Carménère, the lost sibling of Bordeaux

By Mary Malik

Let’s talk about Carménère, the lost sibling of Bordeaux. For pronunciation guidance, we turn to Jim Sperk of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild.

“It’s kahr meh NYAIR, not cow manure,” jokes Jim. “The grape was originally planted in Bordeaux. The name ‘Carménère’ comes from the French word for crimson, carmin, which refers to the reddish hue on the underside of the leaves when young.”

According to Jim, Carménère is one of the six grapes, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, that were the only grapes allowed by law to be used for classic red Bordeaux wines.

“In the 1860s, the phylloxera insect epidemic destroyed many grapevines in Europe, especially France,” says Jim. “The Carménère grape was thought to be extinct. However, cuttings of several vines found their way to Chile perhaps as early as 1550 and among those was the Carménère, although it was mistaken for the Merlot grape, which was planted in the same vineyards.”

Although the grapes look similar, it was the crimson leaves that made the difference. And the Carménère grape ripens two to three weeks after Merlot.

“The rediscovery of the variety in Chile took winemakers years to perfect a decent style,” says Jim. “A too hot climate may produce a wine with high alcohol and lower acidity. Too much rain and the wine becomes herbaceous with green pepper overtones.”

Today, high-end Carménère wines are medium bodied, dark red with aromas and flavors of berries, spices and sometimes smokiness and chocolate.

For information on the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.