Carmen Chardonnay

2005 Consistent year after year. New World tropical fruit is complemented by a vibrant touch of minerality. A beautifully balanced wine that is buttery and creamy with flavors of ripe peach, lemon and pineapple on the palate and a crisp, clean citrusy finish.

Additional Information

This wine is a sure thing! Viña Carmen, the oldest winery in Chile, was founded in 1850 by Christian Lanz, who named the winery in honor of his beloved wife Carmen.

The winery has come a long way since then. It is currently owned by the Claro Group who has taken it to the next level.

They’ve invested in a brand new winery and planted new vineyards in the best regions of Chile. Carmen Winery and the main vineyards are located in Maipo Valley, south of Santiago. The rest of the vineyards are in the main vine growing areas: Rapel, Casablanca and Curicó Valleys.

This 100% Chardonnay is a blend of grapes from four different valleys: Casablanca, Maipo, Rapel and Maule. All of the grapes were picked by hand and carefully sorted before pressing.

A portion of the grapes were crushed and macerated with the skins for several hours while the rest of the grapes from were sent directly to the press without any maceration period.

“Why does this matter?” you might wonder. The extended skin contact adds to the aromatic intensity of the wine and richness on the palate.

After the pressing, an important step in the white wine making process, the juice was fined and racked. About 80% was sent to stainless steel tanks for fermentation with the remaining 20% selected for barrel fermentation.

Carmen strives to produce true varietal character in all their wines, so to preserve the crisp acidity and purity of flavor the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation. The barrel fermented wine was in oak for four months before the final blend was assembled and bottled.

This wine is the perfect partner for poultry or seafood dishes, stir-fried vegetables with marinated tofu or simply enjoy a glass on its own!