2018 Carmenere Seven Hills Winery

We were unable to fly up to Walla Walla, WA wine country. We wanted to tour vineyards and taste these wines. The next best thing was having Walla Walla wines shipped here. A surprise discovery came with a bottle of this red varietal.

Originally planted near Bordeaux, France, Carmenere vines were almost annihilated by the Phylloxera louse. However, American root stock proved Phylloxera resistant. The varietal got introduced into Chili, whose growers believed it was Merlot. Their mistake no doubt allowed Camenere vines to survive.

Chili likes to tell their rescue story, and their successful production of Camenere spread around the world. Other international producers grow and produce the wine even though it’s a finicky grape. Weather plays a major part as well as the long hang time for its fruit. Surprisingly, Seven Hills Winery grows these vines.

Obviously, here is my first ever Camenere tasting. The pour made me blink, because its color was deep, deep, deep, almost black. When I lifted the glass toward bright light, the wine was opaque. After swirling, I tried the nose, which was earthy. On first taste, I quickly found crushed peppercorn. “Hmmmm”, I thought. So, I chewed through the next taste, which gave some red cherry along with dark chocolate. Continuing with a second glass, its granite/mineral tannin finish completed my first journey.

For me, the Camenere varietal needs some separation from traditional varieties. Its not a spice wine, per se. The peppery taste up front leads into other aromas; peppery tasting doesn’t align with a Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, etc. This red would pair well with hearty meats, smoked meats, lamb as well as wild game.