Santa Rita Floresta Carmenère 2021

This carmenere comes from vineyards planted 80 years ago in Apalta, in Colchagua, on a hillside with maicillo, as decomposed granite is known in Chile. Carmenere ripens easily under the area’s intense sun, but at Santa Rita, they prefer to harvest it early to extract more freshness from the grapes. In the cellar, it was fermented in stainless steel and aged in concrete for about 14 months. The result follows the path that this brand started in 2017, risking early harvests in search for redder fruits, without fear of the vegetal side that’s generally associated with the variety. This one does have that herbal side, but there’s also so much more here. Red fruits, spices, a smooth and juicy texture, and a medium body shaped by mouthwatering acidity. A carmenere that has been a pioneer in this new school of the variety. Score – 95. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2023)