Canny Carmenere

Opened yet another good bottle of Chilean carmenere tonight. Nothing complex, but the Punta Nogal, Reserva, 2004 is black in the glass, whiffs of black fruit on the nose and dense on the palate with rich fruits and a touch of chocolate. Has a moderately long finish. No new oak here I would guess, but for fifteen bucks I don't expect any. A good value, this would warrant another purchase.
Carmenere is an old bordeaux varietal that one rarely if ever sees in europe, even as in a blended wine. It somehow made it over to Chile where it was promptly forgotten about - they thought for years it merlot. It is now rightly recognized for itself and has come into its own down there. It makes thick, rich, fruity wines that usually have good price points - try 'em, you might like them!!
Cheers!!