Photo: Carménère vines on Cousiño-Macul vineyard, Maipo Valley, Chile
Three grape varieties that originated in France have found a new homeland in South America, where they have flourished and become the flagship grapes of their respective countries. Today, Tannat represents Uruguay, Malbec symbolizes Argentina, and Carménère stands for Chile.
The migration stories of Tannat and Malbec follow a fairly typical path, but the modern history of Carménère is a tale of human slip-up.
Originated in Médoc, a region in Bordeaux, Carménère is an ancient French variety with roots tracing back to the Roman Empire. It was one of the six classic varieties traditionally permitted in red Bordeaux blends, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
For centuries, these six varieties defined Bordeaux reds. In 2019, Bordeaux authorities authorized four additional varieties to help winemakers adapt to climate change. Until then, the entire red Bordeaux palette was limited to these six grapes.
Until the mid-19th century, Carménère was widely cultivated in Médoc and the neighboring Graves region, playing an essential role in Bordeaux winemaking.
Carménère is a variety that requires a long ripening period, plenty of sun, and a warm climate. When fully ripe, it produces rich, deep wines with medium tannins, offering aromas of black and red fruits along with pronounced herbal and peppery notes. However, when under-ripe, Carménère imparts strong flavors of tomato leaves and green pepper due to the presence of methoxypyrazines—compounds responsible for these vegetal characteristics. In small amounts, these substances can add an intriguing complexity to the wine, but in excess, they overpower the flavor. As the grapes ripen, the concentration of methoxypyrazines decreases, allowing the fruitier and spicier notes to dominate.
In Bordeaux, Carménère was traditionally used in blends—an approach typical of the region, which rarely produces single-varietal wines. It thrived in Bordeaux’s vineyards until 1867, when phylloxera—a tiny but devastating insect—swept through Europe’s vineyards.
When Bordeaux winemakers began restoring their vineyards after the disaster, Carménère was largely abandoned. There were two main reasons for this: First, it was less productive than Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, more susceptible to disease, and more demanding of sunlight—something Bordeaux’s climate could not provide every year. Second, Carménère struggled to adapt to American rootstocks, which had become the only effective solution against phylloxera.
Eager to replant their vineyards as quickly as possible, Bordeaux winemakers chose more resilient and productive varieties, leaving Carménère behind. The grape almost disappeared from French soil—though not entirely. A few tiny vineyards in Bordeaux still cultivate it, but today, it exists more as a living relic than a significant player in the region’s winemaking.
Meanwhile, in the 1850s, before the phylloxera invasion, Chilean winemakers imported Merlot vines from France and began cultivating them. However, the resulting wine had an unusual taste—somewhat similar to typical Merlot, yet distinctly different.
Rather than questioning the identity of their vines, Chilean winemakers attributed the difference to the influence of local soil and climate. They even declared it a unique Merlot clone and named it Merlot Selection or Merlot Peumal—after the Peumo Valley, where it was first planted.
Although Chile’s first grapevines had arrived as early as the 16th century, and winemaking was deeply embedded in local culture, for most of its history, Chilean wine was produced mainly for domestic consumption. Quality was not a primary concern, and for centuries, Chile lagged behind the rest of the world in fine winemaking.
That changed in the 1970s, when Chilean winemakers started to realize they were falling behind the global wine industry. However, true development only took off in the 1990s, after the country transitioned away from Pinochet’s rule and adopted a more open economy. With greater access to modern techniques and international markets, Chilean winemaking flourished—and flourished rapidly.
In 1991, French ampelographer Claude Vallat suggested that Chilean Merlot might not actually be Merlot. A few years later, his student, Jean-Michel Boursiquot, used genetic analysis to confirm that a significant portion of what was believed to be Merlot was, in fact, the nearly extinct Carménère.
At that point, the Chilean winemakers got involved, and by 1998, it became clear that approximately half of Chile’s Merlot vines were actually Carménère. Even more surprisingly, the two varieties were completely intermingled in the vineyards. This led to the inevitable task of sorting out the mix—a process that would be no small feat.
Why not just leave things as they were? Simply put, because the wine wasn’t great—and for good reason. As mentioned earlier, Carménère is a late-ripening variety, while Merlot ripens much earlier. As a result, Carménère was often harvested unripe, introducing an overpowering herbaceous, green flavor to the wine.
And before anyone brings up selective harvesting, let’s be realistic: if winemakers hadn’t realized for over 150 years that they had two different grape varieties mixed together, they certainly weren’t sorting them at harvest. Besides, selective harvesting is costly and inefficient. It was far better to properly separate the vines once and be done with it rather than continue dealing with an unnecessary headache.
