Wines made from Carmenère grapes of Portugal
Discover the best wines made with Carmenère as a single variety or as a blend of Portugal.
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.
Portugal has undergone something of a wine revolution over the past two decades, modernizing its winemaking technologies, styles and attitudes. This archetypal Old World country has Long been famous for its fortified wines (Port and Madeira) and its light, tangy Vinho Verde. But it is now attracting much attention for its New wave of Rich, ripe table wines, especially the reds of the Douro Valley. Portugal's place in the wine world is arguably more about its cork production than its wine, but that largely depends on which period of history you choose.