WINE OF THE WEEK - 2018 Clos de Luz Massal 1945 Carmenere

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I spent a lot of time remembering all that there is to remember about different wine regions around the world over the past few weeks, as I prepared for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 exam.

As this exam consists of both a theory and tasting examination, part of my preparation for the exam included copious amounts of tasting (small portions) of a range of wines. Since Chile was a key region on the exam, I tried quite a few Chilean wines.

Doing so reminded me of just how much Chile has to offer wine lovers. Relatively speaking, it is a smaller country but this smaller country is jam packed with wine lovers and wine regions! And though Chile does international grape varieties very well - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc being amongst the most widely planted grapes there - most would agree that its signature grape variety is in fact Carmenere.

So this week, I decided to buy and try a Carmenere. I’ve always been a fan but I haven’t had one in quite some time. And what better reason is there than that to buy one again and share what I find with you, right? ;-)

And with that, let’s get into this week’s wine pick!

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2018 Clos de Luz Massal 1945 Carmenere

This week’s wine comes from the Rapel Valley, which is part of the very warm and arid Central Valley of Chile. The Rapel Valley is a well-established destination for robust and expressive, full bodied red wines that do very well in the warm conditions found here. This week’s wine is one such example.

What does this wine cost?

$24.95

What in the (wine) world is Carmenere?

Carmenere is a dark skinned, late ripening grape variety that produces deeply coloured red wines that are known for having a characteristic herbaceous quality. While this grape is most often associated with Chile these days, it is actually native to France and more specifically, Bordeaux. It is not really very widely available in Bordeaux any longer, though it is still one of the varieties that is permitted in the region. As such, its most respectable home for now is Chile but I should note that it is grown in other parts of the world as well in small quanitities.

Where does this wine come from?

As noted above, this wine comes from the Rapel Valley. Chile is a very long and narrow country and it has a hot Mediterranean climate that is moderated by cooling influences coming from the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The Rapel Valley itself is located within a larger region that is more or less in the centre of the country and is known as the Central Valley. The Central Valley is quite hot, with limited rainfall during the growing season and some limited cooling influences to temper the long and hot days. Carmenere loves the growing conditions in this area, both climatic and soil related.

It should be noted that this wine hails from an even smaller subregion of the Rapel Valley (there are many valleys in Chile!) called the Cachapoal Valley. It is known for being a good source for quality Carmenere wines and some consider it to be the birthplace of Carmenere in Chile.

Why is this wine unique?

This wine comes from fruit that is from some of the oldest Carmenere vines in Chile! The vines were planted in 1945 and have not been cloned or grafted. See below for notes around the high quality production methods that also underpin this wine.

Who makes this wine?

This wine is made by Clos de Luz, a family run estate that is famous in the area. Owning 33 hectares of vines, this producer is very focused on producing high quality wines, especially Carmenere, that deliver pure fruit expression and have not been over-managed during the wine-making process.

The vineyards are certified organic and fruit is hand harvested, with strict measures maintained over yield and quality.

Click here to learn more about Clos de Luz, their approach to wine and their impressive history and product line.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Grape Varieties - 95% Carmenere, 5% Syrah

Soil types - sandy, colluvial

Vinification - fermented and aged (for 12 months) in large used, french oak barrels.

ABV - 14%

Residual Sugar - 3 g/L

My tasting notes:

A clear medium ruby in the glass, this wine displays ripe almost jammy and mature fruit and purple flowers on the nose. On the palate, the wine is full of cherry, cassis, blackcurrant, blackberry and plum notes with a notable but not unpleasant herbaceous note of blackcurrant leaf. There is a spicy quality to the wine and a cooked fruit quality to the fruit on the palate as well but it is nicely balanced by a tinge of stony minerality. There are also notes of cinnamon, cloves, cedar and chocolate alongside forest floor and dried violets. With a full body and good tannins and acidity, this is a wine that stands very tall in terms of representing what good quality, delicious Carmenere from Chile can be.

Aging potential:

2 years. Decant for one hour if you are drinking it now.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Enjoy this wine with grilled burgers or sausages.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 90 points

This is a really enjoyable wine, especially for a Carmenere. It is not overtly herbaceous as some Carmenere wines tend to be and it has a complexity and depth that clearly demonstrates the care and attention that has gone into both the fruit and the winemaking behind this wine.

FINAL VERDICT:

A definite recommended buy in my view.

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine!……

Cheers…..XOXO

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