Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A full-to medium-bodied red with aromas of black fruit, chocolate, smoked meat and ash. Some lemon peel, too. Firm, sleek tannins and a dark, inky core, balanced by fresh acidity and a stony edge. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2020 Syrah Reserva Escudo Rojo from the Maipo Valley was 10% aged in new barrels. Purple in hue. The nose presents black pepper and blackberry scents and balsamic hints of oak. Sugary in the mouth with a terse expression anchored in freshness, this a ripe wine.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.