| The
Lost Fruit of Bordeaux
Known as the ‘grandfather’ of Bordeaux varieties, Carménère is one of the oldest noble grape varieties of Europe, and was once widespread in the world famous Medoc region of Bordeaux. However, nowadays it is almost impossible to find wines made from this grape in France. As In 1867 Phylloxera plague destroyed almost all the vineyards of Europe, affecting in particular Carménère vineyards which were particularly susceptible to the disease and not easily grafted after the plague, such that it was believed extinct for over 100 years Since its rediscovery 21 years ago, Carménère production has grown from a few dozen hectares to around 10,000 hectares. Today, Chile is home to more than 90% of the world’s Carménère plantations.And it is still hard to find outside. However, slight amounts of Carménère are being replanted in Italy, France, New Zealand, and the United States. Carménère arrived from Bordeaux to Chile around 1850, veiled among other grape varieties such as Merlot, and the ideal conditions of the Chilean terroir favoured its subsistence through the years. In fact, Carménère flourished perfectly in the soils of Maipo Valley and was being used in some of the country’s top quality wines. Even if winemakers at the time believed it was actually Merlot. In fact, these grapes are easy to confuse because Carménère shares the meaty, fleshy characteristics of Merlot, but it also develops spicy and vegetal aromas more typical of Cabernet Sauvignon. Nonetheless, Carménère has unique qualities that make it distinguish from other varieties such as the flame red colour of its leaves before the grape ripens |