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If I Could Buy Only One – September 27th Vintages Release


We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from the September 27th release, which one would it be and why?” Shanahans The Barking Dog GSM 2023, South Australia, Australia$19.95, Five Senses Wines & SpiritsSara d’Amato – I have a soft spot for rotundone, the aromatic compound behind that peppery kick in certain grapes like […] More

Buyer’s Guide to Vintages September 27th Release


Aged Wines – Expectation and Reality By David Lawrason, with notes from Sara d’Amato, Michael Godel and John Szabo The twin maxims that all wine is better with age — and the older the better — is just not true. I sense that most WineAlign readers know this, but it is worth repeating as Vintages […] More

If I Could Buy Only One – September 13th Vintages Release


We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from the September 13th release, which one would it be and why?” Henry Of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2023, Ontario, Canada$34.95, Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery  Sara d’Amato – In a Vintages release that is stacked with impressive local wines, the Speck Family […] More

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Carmenere

The Carmenère grape is a red variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot. Now rarely found in France, the world's largest area planted with this variety is in Chile in South America. Chilean plantings, brought from France in the 19th Century, were originally thought to be Merlot, before being correctly identified in 1994 and, since then, used as a distinctive signature by the country's producers. Carmenère wine has a deep red color and aromas found in red fruits, spices and berries, with tannins that are gentler and softer than those in Cabernet Sauvignon. Although mostly used as a blending grape, wineries do bottle a pure varietal Carmenère which. Its taste might also be reminiscent of dark chocolate, tobacco, and leather. The wine is best drunk young.