Syrah Gran Reserva
The vintage
The season was characterized by moderate rainfall, a little less than usual, and continued with a very cold spring. The beginning of the summer was cold but temperatures gradually increased and remained very stable throughout the season. This provided the ideal maturity conditions which resulted in grapes of great potential. 2022 is a vintage that will be talked about in the years to come.
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 3600 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.
Winemaking
The excellent grape quality called for a gentle fermentation with minimal intervention in order to retain the full expression of the terroir. The wine is made in stainless steel tanks, then 50% of it aged in barrels. The rest is aged in concrete tanks in order to keep the freshness and tension of the varietal.
Grapes
Tasting
Deep color with violet hues.
Very aromatic on the nose, with great complexity. The floral and fruity aromas of violet, hibiscus, and raspberry, are supported by graphite and cedar touches from the ageing.
On the palate, it has great volume, with soft tannins and good acidity.