Santa Rita Real Gran Reserva Carmenère 2009, Colchagua Valley, Chile: A flagship carmenere for Chile with intense aromas and flavours of black plum, spice, blackberry and smoke. Lovely complexity and depth at an incredibly great price. Carmenere, a member of the Cabernet family of grapes, is the French word for Crimson (carmin), and is known as the deepest and darkest of red wine grape. Drink: 2014-2017. 274118 14.30% XD 750 mL  $17.95 Score: 91/100. March 29, 2014 Best Value Red Wine. Plush Pork Wine Full Review

Montes Purple Angel Carmenere 2011, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Purple Angel will make you feel as though you've gone to heaven aloft a cloud of sensory pleasure. Can one wine pack more flavour into the bottle? I'm skeptical. If you love full-bodied, juicy, fruit-forward wines, this is your apogee as it also has all of those other great hallmarks of superb wine: complexity, balance and finish. Yes please! Drink: 2014-2020. 62364 14% XD 750 mL  $59.95 Score: 95/100. May 10, 2014 Top Rated Red Wine. Gorgeous Gift Wine Full Review

Montes Purple Angel Carmenere / Petit Verdot 2011, Colchagua Valley DO, Chile: Purple Angel will make you feel as though you've gone to heaven aloft a cloud of sensory pleasure. Can one wine pack more flavour into the bottle? I'm skeptical. The grape Carmenere resurfaced in Chile about 12 years ago after being believed extinct when the root louse phylloxera hit Bordeaux, its original home, in 1880. In Chile it's called the "Jurassic Grape" because it returned from so-called extinction. Montes grapes are planted on steep vineyards for maximum drainage. This vintage is a blend of 92% Carmenere, 8% petite Verdot aged for 18 months in French and American oak barrels. If you love full-bodied, juicy, fruit-forward wines, this is your apogee as it also has all of those other great hallmarks of superb wine: complexity, balance and finish. Yes please! Drink: 2014-2020. 62364 14% XD 750 mL  $85.00 Score: 95/100. December 6, 2014 Top Rated Red Wine. Gorgeous Gift Wine Full Review

Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere 2013, Maipo Valley, Chile: An amazing wine for the money! Full-bodied, supple, smooth and gorgeously textured. This is an ideal party wine, and companion to many hearty meat dishes. The tannins are so smooth that you can also enjoy it with drier meat dishes like turkey. Aromas of fleshy black plum and blackberry. Drink: 2015-2017. 309302 14% XD 750 mL  $13.25 Score: 90/100. April 15, 2015 Best Value Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

San Pedro 1865 Carmenere 2011, Maule Valley, Chile: Wow, this single vineyard Carmenere rocks! Carmenere is arguably the flagship red wine of Chile. It has it all: concentrated, rich black fruit flavours and depth, yet it's supple and smooth with a long finish. Velvet on the palate, lingering in the mind. This robust red wine finishes with notes of cassis and dried tobacco. Great balance and depth. Try it with a rack of lamb tonight. Highly recommended. Drink: 2012-2017. 249201 14.50% D 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 93/100. October 11, 2014 Best Value Red Wine. Glorious Game Wine Full Review

Carmen Wines Gran Reserva Carmenère 2012, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile: This classic Chilean red wine is savoury, dark and complex with a chewy, full-bodied mid-palate. Layers of black fruit with a long finish. The Carmenere grapes are sourced from the El Peñasco Vineyard. Superbly crafted for this price. Great structure and persistence of flavours on the finish. Terrific value. The 2012 vintage of the Carmen Gran Reserva is made from mostly Carmenère grapes, and the wine is matured in French oak for 10 months. Finishes with dark spices and vanilla smoke. Pair with roast beef. Drink: 2013-2018. 439166 14% XD 750 mL  $17.95 Score: 92/100. April 4, 2015 Best Value Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

