Viña Santa Carolina CarmenËre 2002, D.O. Rapel Valley

Colour: very dark red purple.
Nose: quite expressive, warm, with many spicy and earthy impressions (tea, laurel, ), some smoke and very nice and ripe fruit (cherry, blackberry), a touch of vanilla, beautiful balance, attractive mix of delicious fruit and earthy nuances.
Taste: concentrated, with elegance, richness, good acidity, juiciness, ripe and clean fruit, some vanilla, smoke, earthy and spicy impressions, sweet, soft and ripe tannins, excellent balance, modern style with interesting varietal (+ vineyard?) character.
Finish: quite long, warm, mild, with spices, fruit an vanilla, touch of smoke and sweetness, rich extract, good matching acidity, excellent balance.

* Technically a perfect wine, round, smooth and nicely concentrated, good acidity, excellent balance, but above all a beautiful fruitiness with many earthy and spicy nuances, even elegance and a touch of complexity. Interesting, beautiful and delicious.

- Can be drunk now, drink before 2008.

- Who believes all New World wines are boring and bland should try this wine. I must admit it is perfect, maybe a bit too perfect for some people, but also the character of the wine is just great, not middle of the road, but with a beautiful and interesting strong own character. A Chilean classic? and for a low price too!

- lotnr.: L 4005

- tasted: 11-04-’05

- estimated retail price ca. 6 euro

- average production: not known

- Viña Santa Carolina, Til Til 2228, Macul, tel.: + 56  2 4503000 fax: + 56 2 2380307  Contact: María José Alvarez   malvarez@santacarolina.cl / web site: www.santacarolina.com
Export agent: Poot Agenturen, Jan van de Laarweg 12, 2678 LH De Lier, The Netherlands, tel.: +31-174-512561 / fax.: +31-174-514123 / e-mail: info@poot.nl