Root: 1 Carmenere 2007

i recently sampled 3 different wines from this chilean winery. the name comes from the fact that these grapes were grown on ungrafted, original root stock. the carmenere is the first one to fall under the microscope. the nose was promising with blueberry, raspberry and spice notes coming through. the taste was spicy and fruity with plum and blackberry flavors, notes of clove and a really interesting sweet cigar flavor. it was a little tannic at the start, but opened nicely in the glass with a little swirling. the price was nice at about $11-12. try this with pasta dishes.

Frontera Carmenere 2007

another offering from chile. i tried the sauvignon blanc recently and it was not bad for the price so i decided to go red this time. the nose of the carmenere was blackberry, black pepper, and vanilla. i also picked up a slightly minty, eucalyptus aroma as well. the palate was black cherry and anise, with pepper notes coming through also. the wine was a bit tight and green, but overall, it was not bad. sells for about $7 and worth another try.

Cava Submarinas Carmenere 2006

there is an interesting story about how this wine is aged. in underwater caves in chile! when i first heard this i was skeptical. if you look into this on you tube, there are videos to prove it. not sure what this does to the wine, but i really enjoyed it. a nose of dark fruit, anise and earth. on the palate an immediate flavor of black cherry, followed by dark chocolate cordial and licorice flavors. very complex and very tasty. i have had this bottle laying in my cellar for about a year. i paid about $14 for it. a steal at that price for as big and bold a wine as this was.

coming soon…a visit to a local ohio winery where they produce some very exciting wines.