Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and tobacco, with cassis and cola overtones. In the mouth powdery, chalky tannins wrap around a core of black cherry and tobacco tinged with earthy savoriness. Good acidity and length.

Very ripe black fruit, oaky, elegant, very sappy, smoky note, dense on the palate, velvety, very good potential, zesty finish.

Very rocky volcanic, dry soil; a warm site that ripens grapes into a plush, exotically perfumed cabernet.

A cool site with clay-laden volcanic soils; picked later than Montana, so more depth, more punch; dense, packed, powerful, many-layered.

An indigo-dark, velvet-soft red, this Cabernet Sauvignon broods with dark chocolate and espresso that bespeak its mountain terroir.

Next up was the Alcance Carmenère 2014. Sánchez started by questioning how the grape could have been confused with Merlot in Chile for so long. His own experience has shown how very different the two grapes actually are from both the appearance of the leaves and the grapes and even more telling the difference in the ripening schedule. He mentioned that the Merlot is typically harvested in mid to late March while the Carmenère is picked in the middle of May, over a month and a half difference. He discussed how he finds the grape somewhat difficult to work with as picking too early can create a wine with heavy green notes and despite his best efforts it can also have a bit of a hollow feeling mid-palate that requires an added bit of Cabernet Sauvignon for more substance. I found the wine to be nicely spicy with no green notes, primarily aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries with a black pepper note through the lengthy finish. This wine was also sourced from the El Maitén Estate Vineyard.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Black cherry, black berry, blueberry, abundance of spice, cocoa, no green notes; elegant on palate, crushed velvet mouth-feel, long finish.

2014 Alcance Gran Reserva Carmenère – harvested from 20-year vines and notes of herbs, spice, black fruit and a great acidity. Old Vines Carmenère – how fun!

Final 2017 Update: The top 30 That Turned My Head in this Tasting In honor of Carménère Day, I was sent several bottles to explore the differences of this unique grape. Carménère is a red wine that originated in Bordeaux, France, and now grows almost only in Chile. The grape was actually once thought to be Merlot when it was first transported into Chile. My two favorites were: 2014 Alcance Carménère – this wine was incredibly smooth with lots of red and black fruit, exotic spice, mocha and minerality.

11 wines introduce you to Chilean carmenere's inky charms Blackberry and other dark fruits were joined by vanilla, cedar, smoke and spice in this 90/10 carmenere/cabernet sauvignon blend from the Maule Valley.

Our next pour was the Alcance Merlot 2015 from the El Maitén vineyard in the Valle del Maule. This vineyard area lies west of Talca, the region's largest city. Sánchez stated that this growing area has clay-rich soils that Merlot loves. The wine itself is gently treated with only 10% seeing 18 months in new French Oak resulting in a lighter, fresher style of Merlot bursting with dark plum character with a soft, lush finish. As we tasted, burrata with grilled peppers, eggplant, olives, and tomatoes on pesto with pita bread arrived to the table.

The Best Merlot Wine To Enjoy Now: MerlotMe Another fabulous Chilean Merlot I recently had the pleasure of tasting was The Alcance Grand Merlot from Alcance Wines. This was very delicious Merlot with bold rich flavors I loved, extremely smooth and silky in texture which was beautiful. I also tasted through quite a bit of the Alcance Wines and enjoyed them all. So if you’re looking for something outside of California check out Alcance Wines and be sure to taste this incredible Merlot.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black cherries and mocha, full body, ripe tannins, smooth finish.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Fresh picked violets, black cherry, black berry, plum, baking spice, dusty cocoa; fresh palate, light with nice lift, round, elegant, feminine.

2014 Alcance Gran Reserva Merlot – sourced from 16-year-old vines with notes of chocolate, spice, plum, dark fruit and earthy notes.

