Posted: December 3 2009

Drinks Industry Ireland

Carmen Wines hosted a historic celebration to mark the anniversary of the rediscovery of the Carmenere grape variety at its vineyards in Chile recently. The rediscovery proved extremely significant not only for Carmen Wines but for the Chilean wine industry. On that day 15 years ago, Carmenere, the long-lost grape of Bordeaux, was re-identified at Carmen by a French Ampelographer from Montpellier Jean Michel Boursiquot. It was a discovery that changed the face of Chilean winemaking forever, states Carmen.

Carmenere, considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux and once known as ‘Grande Vidure’, was widely planted in France in the mid-19th Century, especially in the Medoc. In 1860, phylloxera decimated all viticultural areas worldwide with the exception of Chile, protected by its natural boundaries as the variety gradually disappeared from Europe.

When Carmen Wines, the oldest winery in Chile, was founded in 1850, Carmenere was among the red varieties imported from France. It remained hidden among Merlot vineyards for over a century because since its arrival in Chile, the vine was planted with Merlot and therefore thought to be a late clone of Merlot. It was not until 1994 that Carmenere was rediscovered there.

Eulogio Perez Cotapos, Managing Director of Carmen Wines, explained, “We feel very fortunate that Carmen gave back this variety not only to Chile but to the entire world. That is why we are celebrating this event”.

His sentiment was echoed by Jean Michel Boursiquot: “I am very proud to be a part of this celebration of viticultural history. I never imagined that we were going to rediscover one of the most important grapes of the Medoc in the south corner of the world”.

Carmen’s Chief Winemaker Stefano Gandolini Ambrosoli added, “Carmenere really allows me as a winemaker to express the winery’s style through blending with other grapes or single varietal bottling. Using innovative techniques and modern equipment at Vina Carmen, we strive to produce wines with a sense of place from the best and most diverse Chilean terroir”.