Viu Manent Carmenére Reserva
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Unique in its form and style, this is a fun wine to drink with lots of black pepper notes on the palate. Ideal for everyday wine. Comes from different estate Carmenere vineyards in the Colchagua Valley.
Varietal Composition: 90% Carménère. 6% Malbec, 4% Syrah
Elaboration: The grapes were destemmed into a stainless steel tank. Alcoholic fermentation took place with native yeasts at 24º–26ºC with 4 daily pumpovers, and ending with a post-fermentation maceration for about a week. The subsequent malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. Part of the wine was aged in oak barrels. After the different components were blended, the wine was gently filtered and bottled. Oak: the blend was aged for 6 months in used French oak barrel.
Tasting Notes: Ruby red with violet nuances and intense aromas of spices and abundant ripe fruit such as plums and black cherries along with a bit of cinnamon. The palate is juicy and medium bodied with very good balance. balanced, with a smooth texture and a pleasing finish.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
After working as a wine merchant alongside his father and brother since the 1930’s, Miguel Viu Manent made the decision to branch out on his own in 1965, purchasing a historic vineyard and winery in Chile’s Colchagua Valley. The estate was and still is one of the most well-exposed sites in the region, and it included 150 hectares of pre-phylloxera massal selections from France.
This company provides us with wines we consider the best value wines in the country (see “Reserva line), forward/experimental options (see “Secreto” line), some of the most solid “under $20” varietal wines you’ll find anywhere in the world (see “Gran Reserva” line), site specific/terroir driven releases (see “Single Vineyard” wines), and most famously the iconic “Viu 1.” Malbec is clearly the house specialty here – Viu Manent was the first Chilean winery to bottle, label, and market Malbec, and they’ve for years been Chile’s Malbec leaders both in terms of accolades and quantity produced.
After nearly 100 years this firm is still family owned and operated (a rarity in Chile, especially for a winery of this size), all farming is certified sustainable, and two of Chile’s top names consult with the winery on a permanent basis – Roberto Pizarro (vineyard management) and Paul Hobbs (winemaking).