15% Syrah. Aged in French oak for 12m. Purple and inky (due to daily pump-overs). Typical delicious Carmenere smell. Dusty, with green peppers. 14% seems warm but just about manages it. Fruity, with mint on the end.

04/10/07

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mel

I had the '07 last.

As you say, inky colur, rich nose. Very dry, grainy, dry leathery taste with little to please, quiet hot. I wanted to like this but found it hard work, there was no lift. Not terrible but....

Carmenere is unlovely with bottle age.

It is a heavy cropping brute, supposedly on Merlot stocks - Go figure

I remember way back, when Waitrose did late evening tasting sessions, and sent down an employed MW from head office to take us through the wines.

Carmenere was the new trendy style from Chile, and it came in huge funny shaped bottles with an Andean design style label. A brute of a wine when young, and going for instant stool staining appeal.

I bought a few boutique ones to try, the 1st was ok, instant hit, low acidity, full and tooth staining - but the same one/two dimension of flavour all the way through, shortish lenght. So I decided to lay a couple down.

3 years on - No elegance, not enough acidity to water the mouth, furry and grainy, flat. I dont think many of these will ever settle out, they will always be an emulsion, so never fine to my mind. Perhaps this is my mindset

No - As GK has said, no lift, dried out old boots, little elegance.

Frankly I believe these root stocks have been re-bred with one brutish aim in mind.....and sadly, that is quite a way backwards from good ole Chilean Merlot.

If someone wants to recommend one with some elegance, some extra dimension to entertain the taste buds, something memorable, I'll re-access my opinion, in the meantime, I very much regret to say - I'm steering clear.

Good when quite young for a Barbequeue.

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Duncan