Syrah Gran Reserva
The vintage
The season started with an unusually warm and dry winter, with few days with temperatures below freezing. There were two frost episodes over the winter that damaged and knocked down some buds and shoots, resulting in natural thinning and therefore lower yields, with better quality, and concentration of the grapes. Well into the season, the temperature continued to rise, with highs of up to 37° C in the shade in the summer. As a result, the harvest began 20 days earlier than usual. Despite the differences in the vineyard (exposures, soil, clones), the high temperatures evened out ripening during this season. The Syrah harvest started on March 10 and finished on March 19. Sourced from different soils and exposures, Syrah calls for formidable rigor when choosing the optimum moment to pick the grapes.
Location
Stretching from the Coastal range to the foothills of the Andes mountains, Colchagua’s Mediterranean climate and privileged terroirs have made it a place of choice to produce quality wines in Chile. Los Vascos estate lies at the foothills of the coastal range, 200km South West of Santiago, in the cooler part of Colchagua where the vines benefit from the natural cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Terroir
The 4000 ha of Los Vascos allows us to select the most appropriated terroir for each varietal. The best Syrah in the world are grown on granitic soils and we are lucky that all our hillsides are made of granite. This convinced us that there was a great potential for Syrah at Los Vascos.
Since 1998 we have been experimenting with this variety, getting to understand how it behaves in the vineyard and in the winery. The first plantations for a super premium Syrah was done in 2005 on the hills of ‘El Mirador’. As of the first vintage we realised that the potential was even higher than anticipated and we extended the surfaces in this area from 2009 onwards until reaching the 53 ha dedicated to this varietal today. Over the years, the results have kept impressing us as the vines are finding their balance, revealing more and more the unique expression of our terroir, with the various sites offering different facets that complement each other to render a rich complexity.
Winemaking
The excellent grape quality called for a gentle fermentation with minimal intervention in order to retain the delicate expression of the terroir.
The wine was made in stainless steel tanks at a temperature controlled between 25-27°C before being aged 12 months in French oak barrels.
Grapes
Tasting
Deep garnet color with violet hues.
Enthralling aromatics with a complexity that expresses the different typicity of the lots of origin, with distinct notes of violets and blackberry, complemented by hints of pepper, cold cuts, and a touch raspberry macaroons. In the mouth, the wine is powerful, with nice volume, gentle tannins, and lively acidity. The aftertaste is reminiscent of a wide range of red and black berries. This is certainly a wine that will have an interesting evolution and will express complexity at every stage.
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