'99 Luis Felipe Edwards Carmenere

[Randy Caparoso]

Then the thing to do, Drew, is to taste a Carmenere next to a Shiraz and next to a Merlot. When you actually do this, the distinctions become crystal clear, and you'll wonder how you confused the varieties in first place. Shiraz, for instance, can be mildly peppery, but more violet-like in the fragrance -- but no green/jalapeno/tabasco chile-like spice like Carmenere. Merlot has NO spice; only occasionally, a green leafy, tea-like tone to go with cherry and sweet berry nuances. As for the "smoky" qualities you found to be Shiraz-like, I would say that this has nothing to do with grape qualities, but the use of oak (remember that French oak barrels are bent over fire and so are charred inside) that is common in most fine winemaking.

Then you can complicate things by throwing in, say, a Cabernet Franc from California, or a Cabernet Franc based red from France (Chinon, Bourguiel or Saumur-Champigny). If you can learn to distinguish the herbal, leafy, sometimes bell peppery qualities of Cabernet Franc (hint: there's always a touch of raspberry in Cabernet Franc you don't always find in other varietals) from the jalapeno pepper-like qualities of Carmenere, then you can truly say your powers of varietal distinction are sharpened... you'll be ready for a Master Sommelier or Masters of Wine exam! Bring 'em on!

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 03-25-2002).]