Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Syrah Gran Reserva is sourced from a single vineyard in the coastal part of Casablanca Valley. Following the usual modus operandi here, the grapes had a one week cold maceration before being fermented in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts. The wine matured in French oak (55% new) for some 18 months. The nose has aromas of cigar ash, smoky bacon, roasted coffee and tar. The palate is medium to full-bodied with grainy, slightly dusty tannins and good freshness. 2013 was a very cold vintage and production was small; this is a textbook cool climate Syrah. Good value.
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.”
A region that has become synonymous with some of the best whites of Chile, the Casablanca Valley is full of dozens of bodegas who either grow fruit here or come from outside to source from local growers for their own white wine programs. The valley runs from east to west, which means that its westernmost vineyards receive the most cooling influence from the reliable afternoon sea breezes. The soils also tend to be heavier in clay in the west, whereas the eastern end of the valley is warmer and its soils are predominantly granitic. Sauvignon blanc thrives here, Chardonnay does well and Pinot noir is not uncommon.