The colour is deep ruby. On the nose red berries jam. In the mouth drying tannins and a bitter finish. The aftertaste is rather short.
Acrux 2015 is made by Viña Sutil winery by blending 37% Carménère, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot. These are the original six red grapes of Bordeaux.
Carménère is a member of the Cabernet family of grapes. It is a late ripening variety that needs high levels of sunshine and a warm summer to reach its full potential.
Carménère has found a particularly suitable home in Chile. It almost disappeared from Bordeaux when the phylloxera louse (to which Carménère vines are particularly susceptible) arrived in Europe from the Americas. Carménère doesn’t respond as well to grafting as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, so the variety was largely abandoned when phylloxera resistant American rootstocks were introduced. Phylloxera didn’t reach Chile.
Searching on the Internet about this wine I found the following review: “A blend of many grape varieties, this is a powerful wine with huge depth, concentration and complexity. Deep black and red berry fruit, fine tannins and a long finish.” My experience definitely doesn’t confirm this description.
While I taste a new wine, I often read the sell-side tasting notes. I rarely find them fitting.
For this bottle I paid 9.75 CHF at Coop, 50% off the original price of 19.50 CHF.
Country: Chile
Region: Colchagua Valley
Grapes: Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Type: Red
Vintage: 2015
Producer: Viña Sutil
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5