Santa Rita Reserva Especial 120 Carmenère

• Vintage: 2018
  
• Origin: Viña Santa Rita, Central Valley D.O. Chile
  
• Taste guide: Silky soft tannins highlight the dark fruits while subtle undertones of chocolate invade the senses. The subtle sweetness and exuberance of the soft fruits entice you to enjoy one more glass! Medium bodied and unoaked.
  
• 75cl - 13.5% - scewcap
  

Santa Rita is one of Chile's most admired and innovative wine estates. Founded in 1880 it passed through a couple of owners before being taken in to the Grupo Claro some 35 years ago, since when it has developed into a modern world wide brand whilst retaining traditional winemaking values. Its most famous wine is the Santa Rita 120 range, which is exactly he same wine as the Gran Hacienda restaurant label.

Carmenère has been so successful in Chile it has come to be regarded as its own red grape, especially as nowadays it is hardly seen in its Bordeaux homeland. The grapes for this wine were grown in vineyards across the Central Valley, all having a Mediterranean, semi-humid climate but with varying soil types. The skill of the winemaker, Carlos Gatica, is to marry the varying characteristics engendered by these different plots, to produce this top-quality end wine. Following a May harvest, the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed, then fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures with regular pump overs. Early bottling was undertaken to preserve this variety's fruitiness and natural aromas.

Santa Rita Carmenère is an illustrative variety of Chilean wines, dominated by aromas of black and red fruits and spices. Its silky, deep tannins makes it easy to drink, and very versatile to pair with a broad diversity of food. It is young, fresh and fruity, elegant and perfectly balanced with good acidity.

The winery advises that this wine has an ageing potential of 3 years, so is drinking at its optimum now.

The 120 label sells for £9 plus elsewhere - Binendwines' price is just £7.49