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Diving into Chilean Syrah
By Riley Krieger-Mercer
December 2009
This month, I was given the opportunity to tour nearly all the wine regions of Chile. I was one of six people who were selected to spend 10 days traveling and tasting our way through the valleys of Aconcagua, Maipo, Curico, Cachapoal, Rapel, Maule, Colchagua, and Casablanca. We were also given a tasting of cool climate wines by Chile's top sommelier, Ricardo Grellet, at Oporto Restaurant in Santiago. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience of culture. It was very eye-opening, in that we saw a lifestyle of labour and yet simplicity. We went down to Chile knowing we would taste many Carmeneres, Cabernets and Sauvignon Blancs, but it was the rich expression of the Syrah grape that took us by surprise. This inky, black, brooding grape has its own expression in Chile and, to my mind, that is what stood out the most in terms of quality, consistency and depth of flavour. Here are a few great examples to look for in your local restaurants and bars.
Errazuriz Max Reserva Shiraz 2007, Aconcagua Valley (Max I, Max
II & Max V Vineyards)
An inky black core to a thin purple rim with slow, colourful viscosity. The nose shows currants, figs, violets and roses (typical of a cool climate). The palate is dry, full-bodied and moderately acidic. The tannins are firm and chewy. The flavours confirm the nose with additions of cloves, and fresh cracked black pepper. Very good length.
Viña Errazuriz is the property of Eduardo Chadwick, the only Master of Wine in all of Chile. I had the chance to meet him a few years ago, and he continues to set the bar for quality with a focus in the vineyard on ripeness of tannins. The chief winemaker, Francisco Baettig, is very modest, but his assistant winemaker, the lovely Soledad Meneses, admits that it is a laborious and challenging process when you are dealing with native yeasts in a new and developing region.
Marques de Casa Concha Syrah 2007, Rapel Valley (Quinta de Maipo
Vineyard)
An inky black core fades to a thin ruby purple rim. The viscosity is fast with lots of colour. The nose is quite clean, showing pepper, violets, raspberries and plums. On the palate, the wine is dry and full-bodied with chewy tannins, and moderate acid. The wine has a long finish and the flavours confirm the nose. This wine is aged 18 months in French oak but the fruit seems to hold up to it.
Concha Y Toro is by far the largest producer in Chile (it's total holdings account for 75 to 80 per cent of Chile's total production). Marcelo Papa has been making wine here since 1998 and was chosen as Winemaker of the Year in 2004 by the Guia de Vinos de Chile.
Viña Maipo 'Limited Edition' Syrah 2006, Maipo Valley
A black opaque core fades to a thin purple rim. The viscosity is slow and colourful. The nose is clean with lots of ripe red fruit, cassis, figs, plums, violets and white pepper. Very jammy! The palate is dry, full-bodied and packed with pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa and cinnamon, and it has very velvety tannins. The acidity is quite pronounced, which would lead one to believe that there is some chemical acidification happening.
Viña Maipo was established in 1948 and was acquired by Concha Y Toro in 1968. It is now the fourth largest producer in Chile and produces 1,960,716 cases annually.
Santa Rita 'Floresta' Petit Sirah/Syrah 2005, Maipo Valley
A clear, but ruby black, opaque core fades to a thin scarlet rim. On the nose, the wine is clean but also very hot. Violets, black pepper and red currants are mingled with deli meat, licorice and cherries. The palate is dry, more than moderately acidic, and full-bodied. Sweet fruit, but heat from the nose is confirmed with big alcohol on the palate. The tannins are velvety and structured, but there is something about the wine that says it is made more in the winery than it is in the vineyard.
Santa Rita has been making wine in Chile for over 120 years and exports 1.3 million cases annually to over 70 countries around the world. One of the pioneer producers of Chile, Santa Rita's focus is on several regions and, for the most part, varietal wines.
San Pèdro '1865 Limited Edition' Syrah 2007, Elqui Valley
A black opaque core fades to a thin scarlet rim and colourful viscosity. The nose is clean with cloves, pepper, anise, cinnamon and a gunflint minerality. The palate is dry, dusty and full-bodied, with high acid and velvety tannins. The palate confirms the nose in terms of flavour, but there is some serious chemical acidification going on here.
San Pedro is one of the largest producers in Chile.We were taken up on a hill to view 16,000 hectares of vineyards, most of which had vines trained in the pergola method to produce extremely high yields of 25 tonnes per hectare.
J. Bouchon 'Reserva' Carmenere/Syrah 2008, Maule Valley (50 per cent Carmenere, 50 per cent Syrah)
Clear ruby core fades to a thin pink rim with colourful, fast viscosity. The nose is clean, showcasing lots of vanilla from new French oak barrels, and lots of spice, like cardamom, nigella, cinnamon and peppercorn. The palate is dry, full-bodied, and has balanced acidity. The tannins are velvety and plush and the wine has a long toasty finish that confirms the nose with an added creaminess.
