# Carmenisco Reserva Carménère (2022)

- **Producer:** Viñedos El Paraíso
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Carménère
- **Region:** Maule Valley, Chile
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €15
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, bell pepper, black pepper, herbaceous, vanilla, cloves, toast, chocolate, tobacco, cedar

## About this wine

Carmenisco is an innovative Carménère produced by Viñedos El Paraíso (VDA Family Wines) in Chile's historic Maule Valley. This wine represents a bold fusion of Chilean winemaking traditions, combining the country's signature red grape variety with an unconventional aging vessel. The Maule Valley's Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm days and cool nights, provides the ideal conditions for Carménère to ripen fully, developing its characteristic profile while retaining balanced acidity.

## Interesting facts

- Aged in authentic Chilean Pisco barrels, a highly unusual technique that bridges the worlds of wine and spirits.
- Carménère was historically mistaken for Merlot in Chile until DNA testing in 1994 revealed its true identity.
- Produced by Viñedos El Paraíso, part of the family-owned VDA Wines estate in the heart of the Maule Valley.

## Food pairing

Carménère's natural herbal notes and moderate tannins pair beautifully with roasted and grilled meats. The unique Pisco barrel aging adds a touch of sweet spice and warmth, making it an exceptional match for dishes featuring sweet-savory glazes, smoked meats, or rich reductions that echo the wine's complex profile.

## Wine making process

The defining feature of Carmenisco is its unique aging process. After traditional temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve the primary fruit characteristics of the Carménère grape, the wine is aged in barrels previously used for maturing Pisco, Chile's famous grape brandy. This innovative finishing technique imparts distinctive aromatic nuances and rounds out the tannins, creating a singular expression of the variety.