TN: 2005 Botalcura Nebbiolo (Chile, Maule Valley)

• 2005 Botalcura Nebbiolo - Chile, Central Valley, Maule Valley (7/13/2009)
  14% abv; 26,70€; 86% Nebbiolo, 14% Carignan. A strange blend. I don't know the age of the oak, but the producer's web site mentions it stays 18 months in American and French oak. The scent has quite a bit of toffee, oak scents and sweet red fruit. There is some proper Nebbiolo aromas in there as well, but it seems they have been purposefully subdued by the oak and Carignan. It tastes strangely soft for the grape - no doubt the added Carignan. It does have adequate tannins to balance the sweet fruit. A decent wine in a rather modern style, but the wine maker seems to have misunderstood what the grape is all about.

Posted from CellarTracker

Otto
Indeed a strange blend. I wonder if the same winemaker would consider a Pinot Noir and Carignan blend? It's about as bizarre.
I'd be interested in what they think the Carignan brings to the wine. It's not a bad blending grape in some very fine wines, but this doesn't seem to make sense logically, and from your note, in practice either.
regards
Ian

I'd be interested in what they think the Carignan brings to the wine.

Maybe it was already planted in the vineyard/region so they threw it in!