Now what is Sharon doing? OK, let me explain…
In August 2019, my girlfriends and I went wine tasting in Hollister. I was always exploring and looking for wines to showcase in my DC classes. Lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – until we hit DeRose. Alphonse DeRose, proprietor and vintner, personally met with us and did our wine tasting. He had lots of the bigger reds some of us preferred. He also talked a little about his international partnerships. I picked up a couple of Alchemy wines from Chile and just rediscovered them in my wine room. I suggested we do South American wines for one of our August virtual wine classes. The topic got expanded to wines from Central and South America.
About Carménère: Carménère was originally used as a blending grape (much like Petit Verdot), one of the six original Bordeaux varietals. However, it suffered the fate of Phylloxera and is rarely seen in France and is mostly planted in Chile today. It is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and related to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon! You can read more at these two sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carm%C3%A9n%C3%A8re https://www.winefornormalpeople.com/the-best-grape-story-of-all-time-carmenere/
About Cachapoal Valley: “The northern half of the great Rapel Valley has traditionally been known for its red wines, particularly Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, which account for approximately 80% of the region’s total production. The valley features diverse microclimates that produce a suitable environment for a wide array of wines, ranging from cold-climate varieties in the vineyards at higher altitudes in the foothills of the Andes, to varieties requiring warmer climates in the areas surrounding Lake Rapel along the coastal hills. Here in this valley, the gentle breezes from the Pacific Ocean and the clay soil create synergy to pave the way for one of the leading regions producing Carménère in the country.” https://www.winesofchile.org/en/chile-a-wine-producing-country/valleys-and-guarantee-of-origin/cachapoal/. A good map of Chilean wine growing regions can be found here: https://vineyards.com/wine-map/chile.
2017 Alchemy Carménère, Cachapoal Valley, Chile, 14.1% ABV, $28 (Wine #433*)
About Alchemy and the 2017 Carménère (from the bottle): “Alchemy is a hand made creation of Winemaker Alphonse DeRose and friends. Inspired by a late night evening of music played by Chilean friends Juan Pablo and Omar, the three concocted a version of only the best grapes being processed 100% by hand. Each berry is hand removed from every cluster one by one. The result is a robust wine with aromas of dark red fruits, spice and toast. Alchemy is only produced from exceptional year and has limited availability with only 250 cases produced!” Alphonse DeRose is proprietor and vintner of DeRose Winery in Hollister, CA. You can buy Alchemy wines at DeRose.
Additional Winemaker’s Notes: “Our Carmenere is a 100% handmade wine, fermented with natural yeasts, aged for 12 months in French Oak. Bottled without filtering.” (translated by Google Translate) https://www.movilatienda.cl/en/vinas/alchemy
My Review: Inky purple in the glass. Fragrant nose of jam and vanilla. Lush, intense dark berries on the palate. Intense and smooth with a spicy finish. Love this wine. August 2021
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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