Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe and rich, with smoky notes to the dried raspberry and dark plum flavors. Meat accents linger on the cream- and chocolate-filled finish. A harmonious style that finely balances the fruit and savory components. Drink now through 2019. 7,200 cases made.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Light plum and cherry aromas come with herbal notes and a touch of fir frond. Wide in feel, this Syrah tastes ripe and loamy, with jammy, lightly spiced plum and berry flavors. A warm, well-oaked finish is nice and bright.
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.”
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.