Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère 2015

Casas del Bosque once again fashioned exceptional Carmenère in 2015 as the estate’s 2015 Reserva Carmenère will attest. The 2015 Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère easily merits the many accolades it has received. Deeply colored and packed with pungent aromas and flavors reminiscent of blackberry, mulberry, freshly cut tobacco, chocolate, and sweet bell pepper along with a light patina of oak, the elegant, flavorful 2015 Reserva Carmenère shines from the moment it is poured. Although young and still exhibiting its youthful ardor, the wine immediately engages the senses, and its layer of soft, ripe tannins, which define and frame the wine’s juicy flavors, never overpower the wine’s central core. And as one has come to expect from Casas del Bosque, balance reigns supreme in their 2015 Reserva Carmenère. For optimal enjoyment we suggest affording this artfully crafted Carmenère at least 20-30 minutes of aeration before serving at cool room temperature (60º-65º F).

Carmenère thrives at table, although Casas del Bosque’s Reserva Carmenère is always ebullient and a pleasure to drink on its own or with just a few slices of cheese or ripe fruit. The 2015 Reserva Carmenère is no exception. Whether it is paired with the finest cuts of meat, tasty tacos, or sliders, Casas del Bosque’s 2015 Reserva Carmenère shines. Pressed breast of duck, loin lamb chops, tender cuts of beef, and venison offer gratifying accompaniments. Yet, this youthful Carmenère also has the ability to elevate a simple midweek meal to a higher realm. Meatloaf, pizza and Eggplant Parmigiana provide excellent companionship. Thin crusted pizzas with three or more cheeses, mushrooms and vegetables provide other tasty accompaniments. And, for those who prefer pure comfort food, consider slow roasted pork shoulder with lentils or slow cooked beef or pork sliders with caramelized onions. Chile Rellenos stuffed with rice and vegetables and topped with a Mole sauce make another fine companion to this rich, tasty Carmenère. And if one’s culinary arts or ability to order out are limited, a selection of gourmet cheeses and dark chocolate are certainly in order. Imagine a world in which all three pillars of gastronomic pleasure, cheese, chocolate and wine, reside at table! Enjoy!

For a moment, just allow yourself the unmitigated pleasure of three of the world’s finest foods: wine, cheese, and chocolate. Savor the flavor and texture of each and marvel at how one complements the other. Then imagine a life where these three expertly chosen pillars of gastronomic pleasure are delivered directly to your door, each and every month. For more information on how you can enjoy cheese, chocolate, and the 2015 Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère, contact us at www.cheesemonthclub.com and www.chocolatemonthclub.com!

Casas del Bosque sprang to life in 1993 as a family boutique winery dedicated exclusively to the production of high quality wines. And by all accounts this boutique operation is ably fulfilling its mission, as the recent spate of 90+ point ratings will attest. Casas del Bosque is located just 40 miles from Chile’s capital of Santiago and a mere 18 miles from Chile’s principal port of Valparaiso. This boutique operation cultivates its own vineyards in the nearby Casablanca Valley, the preferred place for premium white wine production. They also have significant vineyard holdings in the premier red wine producing valleys of Maipo and Rapel south of Santiago for fashioning exceptional Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon. Casas del Bosque’s meticulous attention to vineyard management and careful site and varietal selection guarantee superior fruit for their high quality wines. Such care has earned Casas del Bosque the distinction of Chilean Winery of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London for two years in a row (2013 and 2014) as well as international acclaim from Britain’s Decanter and Chile’s Descorchados.

Presently, Casas del Bosque has approximately 500 acres of vines under cultivation, spread throughout a myriad of Chile’s best viticultural valleys and microclimates. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling hail from the winery’s Casablanca holdings and form the backbone of the estate’s white wine portfolio. Some Pinot Noir is also cultivated in Casablanca. Casas del Bosque’s exceptional ultra premium Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines emanate from the warmer Rapel and Maipo valleys.

The Rapel Valley covers two of Chile’s most important red wine producing regions: Colchagua Valley and Cachapoal Valley. The sprawling Rapel lies south of Maipo and Chile’s capital, Santiago, encompassing vineyard lands sandwiched between the towering Andes and Chile’s coastal ranges. It is one of the oldest wine producing regions in Chile. The soils are mostly of alluvial origin, and have good porosity and drainage. Cachapoal occupies the northern part of the Rapel, where the climate is cooler and more maritime, as opposed to Colchagua, which enjoys a drier Mediterranean climate, with little rain except in winter. Both regions experience hot daytime temperatures in summer, which prove ideal for the valley’s premium red grape varieties, most notably Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. And, as is the case throughout much of central Chile, considerable variation exists in the Rapel Valley between daytime and nighttime temperatures, a boon for preserving a wine’s natural acidity and accentuating its aromatic profile. Not surprisingly, microclimates abound in the Rapel. Such climatic differences lend themselves to significant variations in style, structure and concentration among the wines produced, which makes the Rapel Valley an excellent source for a variety of wines of diverse character.