La Playa Axel Carmenere 2020
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James
Suckling
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This Carménère has aromas of plums, strawberries and blackberries with spicy notes of black and white pepper, cloves, bay leaf and toasted oak, with an intense palate, balanced structure and a long finish.
Blend: 96% Carménère, 4%Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Mulberries, plums, herbs, undergrowth and orange zest on the nose. Juicy and medium-bodied, with soft tannins, plump berry fruit and mushroom character. 50% carignan, 35% cabernet franc and 15% syrah. Vegan. Drink now.
Other Vintages
2018-
Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred
Wong
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Robert
Parker
In 1952, patriarch Søren Axelsen left his native Copenhagen to travel the world. Eventually, he settled in California to grow his own grapes. But he never forgot the remarkable growing regions he had seen in Chile, in particular Colchagua Valley, which showed such great potential to produce world-class wines.
By 1989, he had realized his dream, founding Viña La Playa alongside his sons Peter and Eric. Viña La Playa of Chile is a partnership between the Axelsens and two promient Chilean winemaking legends: the Sutil and Errázuriz families. The winery encompasses 597 acres of prime property in the Colchagua Valley, where its vineyards enjoy a unique microclimate that fosters the growth of premium wine grapes.
With near-perfect growing conditions, Colchagua Valley has been described as "The Next Napa" (Wine Enthusiast, March 2002) as "arguably Chile's premier opportunity for world-class wine production" (Wine Spectator, April 30, 2002), and as "2005 Wine Region of the Year," yeilding "some of the most compelling wines in the world" (Wine Enthusiast, 2005).
La Playa Wines stands as a beacon of sustainability, with a steadfast commitment to eco-friendly practices from vineyard to bottle. The vineyards nurturing our grapes are meticulously tended without the use of chemicals or pesticides, fostering a natural balance in the ecosystem. Water-saving irrigation techniques are employed, ensuring responsible usage of this precious resource. Only native yeast strains are utilized, eschewing genetically modified organisms for a more authentic and pure winemaking process. As a proud member of "1% for the Planet," La Playa Wines continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental advocacy by donating a portion of its sales to organizations dedicated to preserving our planet's natural beauty and resources.
Dark, full-bodied and herbaceous with a spicy kick, Carménère found great success with its move to Chile in the mid-19th century. However, the variety went a bit undercover until 1994 when many plantings previously thought to be Merlot, were profiled as Carménère. Somm Secret— Carménère is both a progeny and a great-grandchild of the similarly flavored Cabernet Franc.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.