Bordeaux blend?

So, I think most everyone has heard the phrase "Bordeaux blend" on any number of occasions, whether talking about actual wines from the region or a wannabe from CA or Australia or elsewhere. Most of the time these wines are cabernet sauvignon based with maybe some merlot, cab franc or, rarely, malbec or petit verdot.

But what's missing here? What's missing is the 6th grape of good ol' Bordeaux, Carmenere. Many people do not know that Carmenere is the 6th blending grape of Bordeaux. The fact that it is legal, does not mean it is still commercially utilized. After the phylloxera catastrophe this varietal was not replanted. And this is not so surprising considering that the grape needs: warm temperatures, abundant sunshine and does well in a dry climate; none of which seem to appear on a regular basis in Bordeaux, at least until global warming struck.

Given that none of these criteria are found in Bordeaux on a regular basis, one can only assume that the winegrowers were popping too many corks when they made this one of the "approved" grapes for the region. This is borne out by the fact that the grape was not replanted after said catastrophe, and no one seems to have missed it in 100+ years. Apparently, it was never a large part of the blending process, and of even less importance.

Except that some prescient folks in Chile brought back numerous cuttings in the 19th century and planted them in what may be the world's best location for growing wine. The climate, similar to California in many ways offers many areas with lots of sunshine, dry weather, but with the addition of generally available irrigation, courtesy of the gods of the Andes. The snow melt rivers flow with abandon and offer plentiful water for the taking.

Seems like a match of the ages, right? Yeh, except that most Chilean growers thought that Carmenere was actually Merlot. It was not until the mid 1990s that a positive genetic ID was made that separated C. from M. which brings me to the title of the post.

Vina y Bodega Estampa S.A. produces a Chilean version of a "Bordeaux blend" with a Chilean twist: Carmenere is 60% of the blend; cabernet sauvignon is 22%, and cabernet franc is 18%. What we have is wine that full bodied, smoky, spicy, intensely fruity with dark fruits, showing a presence of oak and minerality (terroir) with ripe tannins from the C.S. and red fruit overtones from the C. F. This is a magnificent wine.

Vintage 2007 is ready to drink, but if you find some, buy a case and let it sit for a while. The structure is there for 5-10 years of aging.

Bordeaux blend with a Chilean twist. Estate bottled and waiting for you.