Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very zingy syrah with fresh herbs and a restrained, subtle peppery edge. Lots of black cherries, bacon and flowers, too. The palate is juicy and refined with a medium body and pure fruit. Fine tannins. Fresh and nothing showy. Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 El Olivar Single Vineyard Syrah has subtle varietal character with hints of olives, smoke, violets and tar. It is clean, balanced and approachable. It showcases the variety and the precise and focused house style.
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.