Reserva Carmenere 2019, Casas del Bosque, Rapel Valley

Deep red with a garnet hue. Aromas reminiscent of black cherries, plums and dry leaves with a hint of green bell pepper are complemented with tertiary notes of chocolate and spice . This Carménère is soft and plump, with supple tannins and good length.

Casas del Bosque was founded in 1993 by Juan Cuneo Solari and was one of the first wineries in the Casablanca Valley. Today it is still family owned and managed. The Cuneo’s have 245 hectares of vines in Santa Rosa on the west side of the Casablanca Valley, considered the coolest spot in the region. Plantings include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Carmenere and Pinot Noir all drip irrigated from subterranean wells. Additionally their Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere are grown from vines growing in Maipo and Rapel Valley. The Casas del Bosque philosophy is based on the constant search for excellence. Quality instead of quantity is at the heart of their viticultural practices, as they strive to produced only the best wines possible.

Most of the fruit is from an area called Almahue, long recognized for the quality of its Carménère, and part of the famed Peumo sub-appellation. Crop levels are less than 10 tons per hectare (4.5 tons per acre). Warm days and cool nights throughout the season. Average temperatures in summer are 21.8ºC and in winter 10.8ºC. Mean diurnal shifts in March are 17ºC. Yearly rainfall is 315 mm on average, falling mostly between May and September.