Winemaker Notes
This dry and cherry-red colored red showcases a complex nose releasing leather, woody, empyreumatic, spicy and fruity scents. You will be charmed with this full-bodied wine revealing a full-bodied texture, firm tannins and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dark berry and hot stone. Some black tea, too. Full body, layered and flavorful. Focused and precise. No nonsense here! Drink or age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The balsamic and spicy 2014 Pangea Apalta Vineyard Syrah follows the evolution toward more freshness and less evident oak, something I noticed in the 2013. 2014 was a warm and ripe year, and the wine reflects it, even if it's not alcoholic or overripe. The palate is powerful, with plenty of tannins, still a bit hard with an astringent finish. 20,000 bottles were filled in February 2016. The élevage was in 50/50 new and second use oak barrels for 22 months. I'm looking forward to more recent vintages, when they are using oak foudres.
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Wine Enthusiast
Oak aromas sit atop a concentrated black-fruit nose. On the palate, this Syrah is saturated but solid and smooth. Rich flavors of mint and blackberry are accented by peppery spice and herbal notes, while the finish is lengthy, intense and jammy in texture.
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.