Montes Alpha Syrah 2022 (Chile)

Description

Blueberry, Oak, Pastry

The wine presents a deep red colour, with violet hues. The tears fall very slowly down the glass. The aromas are principally of ripe black and blue berries, together with candied fruit and dairy notes. Thanks to the time spent ageing in French barrels, there are also balanced notes of toast, tobacco, nougat, and sweet spice. The mouthfeel is very balanced, with full body and density, very silky tannins, and lingering flavours and vibrancy.

The vineyards that give rise to our Montes Alpha Syrah are located in two distinct zones of the Colchagua Valley—Apalta and Marchigüe. The origin of the soils of the two areas is granite at differing stages of decomposition,with highly variable depths and amounts of clay and organic matter. Apalta is very heterogeneous, with some sectors strongly influenced by the proximity of the river and others by alluvium and eroded of material from high above in the mountains. The soils tend to be deep on the plain and thinner in the foothills and upper areas. The Syrah vineyards are intentionally planted in very steep sites (45º). Marchigüe is flatter, with lower hills and gentler slopes. Its soils are shallow—in some places no more than 60 cm deep—with medium clay content and a high capacity for water retention. The vineyards are located on moderate slopes with western exposure. This vineyard also produces Viognier, which makes up 3% of the blend and is vinified together with the Syrah. Leaves are pulled from around the Syrah bunches after veraison, to encourage good ventilation.

This was a rather benign season for the production of our wines, despite the ongoing deficit of water that has now become the norm for us. Winter saw an absence of frost in our vineyards, and spring brought us enough precipitation to ensure the health of our vines until harvest. Bud break and fruit set were normal, although the final bunches obtained at harvest had fewer grapes and were a little lighter than the previous season’s, across almost all our varieties. Summer was free of rain, and there were a few days with high temperatures during veraison. For Syrah at our Apalta and Marchigue estates, the beginning of harvest was delayed by at least 10 days, caused by cooler nights at the end of March; these also balanced grape metabolism, which enhances the aromatic potential of the grapes.

The grapes were harvested into 300-kg containers and selected by hand upon arrival at the cellar, before destemming. Grapes of Alpha quality were macerated in the fermentation tank for 5 days, after which selected yeasts were added for a perfectly controlled fermentation; this lasted for 7–10 days, until all the sugar was converted into alcohol. The wine was racked into stainless steel and concrete tanks, maintaining the optimal temperature for malolactic fermentation, which can occur very quickly or take up to 20 days. Once this second fermentation finished, the wine was racked into French oak barrels where it remained for 12 months. A proportion of the wine remained in concrete tanks, before it was blended into the final wine that would be bottled.

Food Pairing: Highly recommended with red meats, Mongolian beef, spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, and lambchops with Cabernet and mushroom sauce.