RKS 2023 Wine: Yet Another Excellent Chilean Carmenère: Morandé 2020 Gran Reserva Carmenère

Posted byRobert K Stephen (CSW)Posted inWineTags:, , , ,

At $16.95 this wine is a steal. How long can Chilean red wine competitors stand in the face of such reasonable prices for full bodied red wine?

The wine has spent 18 months in French oak foudres.

Aroma: Freshly picked raspberries and raspberry jam shine through. Also blackberries and a bit of mocha.

Palate: Relaxed tannins. More of those raspberries with rich super ripe strawberries. Full bodied and just about at its prime although it would not protest if you kept it imprisoned for another year.

Personality: You know I have a fear you may be accustomed to excellent Chilean Carms. Boredom of excellence is a sin my dear reader. Embrace me. Don’t run!

Food match: Handicapped having not visited Chile (yet!) I can’t connect you with a Chilean cuisine match. But given the raspberry presence I think duck is a great match. Or possibly pork tenderloin medallions in a raspberry jam and Carmenére reduction sauce served over polenta.

Cellarbility: The wine will improve slightly through 2024 but consume by the end of 2025.

Price: $16.95 (Ontario).

RKS 2023 Wine Rating:  90/100. Natalie Maclean 91.

(Morandé Gran Reserva Carmenère 2020, D.O. Maipo Valley, Viña Morandé, Pelequén, Chile, 750 mL, 14%, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 371112).

Published by Robert K Stephen (CSW)

Robert K Stephen writes about food ,drink, travel, film, and lifestyle issues. He also has published serialized novels "Life at Megacorp", "Virus # 26, "Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog" and "The Penniless Pensioner" Robert was the first associate member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He also holds a Mindfulness Certification from the University of Leiden and the University of Toronto. Be it Spanish cured meat, dried fruit, BBQ, or recycled bamboo place mats, Robert endeavours to escape the mundane, which is why he has established this publication. His motto is, "Have Story, Will Write."

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