The vineyards of J. Bouchon have Vitis Vinifera vines grafted onto the rootstocks of Pais (aka Mission) which were planted over 100 years ago. Therefore, the roots reach deep into the earth, helping to nourish grapes that produce incredibly complex and seductive wines. J. Bouchon is a leader in quality in Chile because of the company’s willingness to experiment.
Anakena 'Ona' Syrah 2007, Rapel Valley
Black ruby opaque core fades to a thin violet rim. Colourfully viscous, and lots of perfume on the nose, like violets, lilacs, cassis, and pepper. The palate is dry, full-bodied and firmly structured with rich tannins and a mocha-like finish.
Anakena winery is located in the Alto Cachapoal Valley and focuses on being environmentally sustainable while producing wines that have a sense of place.
Winemaker Gonzalo Perez is both fun and innovative in his approach to crafting these delicious, yet affordable wines, although he is very modest.
Valdivieso 'Reserva' Syrah 2007, Central Valley
Clear ruby fades to a purple rim. Very star-bright and lightly viscous. The nose is jammy and packed with blueberries, dark cherry, oak spice and finely-ground back pepper. The wine is medium-bodied but the tannins are velvety, bordering on chewy.
Valdivieso produces 400,000 cases annually for still wines, and the same amount for sparkling brut and fruit-infused sparkling beverages.
Although the vineyards are not located near the winery, low yields and New Zealand born winemaker Brett Jackson's careful management of the cellars have produced luscious, glossy wines of character and finesse.
Luis Felipe Edwards 'Gran Reserva' Shiraz 2008, Colchagua Valley
Deep scarlet black core, fading to a ruby rim, with fast, colourful viscosity. The nose is powerfully rich, showing black currant, nigella, anise, cloves and pepper. The wine is dry, full-bodied, rich and dusty with lots of cocoa powder, plum and pickled peppercorn on the palate. The tannins are extremely grippy, even bordering on gritty and tight. The finish sits on your tongue for minutes.
Luis Felipe Edwards is a family company.
The winemaker, vineyard manager, and anyone in key positions are all married to daughters of Luis Felipe. Together, they are undertaking a project of hilltop vineyards that are 900 metres above the winery on some of the steepest slopes in all of Colchagua Valley. Vineyard employees actually have to use ropes during harvest in order to bring the picked grapes to the trucks that will, in turn, transport them down bumpy, steep roads to the winery below. Bush vines and trellising systems are used, based on the grape variety. There is no one else in Chile attempting this kind of challenge.
Caliterra Shiraz/Cabernet/Viognier 'Tributo Edicion Limitada' 2006, Colchagua Valley (Caliterra Estate Vineyard)
Clear deep ruby core, fading to a cherry red rim. Moderately viscous with lots of colour indicating relatively low yields and the use of thick-skinned grapes. The nose is quite clean with aromas of anise, vanilla, pepper, plum and tar. The palate is dry and full-bodied, with firm velvet tannins and balanced acidity. Lots of plum, cocoa powder, cinnamon and cherry. There is good length to this wine but it does taste as though the grapes may have been slightly cooked under the sun.
Caliterra started as a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick. The goal was to reach 1,000,000 cases in production, for which they certainly have the facilities. The production reached 600,000 cases and then Robert Mondavi became a publicly traded corporation and Eduardo Chadwick bought out all of the shares. Since then, they have shifted gears, and now the focus is on quality wine production. They currently produce 350,000 cases annually and are focusing on more sustainable vineyard management. At this point in time, Caliterra may very well be producing the best value wines in all of Chile.
Montes Alpha Syrah 2007, Colchagua Valley (Apalta Vineyard- 90 per cent Syrah, seven per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, three per cent Viognier)
Deep ruby opaque core fades to purple. Slow viscosity packed with colour. Currants, raspberry jam, deli meat, plum, lavender, and hints of pepper on the nose. Dry and full-bodied, with high tannin levels with a velvet texture. The palate shows lots of stewed fruit, cocoa, leather, butter, anise, hazelnut, vanilla and toasted coconut. This is a deep, brooding Syrah with a long finish. Aging in 100 per cent French oak barrels has given it a great backbone to age, but it can certainly be drunk now with a nice juicy rib-eye steak.
Montes uses a completely gravity-fed winery (no pumps that can be harsh on the wine) and oak fermentation vessels. For their top cuvées, they play Gregorian chant in the barrel room to give the wine smooth, supple texture. There is also extensive use of Feng Shui in the winery.
Neyen de Apalta 'Limited Edition' Syrah 2006, Colchagua Valley
Deep ruby to rosy purple rim. Fast, colourful viscosity. The nose is clean, but earthy, with aromas of clay, game, vanilla, leather, cassis, violets and pepper. The palate is dry with moderate plus acidity and moderate plus tannins with a velvety texture. Very full-bodied, with lots of cocoa powder, leather, anise and plum. Very grippy, and a very long finish. Delicious!
