Mayu, Carmenere Gran Reserva, Elqui Valley

From Chile's northern-most winemaking region, this is, while still within a characteristic Chilean idiom, both very funky on the nose (cured meat, mushroom, black pepper; reminiscent of French Syrah) and very green on the palate (spicy green pepper, herbs; very much a Chilean Carménère). There's too much of both, and the two don't combine terribly well, but candied raspberry and dark berries effectively bridge the gap if also providing an excessive sense of sweetness. It's fine, overall. There's an untamed …

Spice and smoke notes. Earthy and bold.

A friend brought this over, and I liked the astronomy theme on the label, so I wanted to like the wine. There were hints of dark fruit on the nose and the initial palate. But I was then overwhelmed by a syrupy flavor that turned bitter on the finish.

A bit different and I do like it. Still, not case worthy