Page 2 - Casa Vergara Wines

The history of Chilean wine began approximately 500 years ago
with the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Although Spain
dominated wine plantations in Chile for centuries, the French
were the primary infuence for Chilean wine culture. France in-
troduced new wine varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Pinot Noir and many others. These wines became the
cornerstones of the modern wine industry in Chile.

At the end of the 20th century, the French realized that the
distinctive taste of the Merlot in Chile was actually a unique and
supposedly extinct varietal called Carménère. This wine has an
aroma flled with notes of black currant, blackberry jam and black
pepper and tastes of smooth, well-rounded tannins. Its grapes are
a deeper, darker purple than other red grapes. French growers
began to cultivate these grapes in the central valleys of Chile, the
world’s largest plantation of its kind. Due to its origins in the
Bordeaux region of France, the Carménère grape varietal is often
referred to as the “Lost Grape of Bordeaux”.

The deep violet red tone and
aroma ofers notes of warmed
currants, boysenberries, toasted
oak, licorice and exotic spices
distinguish Carménère from
other reds like the Merlots.