Carmenere
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 2–5 years from the vintage release to appreciate its vibrant fruit and soft tannins.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, beef empanadas, roasted pork loin
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from Chile's fertile Central Valley, Viña Morandé's Carmenere celebrates the country's signature grape with a rich sense of history. Once thought to be extinct in its native Bordeaux after the phylloxera plague of the 19th century, Carmenere survived in Chile, masquerading as Merlot for over a century until its dramatic rediscovery in 1994. Morandé, led by visionary founder Pablo Morandé, was at the forefront of championing this lost grape. Crafted to showcase the grape's expressive, fruit-forward character, this wine is typically sourced from select vineyards across the Central Valley, where warm days and cool nights allow the late-ripening variety to achieve optimal phenolic maturity. The winemaking process focuses on preserving vibrant fruit flavors, often utilizing gentle extraction and modest oak aging to impart structure while maintaining the grape's characteristic soft, velvety tannins and herbal complexity.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1996 by visionary winemaker Pablo Morandé—widely recognized for pioneering cool-climate viticulture in the Casablanca Valley—Viña Morandé stands among Chile's most inventive and respected wine producers. Operating across premier terroirs spanning the Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, and Maule valleys, the estate blends traditional craftsmanship with relentless innovation, utilizing unconventional aging vessels such as concrete eggs, ceramic amphorae, and large French oak foudres. The winery produces a comprehensive spectrum of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines, highlighted by the benchmark Gran Reserva series, terroir-driven Terrarum range, and the flagship Bordeaux-style blend, House of Morandé. Guided by a philosophy of authentic terroir expression and stylistic daring, Morandé consistently showcases the dynamic potential and regional diversity of contemporary Chilean viticulture.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Carmenere
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13-14%