Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo Reserva Carmenere 2021
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Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The nose opens on ripe blackberry fruit aromas, joined on airing by notes of roasted coffee beans and black pepper. From a highly expressive attack on the black fruit found on the nose, the peppery notes that emerged with airing return on a midpalate which combines power with heft. The finish lingers on an intense array of black fruit, spice, and roasted coffee bean flavors.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Engaging cumin spices with glossy currants, black olives and tobacco leaf. A medium-to full-bodied carmenere with juicy black fruit and firm but silky tannins. Nice length, with some dark spices and olives.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Escudo Rojo Carmenere Reserva shows lovely, on-point notes. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of dried herbs, red fruits, and earthy notes. Pair it with a savory lamb stew. (Tasted: April 24, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Tightly wound for Carmenère, but slowly reveals subtle dusty cocoa, petrichor and spice notes up front, joining black cherry flavors that ride a wave of briny olive and fresh acidity onto a finish marked by firm tannins and roasted red pepper. Best after 2025.
Other Vintages
2019-
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred
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Suckling
James - Decanter
Escudo Rojo is an iconic Chilean brand created by Baron Philippe de Rothschild to produce the best wines in each category and market them worldwide. The wines strike a harmonious balance between freshness, fruit, oak, fullness on the palate and ageing potential. In addition to the flagship blended wine, the Escudo Rojo range includes five varietal wines: Carmenere, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. All the wines in the range express a distinctive character, reflecting the expression of its terroir.
Escudo Rojo is the Spanish translation of the German “Rote Schild” meaning Red Shield. In 1999, the encounter between Chilean soil and Bordeaux expertise gave rise to Escudo Rojo, a branded wine worthy of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild name, synonymous with the high standards of a great winemaking tradition. Vines were first introduced into Chile in the 16th century by the Spanish Conquistadors and their religious orders who needed wine to celebrate mass. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay vines were imported from France in the 19th century in order to make finer wines.
Located at Buin-Maipo, 45 kilometers south of Santiago in the famous Maipo Valley, the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Maipo Chile bodega stands in its own 63-hectare (156-acre) vineyard. The wines are made, matured, bottled and packaged at the estate under the supervision of a French winemaker and under the control of an in-house laboratory. For each of its wines, the winery selects the best parcels in Chile’s most highly reputed valleys in order to make wines which consistently combine refinement and character. Regular sources of supply and constant quality are also guaranteed by long-term contracts with partner winegrowers, especially further south, in the Rapel Valley. A rigorous parcel selection procedure has been created, with each parcel being tested for three years in order to ensure that the grapes are of sufficiently high quality to be used to make Escudo Rojo.
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.