Tertulia Cellars 2006 Carmenere

I’m drinking Carmenere tonight to celebrate my recent townhouse purchase in Seattle. Why am I celebrating with Carmenere? A more appropriate question might be what or who is Carmenere? No, Carmenere is not my Spanish lover. Carmenere is not even Spanish. I know, it sounds like it could be from Spain but it’s not. It’s originally from the Medoc region in Bordeaux. That’s right. I’m talking France here. Although it’s rarely found in France these days, it was the sixth of the original Bordeaux grapes. It was once used like Petit Verdot, mostly for blending. But it’s coming back out of obscurity again. And that makes me very happy.

In a previous Wine Muse post, I chronicled my wine tasting trip to Walla Walla Washington. One of my wine tasting stops back in May was at a winery called Tertulia Cellars. I wrote about the cute wine tasting associate named Quentin that was there pouring many tastes of all of the wonderful wines they had to offer. After tasting through all of their wines including a fabulous white (a Viognier / Rousanne blend), a delicious Rose, a Syrah, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a wonderful red blend and a formidable Merlot, I settled on the Carmenere. How? What? Why the heck did I go for the more unlikely, lesser known varietal called Carmenere? Because it’s fracking delicious, that’s why! Why ask such dumb questions?

Okay, perhaps that’s not a dumb question. Lots of people have never even heard of Carmenere. For me, the 2006 Tertulia Cellars Carmenere is the perfect expression of a grape and wine that’s been largely ignored, passed by, and highly underrated. It’s a gorgeous shade of deep purple. The color screams DRINK ME – I’M DELICIOUS! The aromas waft up from the glass with scents of pepper and smoke and spice that promise satisfaction from the first swirl around the inside of the mouth. And it delivers on that promise. From the first moment it hits the tongue and the inside of the cheeks, the mouth feel is pleasingly rich and full bodied and brings a smile of surprise. The flavors are even more satisfying with a hint of spice on the palate with some herbal notes to follow. This particular wine is 90% Carmenere with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot to provide a little more balance and interest. This is no bargain at $35 a bottle, but for a special treat and perhaps for an evening of celebration, this wine will satisfy the most hardened wino.

This wine is not for the unadventurous wine drinker. If you’re only into Merlots or mellow, unremarkable red wines, then this one isn’t for you. But if you’re a true wino or wine nerd, or you just like to occasionally go wild and try something different, pick up a bottle of Carmenere. I highly recommend this particular brand (Tertulia Cellars from Walla Walla, Washington – What? Weren’t you paying attention?), but if you’re not lucky enough to have access to Tertulia Cellars Carmenere, or any other brand of wine from Washington, try one from Chile or California. You just might find yourself going back for a second bottle.

By the way - if you're wondering what Tertulia means, it gets its name from the Spanish word meaning "a social gathering of friends." Enough said?