All the medallists from the Global Carmenere Masters 2024

It may have a chequered history, but Carmenere has found its home in the vineyards of Chile, becoming the country’s emblematic grape. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports.

Carmenere is a name that should flow across the tongue of any astute wine drinker. The wines from this once almost unknown grape variety are a treasure trove and prove excellent value for money, as the judges discovered in our second Global Carmenere Masters.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the grape was cultivated in Bordeaux, usually in a field blend with its parent Cabernet Franc and its half-siblings Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Together these varieties established the reputations of many top properties. But then the dreaded phylloxera struck and, upon replanting, most properties used the more prolific, easier-to-grow Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and the aromatic, lighter-bodied Cabernet Franc.

Luckily, a few intrepid travellers exported Carmenere to Chile before the onset of phylloxera, where it continues to thrive, although small pockets of Carmenere can still be found in Bordeaux, and indeed in north Italy. In the drier climate of Chile, Carmenere has better fruit set and more resistance to fungal diseases and, therefore, higher yields. It also gives riper fruit at harvest. As this year’s Global Carmenere Masters competition demonstrates, Chile is undoubtedly the modern powerhouse of this variety, delivering a wide range of styles and prices. In fact, nearly all of our Gold and Master medals in this year’s tasting went to Chilean producers.

Oak ageing

Carmenere seems to need some oak ageing to fill the mid-palate and add depth to the bright fruit, herbal and mint nuances. The judges unearthed some Gold winners at less than £10, making Casa Silva and Cono Sur well worth looking out for. At £15–£20, Concha y Toro’s Marques de Casa Concha is exemplary. The wines at £20–£30 are truly interesting: textured, layered and balanced. The fruit quality shines through, the use of oak welljudged. The wines from Terra Noble, Casa Silva and VIK are worth sourcing and have time in hand for cellaring.

At around £45, Viña Sutil Acrux, a blend of Carmenere and other Bordeaux varieties from Colchagua, is a real gem, showing balance and texture, and pairing especially well with rare beef or lamb. Inama’s Carminium, evocative of the region’s Roman ancestry in the Colli Berici near Vicenza, is another fabulous wine at under £50.

Based on this year’s judging, it’s impossible to go wrong with Carmenere over £50, whether as a varietal or as a blend. Viña Santa Rita’s Pewën and Viña Montes’s Wings are both from the Apalta area of Colchagua Valley, suggesting that this may be a sub-zone to watch closely for outstanding Carmenere.