Anakena (Chile) Reserve Carmenere 2003
Jorge Gutierrez and Felipe Ibanez created Anakena in 1996, to produce modern, internationally styled premium wines. The state of the art cellars in the Rapel Valley are all about producing sound, commercial wines for the international market. Whilst it is always nice to seek out the small, artisan producer, there is undeniably a place for well-made wines like this Carmenere (which has around 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend). The product of a single vineyard, half of this wine was aged in new French and American oak for six months. It has a saturated, almost black colour, and a nose that has some of carmenere’s slightly leafy quality, beneath a velvety layer of solid plum fruit, spices and cedar. Like many very ripe New World wines, this is so plush that it verges on the volatile, with nuances of eucalyptus and mint. On the palate it has plenty of pure, focused black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, with an edge of tobacco, some lean, quite savoury acidity and deep, chocolaty tannins. The finish is spicy and warm with just over 14% alcohol. £7.99
