TWC planned to review a Chilean wine with an unusual blend of grapes but that might not be fair to today’s sponsor, Smoking Loon Winery.
Huh? Well sure, I'm aware that Chilean wine is odd. Of course, chili 'n beer would be a better pairing (omigod), but anyway, onward….
Veramonte Winery’s Primus is a big fat rich mouthful of red wine from the Casa Blanca Valley of Chile featuring the lost grape Carmanere, together with Merlot, and Cabernet in that order. This is an elegant and complex wine with many layers of subtle flavors and aromas. Matched with a fine meal your guests will be singularly impressed (they’ll think you spent a lot more than you did, always a plus).
Another plus is that TWC didn't suffer from any of the morning after allergy symptoms (pollens?) that are typical of Spanish & Chilean reds (at least for me). These wines tend to give me the same kind of next-morning pleasure as mowing a half acre of ragweed-IOW a couple glasses of Spanish or Chilean red wine translates into an instant cold that is only alleviated with Claratin. Didn't get that with Primus.
Carmanere (also called Grand Carmenet) is a rare red grape that once was THE premier grape of Bordeaux. It was obliterated in the 1800’s by a nasty disease called phylloxera that ravaged many of the vineyards of Europe. The grape was lost for a century and many assumed it to be extinct. Up until the 1990's this grape was thought to be simply a Chilean adaptation of Merlot but with subsequent advances in technology and science it was learned that it was the long lost Carmanere grape of Europe.
The Wine Spectator rates Primus at 89 and calls it a “smart buy”. Although it hails from Chile, Veramonte Primus is part of the Franciscan family, known for its superb California Merlot (drink some today). Primus is available for under $20.00 just about anywhere but can be found for as little as $12.00 if one is paying attention.
As Ever,
TWC
