It may once have been one of the six classic Bordeaux varieties but in the twenty-first century Carmenère isn extinct in France, and there are, apparently, no plantings elsewhere in Europe although the variety thrives in South America (particularly Chile).
While it may have originated in Bordeaux and seems to have been well established there before other classic varieties, Carmenère needs heat and a long growing season to ripen fully, is unsuited to cold, humid climates, and is susceptible to coulure. These factors meant Bordeaux growers were disinclined to replant the variety after Phylloxera ravaged the vineyards in the late nineteenth century.
Before Phylloxera, Carmenère was prized for its depth of colour and, when it ripened fully, the complexity and interest it added to Bordeaux blends. Carmenère tends to produce less astringent wines than Cabernet Sauvignon, though it seems possible the variety is related to the Cabernet family. In Bordeaux, where Carmenère went under the synonym Grand Vidure, Cabernet Sauvignon is Vidure. It is possible that Carmenère may be the ancient Roman Biturica, the Latin name for the city that became Bordeaux.
Contemporary plantings of Carmenère are largely limited to South America where it arrived with other Bordeaux varieties in the 1850s. It appears to have been mislabelled as Merlot before its identity was established by French ampelographer Jean Michel Bousiquot in 1994.
Deep dark purple grapes rich in berry fruits and spice with smooth, well-rounded tannins, make an easy drinking wine suited to red meats with a spiciness that works well Indian or Latin American cuisine. Ideally suited to conditions in Chile, Carmenère has proved to be capable of producing high quality red wine, and its preference for hot dry conditions suggests it could be suited to a number of Australian regions as material for blending, or as a straight varietal wine.