Winemaker Patrick Valette was born in Chile but grew up in St. Emilion where his father made wine at Chateau Pavie (maybe you've heard of it!?). After rigorous study and years of experience, Patrick now consults and owns shares in wineries all over Bordeaux, Chile and Uruguay. There may not be a more influential and skilled winemaker/oenologist in all of Chile. Any wine this man touches turns to liquid gold...and that's an under-statement!
Emiliana 'Novus' Winemaker's Selection Syrah 2006, Casablanca
Inky black core fading to a thin, purple rim. Slow, colourful viscosity. The nose is intense, showing cassis, deli meat, bacon, pepper, spice, raspberries and chocolate. The palate is dry, full-bodied, and moderately acidic with flavours of candied plum, game, bacon, cocoa powder and baker's chocolate. The tannins are moderate although very velvety. The finish is very floral, showing violets in particular. Emiliana grows organic grapes and is nearly certified bio-dynamic.
This is another winery that uses animals in the process of vineyard management, including llamas, peacocks, chickens and all sorts of insects. They seem to truly have an understanding of the balance of all living things in their vineyard. This is apparent when you hear the export manager converse with the peacocks in their native tongue. He also made us all hold composted manure. He also made us smell it, which we enjoyed, because it didn't smell like manure at all, but rather fertile, rich, natural soil.
Casa Marin 'Miramar' Syrah 2008, Lo Abarca Hills, San Antonio
Clear, deep purple core fading to fuchsia. Speedy, colourful viscosity. The nose has a very pretty bouquet with black pepper, chocolate, mint, cinnamon and lilacs. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and confirms the nose in terms of flavour. The tannins are very soft and silky. What an elegant Syrah with such a long, cocoa finish.
Maria Luz Marin might be the biggest renegade I have ever met in the wine industry. She is the only female proprietor/winemaker in all of Chile and she has raised the bar tenfold with her cool-climate wines of a very unique terroir. Casa Marin was the smallest producer we visited (their total annual production is 12,000 cases) and they do not aspire to increase to larger volumes. The focus is entirely on quality. When the Syrah grapes are not up to standard, Maria Luz does not release the wine to the public, but instead takes a loss and uses the grapes to make wine for the locals, many of whom are her devoted employees for whom she throws an annual fiesta. Sadly, there will not be much Casa Marin Syrah made for anyone in the 2010 vintage due to spring frost in the Lo Abarca Hills.
Matetic 'EQ' Syrah 2007, San Antonio Valley
Inky black core fades to thin purple rim. Very slow viscosity with lots of colour. The nose is clean but earthy, showing clay, plum, violet, lavender, pepper, and cloves. The palate is dry, full-bodied, with lots of woodwind instrument reed flavours from oak tannins that are not quite integrated. There is also lots of game and cocoa. The tannins are very chewy and the acid is quite moderate. This is a dark and brooding Syrah that definitely needs some time to integrate. Although it is a little disjointed now, I think a few years of bottle age will evolve this wine into a complex and delicious Syrah.
Matetic bio-dynamically produces its wines, and there is a very strong focus on their hillside vineyards. They also use open-top fermenters in their brand-new, gravity-fed winery located just above the main vineyard. This Syrah is a great match to beef that is slow-cooked in a clay oven. I had the chance to learn this first hand.
Casas del Bosque Gran Reserve Syrah 2007, Casablanca
Deep, ruby, opaque core fading to a thin purple rim. Fast viscosity with lots of colour. The nose is clean with currants, bologna, rose and white pepper. Another very dry, full-bodied Syrah with more than moderate tannins that are quite velvety. Overall, the wine is balanced with its acidity and yet somehow it comes across a little uneven. But the finish lasts long, and it is a supple wine.
Casas del Bosque is located in the heart of Casablanca and uses some of the best technology to craft their wines. Winemaking dynamic duo, Milenko Valenzuela and Benjamin Leroux have now combined forces to bring us what they believe will be the best that Casablanca has to offer. Only time will tell.
Chileans are a proud people. They work very hard for everything they have, which for many of the actual vineyard employees, is not much at all. But we have something to learn from their adaptability and their innovation as they constantly re-invent themselves to meet the market demands and needs of the rest of the world. Chileans are a reserved people, after being under the rule of Pinochet for nearly 20 years. If you give them the chance, however, they are willing and excited to share the wonderful bounty that Chile has to offer. Although wine is only their fourth largest export, I believe it is the most important in their future and certainly the tastiest. Take a plunge into Chilean Syrah. Even though many Chileans do not realize this may be a key note variety in the lake of wine they are exporting, I certainly recommend Chilean Syrah as wonderful value and very delicious. Salud!
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