Carmenère, Malbec, Pinotage

Three black grapes, each tied to a single country: Carmenère in Chile, Malbec in Argentina, Pinotage in South Africa. Each provides its country with a useful point of difference in a global market full of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Carmenère

Carmenère is a black grape widely grown in Chile. Native to Bordeaux but now rarely found there. It needs a long, sunny growing season to ripen successfully - even in Chile, it can struggle outside the warmest and sunniest sites of the Central Valley.

The aromatic profile depends on ripeness:

• Under-ripe: pungent herbaceous characters (green bell pepper/capsicum, tomato leaf).
• Fully ripe: fresh black fruit (blackberry) and herbal notes (eucalyptus).

A typical Carmenère is deeply coloured, medium to high acidity, high tannins, full body. Often oak-matured to soften tannins and add flavours of coffee and chocolate. Very good or outstanding examples can develop tertiary flavours with age.

Found as a single-varietal wine but more commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Malbec

Malbec is Argentina's most important black grape. Like Carmenère, it's native to south-west France but has adapted well to the warmer South American climate. Most plantings are in the high-altitude region of Mendoza.

Malbec typically produces deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with high tannins and flavours of black fruit (blackberry, black plum). New oak adds softness and spicy flavours (clove, vanilla). Very good or outstanding examples develop dried fruit and meat with bottle age.

Commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot, but also frequently seen as a single-varietal wine.

Pinotage

Unlike Carmenère and Malbec, which are French in origin, Pinotage was developed specifically for the warm, dry climate of South Africa. It's closely related to Pinot Noir and produces wines with similar red-fruit flavours (strawberry, raspberry, red cherry). Grown throughout the Western Cape.

A typical Pinotage has medium tannins and high acidity. Styles range from fruity, medium-bodied wines through to powerful full-bodied examples with concentrated red fruit. When produced in contact with oak, Pinotage can take on pronounced aromas of coffee, chocolate, and smoke.

Found as a single-varietal wine or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: these blended wines are commonly referred to as Cape Blends.

Chapter 6 done. Chapter 7 turns to Italy: its signature white grapes, the northern Italian reds (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Corvina), and the central/southern anchors Sangiovese and Montepulciano.