Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva

Wine: Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva.

Grape: carmenere

Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile

Vintage: 2009

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Casa Silva Carmenere is a deep, dense purplish-red color with an opaque core going out into a fine violet-crimson to slightly pinkish rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: There are oodles of interesting notes of crushed earthy black fruits with underlying spice elements, peppery crushed blackberries, black truffle, tobacco leaf, phenolic compounds, earthy minerals, licorice root, herbs, tar and light wood components.

On the palate: This wine has an immediate huge mouth-feel with concentrated wild cherries, pepper-laced and spicy blackberries, huckleberries, bell peppers, a massive phenol-laden structure, earthy minerals and oak references. The midpalate is highly impacted by the liqueurlike cherry and elderberry fruit with notes of sloe fruit, herbs and earthy minerals, and then a solid finish sets in lasting for a full 40 seconds-plus with yet more licorice root, star anise and earthy rustic wood.

Odds and ends: Every time I visit the magical Colchagua Valley, I am convinced that it is the greatest appellation in all of Chile, and it does contain its fair share of the best Chilean properties, including Clos Apalta, Montes and Montgras, as well as the beautifully appointed Casa Silva. This constitutes only the second time I have reviewed a wine made from 100 percent carmenere, which is originally a Bordeaux varietal that didn't work well in that region after a major change in the way wines were made in the 1980s. It is similar to the malbec, which worked better in Argentina than in Bordeaux, so two ancient varieties now grow much more successfully in South America than in France. Such is the winegrowing industry; always changing and adapting, but that is what makes it so fun to discover these wines. Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva is a fabulous wine for sturdy meat dishes such as pot roast or meatloaf. Drink it now through 2015 with ease, and give it a good hour out of the bottle after opening, before consuming.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.