Carmenere

It is no wonder Carmenere is often compared to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Offering the soft plummy fruit of Merlot while maintaining the tannic structure of Cabernet Sauvignon it remains distinct imparting a spicy and peppery quality. Once widely cultivated in Bordeaux, Carmenere's niche now lies in forming some of the most popular varietal wines of Chile. Due to the grapes susceptibility to poor fruit set (coulure) and low yields, Carmenere was one of the varieties that didn't get replanted after the Phylloxera epidemic that hit Bordeaux at the end of the 19th Century. Meanwhile in Chile it wasn't until 1994 that the grape, which many mistook for Merlot and that contributed a large proportion of the countries quality wine, was correctly identified. In addition a large swathe of what was thought to be Cabernet Franc in northern Italian regions of Lombardy, and Veneto turns out to have been Carmenere.