Santa Rita Floresta Carmenère 2023

The Floresta Carmenere is one of the pioneers in the idea of making fresher and juicier examples of the variety that are less marked by alcohol and that have no fear of the herbal notes that are typical of the grape. It comes from dry-farmed vineyards planted more than 80 years ago on granitic soils in the Apalta Valley, a true gem that produces this red wine that is one of Descorchados’ favorites in Chilean carmenere. This new version is floral, with well-marked herbal notes, but also with lots of tart black fruits in a texture that is firm, but not aggressive. It was not aged in oak, only concrete, and that has boosted expression of the fruit. One for the grill, but above all, an excellent example of the variety. Score – 96. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2025)