The 2017 Carménère Carminium is dark and brooding in its youthful state, with an alluring display of crushed blackberries, sage, chalk dust, white pepper and a cooling hint of mint. Deeply textural, yet also surprisingly lifted and spry, it casts staining red and purple-tinged berries across a core of saline minerals and zesty acids, as saturating tannin mounts toward the close. There are unseen depths here, as layer after layer of primary fruit nearly masks the wine’s structural heft, tapering off classically dry with violet florals and rich savory spice. The 2017 is only the third vintage of the single-vineyard Carminium, a Carménère that’s packed full of cool-climate varietal character. If this showing is any indicator of the source’s potential, then I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for future vintages. 93 points