Tasting--San Elias Carmenere 2010

The Wine

Name: San Elias

Variety: Carmenere

Region: South America

Country: Chile

Year: 2010

Price: $5.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Review

"The grapes for this Carmenere are selected from vineyards in the Central Valley. Beautiful red fruit aromas. Supple and round in the mouth, the wine pairs well with full flavored cheeses and lamb."

My Review

Well, what can I say? This wine pretty much MUST be had with food. It was the first of this variety that I've had, and according to the sommelier, is a very general representation of its kind. The nose of this wine can be summed up by one vegetable--green bell peppers. I mean, wow! did I feel like I was inhaling fresh cut bell peppers. The palate was exactly the same...bell pepper explosion in the form of a thin bodied wine! It wasn't bad, but drinking green bell peppers was a little strange for me. While I did not dislike this wine, I do feel I would have liked it much better had I had it with a dish such as beef stir-fry or something that could maximize on this wine's vegetation flavor.