A couple of months ago, I was invited to join an online tasting of several wines from Chile. Having visited the country a few years ago and enjoying my time there immensely, I gladly agreed. Soon thereafter, six bottles of Carménère, Chile’s signature red wine grape landed on my doorstep.

Carménère originated in Bordeaux, France, but it was abandoned in the region after the phylloxera outbreak in the mid-1800s since it was much more difficult to grow in the often cool climate of Bordeaux than Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the course of the next century and a half, Carménère became known as the “lost Bordeaux” and was practically extinct save a few rogue vines scattered throughout southwest France.

Then, in 1994, a French expert in the cultivation of grape vines (vocabulary word of the day: ampelographer), Jean-Michel Boursiquot, was visiting Chile when he discovered that many of the vines that the Chileans had been calling Merlot (or “Merlot Chileno” since it was slightly different than other Merlot vines), was actually Carménère.

In the thirty years since that discovery, Carménère, which thrives in the Chilean soil and climate, has become the red variety of the country. Much like Malbec in Argentina or perhaps Shiraz in Australia, Carménère has essentially become synonymous with “red Chilean wine”.

It was against this backdrop that I joined the Zoom call with several other wine writers one fall Tuesday morning. Since I usually try to avoid getting my drink on before noon, I did not taste the wines until a few days ago when I gathered a few of the local winos wine experts to help me out.

Here are the six wines, in the order they were tasted….

2020 Invina Carménère Luma Chequén Carménère Gran Reserva, Central Valley, Chile: Retail $18. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (884g; 1lb 15.2oz). Under agglomerated stopper. 100% Carménère. Rather dark with plenty of rich berry fruit and a healthy dose of green pepper, this is a blend from two vineyard sites: one at elevation and cool, the other lower and a bit hotter. Fruity (plum and blueberry) and intense on the palate as well with a bit of black pepper and mocha mix in with the dark fruit. Some tannins on the finish, but mostly integrated and rather silky. Excellent. 90 Points.

2020 TerraNoble Carménère CA2 Costa, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Retail $37. Really Heavy Bottle (771g; 1lb 11.2oz). DIAM10. 100% Carménère. Dark in the glass with spicy red fruit (plum and blackberry) and a definite pyrazine note, but more of a mint or basil than green pepper. The palate is quite fruity, but smooth and well-balanced with fruit and acidity singing well in concert. It finishes with a touch (but only a touch of tannin) and might be a bit hot on the finish. Excellent. 91 Points.

2020 Montes Carménère Wings, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Retail $60. Really Heavy Bottle. Under cork. Carmenère 85%, Cabernet Franc 15%. Really dark in the glass with plenty of spice initially followed by plenty of fruit, particularly a blackberry cobbler kinda thing going on. The palate is surprisingly tart, masking the fruit initially, but that fruit came roaring in on the mid-palate but much brighter than I would have expected based on the nose. Fantastic. Excellent. 92 Points.

2020 Veramonte Carménère Primus, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Retail $20. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (827g; 1lb 13.2oz). Under cork. 100% Carménère. There is certainly a meaty, animal-type vibe here (ox blood?) with some fruit sneaking through along with some black olive on the nose. The palate is fairly big with an initial wave of fruit but said fruit is more baked, stewed, even jammy with hints of mocha and spice. The finish is somewhat short with hints of mocha. Very Good. 88 Points.

2021 Morandé Carménère Vitis Unica, Maipo Valley, Chile: Retail $20. Heavy bottle (663g; 1lb 7.4oz). Under DIAM10. 100% Carmenère. Quite herbal on the nose of this dark purple wine with hints of blackberry and plum coming through on the backend. The palate is quite delightful and at $20? This is certainly a bargain: great dark fruit, a savory note, plenty of tartness and just enough intrigue to keep one engaged. Excellent. 91 Points.

2021 Viña San Esteban Carménère In Situ Reserva, Aconcagua Valley, Chile: Retail $13. Very Responsible bottle (400g; 14.1oz). Under agglomerated stopper. 95% Carmenère, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the last bottle out of six that I tasted for a Chilean Carmenère deep dive and well, honestly? This should have been the first wine sampled. Why? All the hallmarks are there: red and dark fruit, a bit of spice, hints of earth. But. This wine is lacking the depth and even balance that the others had. Sure, there is acidity, but it stops short of balancing the fruit (of which there is a ton). It is a nice wine, even very good, but it pales when compared to some of the others. Very Good. 87 Points.