Carménère, originally cultivated in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, is part of the Cabernet family. It derives its name from the French term for crimson, “carmin”. Despite its French origins, it’s not frequently found in France today, with Chile boasting the world’s largest plantations of this grape variety.
The 2020 vintage of ASDA Extra Special Carménère received a commendable score of 91 points out of 100 from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), who praised its rich concentration of fruit flavours, nuanced spice and oak accents and distinct savoury and smoky notes. This particular vintage also has a respectable 3.9 out of 5 on Vivino. However, for me, after tasting various vintages side by side (called vertical tasting), the exceptional vintage was 2019 that had a deeper and rounder finish than 2020 and 2021. 2020 and 2021 are also stronger at 14% ABV rather than 13.5% for 2019.
This wine, containing a 10% Shiraz blend, is produced by Luis Felipe Edwards, the biggest family-owned wine company in Chile, who export to over 70 countries.
I have found this wine goes particularly well with smoky dishes such as chilli con carne. It’s well-priced at between £7 and £8 and exceptional value when part of a 25% offer.
