Arboleda
1999 Carmenere

Appellation: Maipo Valley, Chile

Purchased for $35 in a restaurant. Not quite as forward as the '98 vintage, but not nearly as aggressive on the oak either (a good thing). Brilliant purple color. Leafy, weedy, smoky Merlot-like fruit, with a healthy dose of tobacco. Fairly straightforward, and very slightly green to our taste, but well-made Cabernet-styled wine that matches well with food.