The 2018 Carménère Carmín de Peumo is made with grapes from 35-year-old vines and painstakingly overseen by Marcio Ramírez, who adds dabs of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon before aging the wine for 15 months in French oak to achieve a new level of complexity. Deep purple in color. The nose offers black tea and cedar aromas combined with blueberry, black currant and white pepper. With juicy, fine-grained tannins, in the mouth it is fleshy and full-flavored, conveying a surprisingly light feel. Sets a high benchmark for Chilean Carménère/.

Big and rich, with concentrated dark plum and cherry pastry flavors flanked by dried green herbal accents. Features a nice touch of cream in the midpalate, which leads to a finish boasting chocolate, mocha and Asian spice. Drink now through 2027. 1,700 cases made, 150 cases imported.

Once upon a time, Carmín de Peumo was your typical ripe and beefy Carmenère, but not here. This offering, harvested in late May (the equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere), deals tomato leaf, currant, cranberry and dried-herb aromas in front of a racy palate that's medium in weight. Spicy, leafy red-fruit flavors are oaky and come with notes of cocoa and coffee, while a dry and snappy finish is lean by previously set Carmenère standards.