2002 Peteroa CARMENERE Reserve (Central Valley, Chile)

This wine wasn't bad, but was made in a style that I don't like much.

Medium ruby with some brick at the rim. Nose very closed at first, giving up only vaguely cardboardy scents. I then put it under a Vacu-Vin closure for almost a week and forgot about it (I would estimate that this is the equivalent of about 4-8 hours in a decanter). When I later re-opened it, somewhat more pleasant (though not particularly assertive) scents of sweet cream, boysenberries, and dusty earth came forward. In the mouth, it reminded me of a middle of the road Bordeaux from a relatively cool year. It was kind of austere, but had decent concentration and length. 84. If you want to try this, I would definitely recommend opening and decanting it several hours ahead of time. Would match nicely with simple roasted or grilled lamb, but little else. $10.40 at Spec's on Richmond.