Primus The Blend Alto Casablanca Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah Merlot Carmenere 2012, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Juicy-wonderful! This full-bodied Chilean red wine is just dripping with fleshy berry flavor and plums with some real vibrancy and lift on the mid-palate. I love it! This wine is a blend of about a third cabernet sauvignon, a third syrah, and the balance split between merlot and carmenere grapes. Superb craftsmanship; great value. Judicious use of oak has a toasty weave throughout the wine. Balanced acidity and polished tannins, but the dark fruit power and energy leads in the glass. Pair with prime rib. Drink: 2013-2017. 712463 14.50% XD 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 91/100. April 18, 2015 Top Rated Red Wine. Plush Pork Wine Full Review

Mayu Gran Reserva Carmenère 2013, Elqui Valley, Coquimbo, Chile: Big smoky, mocha aromas with generous layers of luscious black fruit on the palate. Terrific price for such quality. Carmenère is the flagship grape of Chile, and it shows in this glass. There's a lovely weave of dried tobacco and espresso on the finish. Decant 1-2 hours and enjoy with a hearty meat dish. Pair with meat lovers' pizza. Drink: 2013-2017. 90035 15% D 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 91/100. April 18, 2015 Top Rated Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

Arboleda Carmenère 2013, Aconcagua Valley, Chile: Savoury with herbal and black plum aromas. Smooth, supple and full-bodied. Like Merlot, but more interesting and Carmenere is known as Chile's flagship red wine grape. Great balancing acidity for hearty meat dishes served with a tangy sauce. Drink: 2014-2018. 223015 14% XD 750 mL  $17.95 Score: 90/100. April 30, 2015 Best Value Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

Terra Noble Gran Reserva Carmenère 2011, Maule Valley, Chile: Love the full-on campfire, toasty oak and smoke on the nose of this robust red. Gorgeous layering on this Chilean red wine made from Carmenere grapes, with voluptuously fleshy black plum and berry aromas and flavours. This wine goes on and on and on. Nice price. Pair with grilled pork chops. Drink: 2014-2018. 957050 13.50% XD 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 91/100. May 2, 2015 Best Value Red Wine. Glorious Game Wine Full Review

Marques de Casa Concha Concha Y Toro Carmenere 2012, Peumo, Rapel Valley, Chile: This savoury and juicy red wine, features big black plum and berry aromas and flavours. Full-bodied and smooth carmenere. Offers incredible quality and taste for the price. Try it with a hearty meat dish. Lovely dark spices and black plums on the nose of this robust red wine. Decant for 1-2 hours. Drink: 2013-2017. 169862 14% XD 750 mL  $22.95 Score: 91/100. May 16, 2015 Top Rated Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

Montes Alpha Carmenère 2012, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Can they do no wrong? Let's not jinx it. This Carmenere (aka Merlot) is incredibly concentrated rich and deep with fleshy black plums that you can dive head first into. Wow. This wine is aged for 12 months n French oak barrels. Another phenomenal wine from Montes ... Drink: 2014-2018. 143230 14.50% D 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 93/100. June 27, 2015 Top Rated Red Wine. Glorious Game Wine Full Review

Concha y Toro Winemaker's Lot 148 Carmenère 2012, Rapel Valley, Chile: Gorgeously rich and full-bodied Chilean red wine made from the country's signature red grape, Carmenere. The grapes are grown in the estate's Las Pataguas Vineyard. This wine offers savoury, meaty blackberry liqueur aromas and dark spices. This is an amazing wine for the money. Pair with hearty meat dishes. Drink: 2014-2018. 30957 14% XD 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 92/100. July 10, 2015 Best Value Red Wine. Terrific Turkey Wine Full Review

San Pedro 1865 Carmenere 2013, Maule Valley, Chile: Wow, this single vineyard Carmenere rocks! Carmenere is arguably the flagship red wine of Chile. It has it all: concentrated, rich black fruit flavours and depth, yet it's supple and smooth with a long finish. Velvet on the palate, lingering in the mind. The wines from San Pedro's 1865 line come from its own vineyard planted with a specific variety. The Carmenere comes from the winery's property in the Maule Valley, with rolling hillside vineyards averaging 20 years of age and planted in alluvial soil with angular stones to control plant vigour. This robust red wine finishes with notes of cassis and dried tobacco. Great balance and depth. Try it with a rack of lamb tonight. Highly recommended. Drink: 2015-2018. 249201 14.50% D 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 93/100. November 14, 2015 Top Rated Red Wine. Glorious Game Wine Full Review