Casa Verdi 1918 Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Curicó Valley, Chile 75cl

Vina Casa Verdi farms across the Curico and Colchagua valleys as part of the Agroverdi group, tending a mix of organic and traditionally worked vineyards. Its 1918 label nods to the family’s long roots in Chilean wine, and the group exports to more than twenty countries.

This red brings together two grapes that define Chile’s Bordeaux-inspired reds: Carménère, the country’s adopted signature variety, and Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone. Grown in the Curico Valley in the heart of the Central Valley, where warm days and cooler nights help the fruit ripen evenly, the pairing balances Carménère’s plush, herb-tinged fruit with Cabernet’s firmer structure.

At more than a decade old, the 2010 has had time to settle. Bottle age has softened the tannins and drawn the primary fruit towards gentler, more savoury territory, the sort of maturity you rarely find at this price, and a reminder that everyday Chilean reds can age gracefully.

Expect aromas of dried dark fruit, tobacco and a leafy, earthy note that is typical of aged Carménère. The palate is smooth and mellow, the tannins resolved, and the finish is quiet and savoury. This is a wine to sip and enjoy rather than to analyse, and it is at its best decanted and served at a cool room temperature.

A mature, characterful red for the table, it suits slow-cooked stews, braised beef or a board of hard cheeses. If you like older-style, gently rustic reds with some bottle age, it is an affordable way to explore that character.