WTN: Errazuriz Estate Carmenere 2006

Valle de Aconcagua.

Dark purple, bordering on black in the glass.

Drying, woody and vegetal nose. My first warning.

Smoky, quite tangy, very vegetal with strong bell peppers, black cherry, heavily charred (almost burned) bitter wood, drying, woody.

An incredibly extreme, manipulated style that is designed, IMHO, to mask any trace of fruit. The back label states the wine spent seven months in French and American oak barrels. I think the wine would have been much better if it had seen no wood whatsoever. Still can't figure out why winemakers insist on taking good fruit and messing with it.

Purchased at $14.15 (Canadian).

Sorry to hear their Estate version is so woody The 2005 Erraruiz Panlonico Carmenere I had recently was quite good (esp for $4):

Dusty red fruit and a bit of cedar in the nose. Noticeable tannins, dusty fruit and some leather. Good now, but needs time, either in the decanter or in the cellar. I'll buy some more if TJ's has any left.

Thanks for your note Doug. Gotta love that price!!

Yeah, that was Trader Joe's bargain. I told them to stock up!

FWIW, Bruce, a recent issue of Wine Spectator reported that this winery was dealing with TBA (a TCA-compound with similiar effects on wine) in its cellar. Could conceivably be a factor in the masking of fruit flavors that you found. Too bad--it's a producer I've enjoyed in the past.

FWIW, Bruce, a recent issue of Wine Spectator reported that this winery was dealing with TBA (a TCA-compound with similiar effects on wine) in its cellar. Could conceivably be a factor in the masking of fruit flavors that you found. Too bad--it's a producer I've enjoyed in the past.

Thanks for the info Clinton. Hadn't heard that. I have also had many enjoyable wines from Errazuriz, which is what made this wine such a bad surprise.