Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva Cuvée Colchagua 2021

Carmenère was once a prized grape of Bordeaux. Favoured until vines were devastated by the phylloxera bug at the end of the 19th century, it was then largely abandoned. The variety remained forgotten until the 1990s, when it was discovered among the Merlot vines in Chile. Indeed, its wines were so smooth and plummy, growers had mistaken the vines for Merlot. But Carmenère has a lovely richness and spice that marks it out from Merlot and, like Argentina with Malbec, Chile has adopted the grape as its own. No winery has done this more than Casa Silva in the Colchagua Valley, perfecting its techniques with this appealing grape. The Reserva is silky and opulent; easy on its own or with marinaded chicken or veggie kebabs with feta and couscous.