The fact that no one noticed this mix-up for 150 years still amazes me. Yes, Carménère and Merlot vines do look alike—both in terms of leaves and grape clusters. They’re not identical, but they’re certainly similar. Which isn’t surprising, considering they share the same ancestor: Cabernet Franc.
Carménère is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet, while Merlot comes from Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noir des Charentes. And for that matter, Cabernet Sauvignon is also part of the family—it’s a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
One key difference between Carménère and Merlot is timing: Carménère blooms earlier but ripens later. But let’s be honest—who really pays attention to minor details like that?
However, there is one glaring clue that should have raised some eyebrows. The name Carménère comes from the word “crimson”, referring to its vibrant red foliage in the fall. Not many grape varieties turn red in autumn—most just fade to brown. Merlot, for example, turns brown.
And yet, for a century and a half, not a single winemaker found it strange that every autumn, some of their vines blazed scarlet among the sea of brown? No one thought to ask why?
But, better late than never. Once Carménère was finally recognized and separated from Merlot, its modern revival began.
Climate of Chile is perfectly suited for winemaking. The country is a patchwork of valleys, separated by ridges that stretch from the towering Andes to the Pacific Ocean. There’s abundant sunshine and warmth, while the necessary coolness comes from two sources: cold air descending from the snow-capped mountains and the air chilled by cold Humboldt Current creeping up the valleys from the ocean.
The soils are excellent, and even phylloxera, the pest that once devastated European vineyards, cannot survive here. As a result, Chile is one of the few places in the world where Vitis vinifera is still grown on its own roots, without grafting onto American rootstocks.
Carménère thrives in Chile’s central regions, where it gets the sun and heat it requires. This area includes the hottest winemaking zones in the country: Aconcagua and the Central Valley, which is divided into four key subregions—Maipo, Rapel, Curicó, and Maule.
Chile produces both pure varietal Carménère and blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. However, it’s important to note that, according to Chilean law, a varietal wine can contain up to 15% of another grape variety. So, if a bottle is labeled “Carménère” but doesn’t specify 100%, it likely includes a small percentage of another grape, often Syrah or Petit Verdot.
More than 80% of the world’s Carménère is produced in Chile. So, if you’re holding a bottle of Carménère, chances are quite high that it comes from Chile.
But not entirely—Carménère has also found its way into Italy, China, the USA, France, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
And true to its nature, Carménère has a habit of sneaking into new lands unnoticed, often masquerading as other grape varieties.
Take Northern Italy, for example. In the 1990s, the Lombard estate Ca’ del Bosco imported Cabernet Franc from France. But something seemed off. This “Cabernet” ripened earlier than expected, had lower tannins, and its flavor profile didn’t quite match Cabernet Franc. Sound familiar? Around the same time, Chileans were uncovering Carménère in their Merlot vineyards. The Italians decided to double-check their Cabernet Franc, and sure enough—it was Carménère.
Today, Italy produces Carménère-based wines in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Sardinia.
A similar story unfolded in New Zealand. Carménère arrived from Italy, again disguised as Cabernet Franc. Once the Italians had unmasked their mistaken identity, the New Zealanders followed suit, uncovering their own hidden Carménère.
In China’s Ningxia province, many vines were imported from Europe over the years. Among them was a variety known as Cabernet Gernischt—a name that likely comes from the German word “gemischt”, meaning “mixed”—suggesting it was some kind of Cabernet blend.
But something about Cabernet Gernischt seemed suspicious. The wine often carried a green pepper aroma, a telltale sign of Carménère. With Carménère being rediscovered around the world, researchers decided to take a closer look. Genetic testing confirmed that Cabernet Gernischt was actually a mix of Carménère and Cabernet Franc. As a result, China now produces some Carménère officially.
Meanwhile, South Africa, Australia, and the USA made a deliberate effort to plant Carménère and ensure the variety did not go extinct. In the United States, Carménère is mainly grown in Washington and California.
When fully ripe in a warm climate, Carménère produces a dense, full-bodied wine with a deep purple hue. It has medium, soft tannins, medium acidity, and tannin levels somewhere between Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The flavor profile includes black and red fruits, with distinct notes of spices, herbs, and pepper, and sometimes hints of leather, tobacco, and chocolate.
Carménère is typically drunk relatively young—it can age for up to six years, but rarely longer.
Thanks to its medium tannins and medium acidity, Carménère pairs well with a wide variety of dishes. It is perfect with roasted pork and lamb, but also complements dark poultry, hearty fish like tuna, octopus, and various cheeses.
Vegetables and herbs also make excellent pairings—especially eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, corn, and sweet potatoes. For an extra touch, adding green pepper to a dish enhances Carménère’s natural herbaceous notes.
And for true fans of the grape, November 24 is officially World Carménère Day—a perfect excuse to open a bottle and celebrate!
