The variety of vine in this Apalta Valley, especially the south slope, consisted of Merlot.  However, Chilean Merlot is a little different from French Merlot.  The plantings historically consist of a mixture of Merlot and Carmenère.  The Carmenère that was widely used in Bordeaux before the phylloxera crisis has been abandoned there.  Chile has not experienced phylloxera and still uses it.  Carmenère is close to Merlot with more marked fruit flavors and a somewhat firmer texture that is sometimes redolent of Cabernet Franc.