×
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $37.80 $42.00
The top-of-the-range 2020 Luz Carménère feels closed, serious and austere, even in a warm and dry year like 2020....
WA
94
JS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.00
12 bottles: $17.10
The 2020 Carménère Massal 1945 from Almahue, Cachapoal, was made in used barrels and foudres for 12 months. Garnet...
WA
92
VM
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.19
12 bottles: $15.87
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.34
12 bottles: $17.42
A medium-to full-bodied carmenere with lots of dark, grilled cumin, black beans, olives and smoked meat. Dry and...
VM
91
JS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93 $22.00
12 bottles: $17.48
As always, this Carmenère is intense red color with a violet hue. It offers numerous aromas of tremendous intensity....
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $89.90 $94.80
A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives,...
12 FREE
JS
98
VM
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.92 $17.49
12 bottles: $15.83
Displays a gravel-and-loam cast, with a core of herb-accented cherry and plum flavors, ending with fine,...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.94 $13.00
Wine of intense violet color. It offers aromas of blackberries and plum with graphite and coal on a masculine nose....
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.57 $25.08
12 bottles: $18.24
Red fruit aromas, with cedar and bold notes. On the palate it is fresh and fruity with flavors of cherry and hints of...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $71.30
A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives,...
JS
98
VM
94

Carmenere Grappa Mencia 2020

The deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.


Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.