Casa Silva Reserva Carmenere 2006 Chile

Founded in 1892, Casa Silva is one of South America's best producers. Fifth-generation winemaker Mario Silva's estate-bottled range has been sweeping Chile's medals boards for years. Casa Silva leads Chile's new generation of premium wine producers, with fruit from 90-year-old vines grown from pre-phylloxera Bordeaux rootstocks. Mario's impeccable, high calibre wines are helping the world see Chile's true colours as a source of quality-driven, great value wines worthy of their increasing international acclaim. Casa Silva is a recognised Carmenere specialist, its Reserva standing as an industry benchmark for the varietal. Mario's Reserva wines are concentrated and complex expressions of their terroir. Fruity and harmonious, the grapes are specially selected from the very best parcels within Casa Silva's three estates. The Carmenere is hand-harvested plant-by-plant as opposed to plot-by-plot. Such lavish attention to detail shines through in this impeccable Reserva wine, of which 40% was aged in fine French oak barrels for six months, the remainder being aged in tank. An intense black ruby in colour, this seamlessly smooth Carmenere is reminiscent of fine Merlot. The expressive nose offers defined aromas of ripe red fruits, orange peel, tobacco and coffee. There is a toasty intimation of well-integrated French oak. The sweet, juicy, rounded palate has great concentration with notes of cinnamon and blackberry. With its beautifully soft tannin finish, Casa Silva will be ideal served with lamb, veal, roast chicken or spicy Mexican food.