I’ll be honest: I’m not generally a fan of blended reds.  In theory, you can get the best of all the various grape varietals in a single wine, resulting in something you’d pick any day over the individual wines.  In practice, it seems you often get something that either retains hardly any varietal character, or a wine where the vintner seemed to be trying to cut his wine with cheap grapes. No thanks, I’ll pass.

Primus, however, is not your typical blended wine. For starters, it hails from Veramonte, a vineyard I rather enjoy. Second, its blend is unlike anything you’ll find in any other aisle of your grocer – 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 17% Merlot, and 16% Carmenere. Veramonte’s stated purpose is to highlight the spectrum of Chilean varietals in a single wine. Ranging somewhere between $16-20, this is not a cheap wine, but neither is it stratospherically priced. But how is it to drink?

While some blended wines are mellow and forgettable, Primus’s billing as a bold blend is not at all sold short. In fact, I don’t think it would be a stretch to call it one of the most powerful wines I’ve ever encountered.  Rich and spicy with wonderful fruit tones coming from all the different varietals, Primus is put together exactly right. No single varietal composes more than 50% of this wine, and it produces a unique and wonderful sensation: as you drink, each of the four varietals comes up in turns, the wine morphing in your mouth between Cabernet and Syrah, Merlot and Carmenere depending on the moment. Somehow it truly does become greater than all of its parts, delightful and unique in every way.

The verdict? While this wine is not on the cheap end of the spectrum when it comes to Chilean reds, I don’t doubt I’ll buy it again.  Unlike anything else you can purchase, Primus is an excellent example of what a great blended wine can be.

Score: 92

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