This past November, Carmen, Chile’s oldest winery, released a new Carmenere to mark the 20th anniversary of Carmenere’s rediscovery. Indeed, for years, the Carmenere grape was mistakenly thought to be Merlot, which it closely resembles, and many people believed Carmenere had simply died out. In November 1994, however, the grape was identified in the Carmen winery estate vineyards by a French grape expert. Featuring the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon and the roundness of Merlot, Carmenere has recently been growing in popularity in the U.S. Imported into the U.S. by Trinchero Family Estates, Carmen Gran Reserva 2011 Carmenere has a suggested retail price of $15.
