note and the oak is poorly integrated in an attempt to add richness and depth. Carmenere has become a specialty of Chile, but it can be tricky to produce at the lower price points and can easily result in my description above. For $10-12, I recommend a Chilean Cabernet or Merlot instead, and there are many good ones. Price isn't everything, but the Carmerere bottled at $30 and up is typically excellent and memorable which suggests that this grape will continue to thrive in Chile. I'll be on the lookout for a better value Carmenere, so stay tuned. In the meantime, raise a glass of a great value Cab from Chile instead!