As the final wine, the Alcance Vigno Carignan 2014, was poured, seared lamb chops with sautéed arugula and savory bread pudding arrived for the entire group to taste alongside. Sánchez shared that Carignan was commonly grown in the Valle Del Maule in the 1940s. He stated that the variety is even mentioned in historical Chilean wine books from over a hundred years ago though no one is sure who originally brought the vines over. He founded an organization that includes fourteen high quality growers called the VIGNO Association of Chile with the goal of promoting old vine Carignon that has been head pruned and dry-farmed. Sánchez oversees fourteen acres of Carignan that are approximately 50-70 years old. The wine was definitely a welcome surprise for the table with its light floral nose with juicy red berry flavors, refined tannins, fresh acidity, and a lingering finish. It was a perfect pairing with the lamb chops.

Long-established wines are classic for a reason ...speaking to the Jacksons’ global reach, I recently discovered their gorgeous Alcance wines from Chile. Winemaker Andres Sanchez, a Santiago native, presented his chardonnay, merlot, cabernet and carmenère, all under $20, plus two special bottles, the Bordeaux-style Bravura and the Vigno. The latter is a 100 percent carignan made from grapes grown on 50- to 70-year-old vines. Priced at about $35 (wine.com), it’s the most surprising, intriguing wine I’ve tasted this year.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Name derived from Spanish word “vino” with an added “g” of Carignan; an appellation concept wine made of 65-year old dry farmed Carignan vines; intense red fruit, dried savory herbs, baking spice, red flowers, olive tapenade, dusty earth; complex, layered, elegant, restrained, dazzling.

2014 Alcance Vigno – This 100% Carignan varietal, is made from 50 to 70-year-old Carignan vines with notes of red fruit, spice, flowers and tomato leaf. This involves a group of 17 producers with a goal of keeping dry farmed, Old Vines Carnigan alive, establishing the first Chilean DOC and protecting the laborers who manage and own the vineyards.

The next pour was the Bravura 2013. This proprietary red blend's name means courage in Spanish though it takes no bravery to enjoy this wine.The label was inspired by a Chilean dance. Though the nose was a bit austere, the wine had good structure with a a nice freshness and dense tannins with a persistent mixed berry finish. The wine is a Bordeaux blend that is sourced from the highest quality areas of the Maipo Valley Estate, it is only produced in the best years and always in limited quantities.

Like This, Try That: Bordeaux Edition Chile, you say? Okay, so this choice might be bending the rules a bit, but hear us out. Alcance’s Bravura Red certainly takes inspiration from Bordeaux, but consider this wine Bordeaux’s wilder, more demonstrative cousin. It’s 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, so there’s the black plum, blueberry, chocolate, and cedar you expect, but the addition of the long-last Carmenere and splash of Petit Verdot introduces a “what was that?!” factor that’s tons of fun. There’s an herbaceousness and salinity that evoke alfresco, family-style dinners under trees draped in fairty lights. Each sip makes you want to sit on the porch and laugh with friends as the kids chase lightning bugs. It demands a grilled steak but would be equally happy with a muffuletta. As with most bold Bordeaux blends, this wine could use a few more use to mellow and come into its own. Grab a few bottles and drink them a few years a part. It’s fun to see how these wines evolve, and how our own tastes develop too.

The Chilean Wine Revolution Expands Bravura means “courage;” a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Petite Verdot; rich notes of ripe dark fruit, spice, olive tapenade, dried savory herbs, worn leather, black pepper, trailing vanilla; complex, layered wine that delivers across the palate, long finish, pure expression of terroir.

2013 Bravura Proprietary Red — Meaning “courage” in Spanish, Bravura is sourced from highest quality vineyards and is only produced in exceptional vintages. It is a Bordeaux blend and has notes of spice, berry, plum, black fruits, herbs, chocolate, cedar and olive tapenade.

80-year-old Carignan bushvines were picked two weeks early in this particularly hot, dry year when the crop was 20% down. Aged in 'neutral French oak' for 18 months. Mid crimson. Medium intensity elderberry nose. Pretty tart and uncompromising on the palate. It finishes with the same sort of sucky-stony character as the Bravura bordeaux blend but doesn't have nearly as much fruit on the mid palate.