Discarded French wine grape warms to Chile

South American winemakers have taken lesser-known Bordeaux varietals and put them on the tips of consumers’ tongues… and palates. Perhaps Argentina might want to add some red to its flag, in order to represent the way Malbec has become the country’s signature wine.

Chile, with its flourishing wineries in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, has also embraced the cultivation of red grapes. And while a Bordeaux stalwart – Cabernet Sauvignon – is widely bottled there, it’s the more obscure Carmenère that is Chile’s triumphant reclamation project.

“Carmenère has a lot of character, some spiciness and forward fruit, but it’s not a total fruit bomb,” says JB Ballard of Wine Discount Center in Highland Park.

Most oenophiles refer to five main red varietals in Bordeaux. The sixth – Carmenère – is typically omitted. It took a long time for the fruit to ripen when compared with the others. Eventually, French vintners gave up on it. 

There is a parallel in music. Many fans of Classic Rock say there are five Rolling Stones; pianist Ian Stewart – the “sixth Stone” – never appeared on the album covers. He looked too “normal,” and was only credited with tiny liner notes.

Although the square-jawed Stewart is now deceased, Carmenère plantings are alive and well in Chile. It’s an expressive, plush and aromatic red, and it prefers the warmer climate. There’s often a peppery element in its bouquet, not unlike Cabernet Franc. This, along with its subtle acidity, keeps the wine from getting too flabby – balancing its pronounced juiciness. And, it makes for great food pairings.

One reasonably priced Carmenère is the 2008 Chono ($13), which imparts generous fruit on the palate – initially. The wave of cherry-pie flavors is reined in by soft tannins and understated acidity.

“It has the red fruit of Merlot, but Carmenère has an added dimension of dried, roasted herbs,” says Joe Alter of The Bottle Shop in Wilmette, which carries the Chono.

A leaner alternative is the 2008 Cono Sur ($12) from Kafka Wine on Chicago’s North Side. It has notes of white pepper and cedar on the nose, with subtle berry and currant flavors on the palate.

Well-seasoned, roasted poultry would be tasty with both of these Carmenère choices, especially duck with a raspberry sauce. Slowly braised short ribs would also pair nicely with the varietal’s lively richness.

But most interesting of all might be the way this Bordeaux castoff is helping to change the focus of New-World vintners. The grape is tapping into creativity and innovation – traits that are not always part of an inherently traditional industry.

“There’s been a revolution of smaller, more artisanal, vineyard-driven wine producers,” says Alter. “A number of the Carmenère producers in Chile are a part of this.”

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