The makers of this distinctive wine from Primus, a label from Chile’s large Veramonte wine company, are serious when they call it “The Blend.” A little more than half of it is Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Carménère, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
There’s a lot to chew on here — all those varieties, but also the fact that the wine is marked by a well-defined tannic structure, giving it a slight “chewiness” in texture that you find in young wines made with these varieties.
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And that’s a good thing. The structure makes it seem like a more expensive wine than the $15 to $20 you’ll pay for it. And it frames lots of ripe red and dark berry fruit flavors, including raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and black cherry. Add to that some herbal notes, a hint of milk chocolate, and a touch of green “steminess” often found in young Cabernet and Carménère.
You’ll want to pair this one with just about any kind of meat; it would be especially good with short ribs braised and slow-cooked in red wine, providing a youthful, refreshing counterpoint to the weight and intensity of the meat.
The Apalta region lies within the Colchagua Valley in central Chile and is known for producing excellent Bordeaux and Rhône varieties, which often go into the red blends for which Apalta has become well known. The region is defined in part by poor soils and lack of rain — two qualities that, paradoxical as it may seem, produce better wines.
The Blend from Primus is one of them, a distinctive, under-$20 bargain that deserves a place in your red-wine arsenal for satisfying, everyday drinking.