“Peppery” is a word I sometimes see used to describe the taste of Carménère. For my palate, that kind of flavor in a red wine is a good thing. If you’re not so sure, then the 2008 Santa Rita 120 Carménère may be a nice choice for introducing yourself to this varietal that originated in Europe but is now produced primarily in the Central Valley of Chile — or in this case a sub region known as the Rapel Valley.

The Santa Rita 120 does indeed show some of that peppery personality, but as I was tasting it I got to thinking about a Concha y Toro Carménère I also got the chance to try recently. I found the Santa Rita to be much more subtle (though ultimately, not necessarily better) than the Concha y Toro. Still, this gentler approach of the Santa Rita 120 may be something that might appeal to someone wanting to try a Carménère but is a little concerned about all this talk about pepper.

I purchased my bottle at Gabriel’s Superstore for $6.99 but since then have seen an earlier vintage (2006) of the Santa Rita 120 Carménère priced lower online at Spec’s, another one of my favorite San Antonio wine stores.

If you want to learn more about Carménère, the Wall Street Journal article Carménère: A Great Value Facing Risks is a good place to start your journey and includes a list of best value Carménère’s to try. They selected the Terra Andina Reserva 2007 Caremenere to be their “Best of Tasting”.

If you’re interested in learning more about all kinds of wines from Chile, producers in the country have an organization called the Wines Of Chile. You can follow the Wines of Chile on Twitter and become a fan of the Wines of Chile on Facebook.

Wine Name: 2008 Santa Rita 120 Rapel Valley Carménère
Three Nine Wine Rating: (3.5/5)

Note: I tried the Santa Rita 120 Carménère before the massive 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile and damaged some Chilean wine producers. Since then, buying wines from Chile is emerging as one way you can support the people of Chile and the Chilean wine industry.

Related links about this wine:
Wine Searcher Prices for 2008 120 Santa Rita Carménère
Santa Rita 2007 Carménère
1337 Wine Review of 2008 120 Santa Rita Carménère
Snooth Community Reviews of 120 Santa Rita Carménère
Chile earthquake hits wine industry