Koyle Gran Reserva Carmenere 2012
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
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Blend: 86.5% Carmenere, 8% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh red fruits, berries, dried chalk and meat. Well-balanced with gentle tannins and elegant complexity. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy berry aromas are typical of good Carmenère, meaning they are lightly herbal, spicy and a touch savory. This is a ripe specimen from a hot year, so it's plump and creamy in weight. Flavors of blackberry, fig and chocolate are lightly herbal, while the finish is smooth and generous.
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Viña Koyle was born from the tradition that the family Undurraga carry in their blood; a family dedicated to winemaking for more than 6 generations, started by Francisco Undurraga Vicuña in 1885.
In 2006, Alfonso Undurraga Mackenna bought the Los Lingues estate and immediately began with his son, Cristobal, to plant the mountains with red grape varieties, starting the story of Koyle Family Vineyards. Koyle places their greatest effort on the expression and understanding of the vineyard. It is based on 3 pillars: man, place and environment. It is through a Biodynamic approach that they have found the best way to get intimately close to the expression of nature. Through achieving balance, unique wines are obtained that express the harmony found in unifying the cosmic and terrestrial world. The deep respect of the ecosystem, natural cycles and the dedication of human work are used to achieve these wines of excellence.
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.