About Cuvée Alexandre Carmenère
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
- Price Range
- $24-27
- US retail
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
Carménère is Chile's signature grape, and Cuvée Alexandre channels it through Apalta's granitic soils, planted around 1940. The blend leans heavily on Carménère (typically 85-90%), with small additions of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petit Verdot depending on vintage, expressing the variety's ripe dark fruit and green-pepper spice in a polished, medium-bodied style.
This bottle argues, better than almost any other, that Carménère deserves a permanent seat at the premium red table.
New to wine?
If you've never tried Carménère, this is the bottle to start with — ripe, spicy, and instantly likeable without being simple.
Food Pairings
A natural match for grilled or braised beef short ribs, Peking duck, and dishes with black pepper or five-spice.
When to drink it
Casual dinner parties, barbecues, and any occasion calling for a distinctly Chilean red.
Terroir & Winemaking
Grapes are harvested late in the season for full phenolic ripeness, fermented in stainless steel, then aged around 13 months in second- and third-use 225L French oak barrels, preserving fresh fruit character while softening tannins.
About the producer
Casa LapostolleFrench winemaking precision meets biodynamic Chilean terroir.Visit the producer page →More wines from Casa Lapostolle
- Casa Lapostolle Clos ApaltaRed · Carmenère · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Petit Verdot
- Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet SauvignonRed · Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet Franc · Merlot · Petit Verdot
- Cuvée Alexandre MerlotRed · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
- Grand Selection Sauvignon BlancWhite · Sauvignon Blanc · Sauvignon Gris
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Carménère taste like in this wine?
- Ripe blackberry and plum with herbal, green-pepper spice notes, medium body and soft, juicy tannins.
- Is Carménère the same as Merlot?
- No — Carménère was long mistaken for Merlot in Chilean vineyards until DNA testing in the 1990s revealed it as a distinct, nearly extinct Bordeaux variety that now thrives in Chile.
- What food pairs best with this wine?
- Grilled or braised red meats, dishes with black pepper or five-spice, and Asian-influenced barbecue all complement its spice-driven profile.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
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