Walla Walla Wine Cellar

An Ancient returns! (And we don’t mean us. We mean Carmenere.) This week we’re back with news from both sides of the world. The story starts in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France where Carmenere has known origins. Though there are stories (like from Pliny the Elder) placing it at the scene of crimes in ancient Iberia. But now it is best known as a product of Chile. This is a story of love, loss, and resurrection — with many years of mistaken identity.

Justin had a few words on the wine:

Carmenere: At one time, this peppery robust variety was once as widely planted as Cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux, France. Post Phylloxera the grape had practically been pushed to extinction. Re-appearing in the early 90s in Chile via a Spanish traveler. Today the grape is Chile’s claim to fame, as they are the world’s number one producer of this spicy beast. While quality levels vary quite a bit there are some great examples that can be found at many price points. A small amount of this grape exists in Washington. Seven Hills vineyard is home to some acreage. The grape seams to be fairing [sic] well. When it is available it sells out pretty fast. There are some Walla Walla producers that are blending the grape and others crafting it into a stand-alone variety.

The history of Carmenere is truly exciting. Thought extinct after a 19th century plague, mistaken for Merlot in Chile, grown in Italy under the false identity of Cabernet franc until the late ’90s, Carmenere has now emerged to reclaim its true identity. This returned Ancient is here to stay, and I for one am grateful.

Locally, there are several wineries who bottle (or have bottled) Carmenere: Reininger, Morrison Lane, and of course Colvin (who has decided to close its doors). In addition to Seven Hills Vineyard, Morrison Lane and Colvin Vineyards have been the primary sources of Carmenere in the valley.

Quick note on spelling: In the title you see the correct name, Carménère. But since most people do get lazy with accents, and there is not consensus, it can be seen spelled in a variety of ways. The most common are Carmenère and the un-accented Carmenere. We have chosen the latter for the simple reason that web browsers sometimes do strange things with accents. We may change this if the accents pass testing.