The grapes for this Premier Reserva Merlot are grown in the somewhat cooler Colchagua Valley. Merlot grapes often develop a roughness and harshness when planted in overly warm vineyards, but the Merlot ripens perfectly in this Valley. By using grapes from different terroirs, the wine gains complexity and depth. For a week, the grapes macerate on the skins at a temperature of four degrees Celsius. This gives the wine a powerful and intense fruit character. Fermentation at a controlled temperature of 25 degrees Celsius preserves the fruit in the wine perfectly. Finally, eighty percent of the wine is aged for nine months in French and American oak barrels. The remaining twenty percent sees only stainless steel. A small amount of Malbec is then added, giving Carmen's Merlot additional depth and backbone.
On the nose, this Carmen Premier Reserva Merlot has a very intense bouquet of notes of blackcurrant, pepper, blackberry, and a delicious hint of vanilla and a touch of coffee grounds. A refined wine with a soft character. All of this is reflected in the palate, where we discovered purity and intensity, softness and creaminess, with abundant black fruit, a hint of cinnamon, and bay leaf on the back of the tongue. This Carmen Premier Reserva Merlot has a soft, long finish—in short, a top-notch wine!
