Wines made from Carmenère grapes of San Juan
Discover the best wines made with Carmenère as a single variety or as a blend of San Juan.
Carménère is a grape variety of Bordeaux origin. It is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet. In France, it occupies only about ten hectares, but it is also grown in Chile, Peru, the Andes, California, Italy and Argentina. The leaves of the carmenere are shiny and revolute. Its berries are round and medium-sized. Carménère is susceptible to grey rot, especially in wet autumn. It can also be exposed to the risk of climatic coulure, which is why it is important to grow it on poor soil and in warm areas. Carménère is associated with an average second ripening period. This variety has only one approved clone, 1059. It can be vinified with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It produces a rich, highly coloured wine, which acquires character when combined with other grape varieties.
San Juan is an important Argentinean wine-producing area, producing wines of increasing quality using traditional European Grape varieties. The wine region of San Juan covers the administrative area of the same name in the north-western corner of Argentina. The province sits between Mendoza and La Rioja, and is almost entirely contained within the mountainous foothills of the Andes. In terms of production Volume, San Juan is Argentina's second-largest wine region after Mendoza.