Struggling with Syrah in Chile

Given the success of Syrah across the globe - there are notable examples from warm and cool climates - it is only natural that the producers of Chile would want to work with this variety. There certainly are plenty of warm areas in the country where the variety thrives, be it modestly priced bottlings from the Central Valley or more full-bodied offerings from an excellent territory such as the Colchagua Valley, some 175 miles south of Santiago. 

Lately however, some vintners are experimenting with Syrah in cool climates and results are encouraging, though wildly uneven. A cool climate for a variety such as Syrah will often mean a very deep color as well as very good natural acidity. As the tannins are never very strong with Syrah, the wines are approachable upon release, though the structure of these wines argue for at least a few years of aging.

To date, my favorite Syrah from Chile has been from Maycas in the Limarí Valley in northern Chile not far from the Pacific Ocean. There are only a handful of producers that are working here and the wines from Maycas, especially the Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, display excellent varietal character and intensity along with beautiful complexity. These are not simple, fruit-forward wines, but bottlings with ideal structure for aging for 5-7 years and they are priced quite fairly right around $20 or even a few dollars less.

So I was intrigued to learn what's been going on with Syrah in Chile lately, especially with versions made from grapes in cool climates. I tasted versions from Limarí, Leyda, Casablanca and Lolol Valleys are the results were a bit disappointing. The best wine I sampled was the 2009 Reserva from Tamaya in Limarí Valley. Though not as rich as the Maycas (the 2008 was the most recent Syrah I've tasted from them), the Tamaya did offer very fine complexity and balance with an appealing note of dark chocolate in the finish. The wine should be at its best in 3-5 years, while the $18 price tag is fair for this style and quality.

I also enjoyed the more approachable 2009 Undurraga from Leyda Valley, part of their T.H. series of wines (T.H. for terroir hunter, a clever name!). This is a medium-bodied, round, straightforward Syrah with blackberry, black plum and chocolate flavors, medium tannins and good acidity. It's got a little bit of spice, making it a nice partner for grilled meats and lighter game. It's very elegant and well made, though the $25 price range seems a bit high for the overall quality.

There were other Syrahs I tasted recently that just weren't very good; I don't believe in embarrassing producers, so I won't mention them. But overall, I'm just not finding the quality with Syrah in Chile as I have been recently with Pinot Noir (see post). Too many of the wines are overly ripe and have deep purple colors, yielded no doubt from the ever present Chilean sunshine as well as too much time in small oak barrels (one example I had was basically black in color and opaque - you literally couldn't see through it). Do we need all this oak with Syrah from Chile? Do we need jammy, super ripe bottlings of Syrah from Chile? It's as though the producers were chasing points when they crafted these wines. They may be for some people, but they're not for me. I have to think that even the people that like them now may do so for a momentary pleasure, as this style is a bit of a flash in the pan. These wines are not elegant and would overwhelm most food.

So what I've learned so far about Syrah in Chile is that Limarí is an ideal zone for this variety as is Leyda (I've also enjoyed a few lovely examples of Syrah from Matetic/EQ in Leyda- the wines offer excellent structure). I have to think there are other areas as well that are capable of notweworthy Syrah. I just haven't tried many, I'm sorry to say. 

Syrah - Chile's Latest Success Story

The Chilean wine industry has a lot of positives going for it these days, even if most of us don't hear much about it. I've stated before that the people who market these wines - both in Chile and in America and other countries - need to do a better job letting consumers know what classy wines are emerging from the country's wine regions these days.

Thankfully, the vintners are doing the necessary work, as they finding the best sites that are well suited to particular varieties. The days of Chile being most associated with $8-$10 Central Valley wines are long gone, as the producers have learned to realize the beauty of their climate when working with a variety of wine grapes. I think most of us are familiar with the gorgeous Cabernets - especially those from the Maipo Valley- that run anywhere from $18-$60 (or even slightly higher), but over the past decade, the country's wine industry has developed into a complex one, capable of producing beautifully crafted wines from Carmenere, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

These last two are of course, cool climate varieties and while Pinot Noir is still largely a work in progress throughout Chile, there have been dazzling bottlings of Sauvignon Blancs from cool zones such as Casablanca Valley, Leyda and San Antonio Valleys near the ocean as well as Limarí and a few select sites in Colchagua. A few of the finest bottlings from producers such as Casa Marin, Garces-Silva (Amayna), Maycas del Limarí, Matetic (EQ) and Leyda Vineyards have made Chile into one of the world's finest Sauvignon Blanc territories.

Now Syrah is starting to become an important variety in Chile as well. I recently tasted two bottlings that are proof that this country can do more than produce ripe, forward reds; these wines also display excellent complexity as well as beautiful structure. I am referring to the 2008 Maycas del Limarí and the 2008 Casa Marin "Miramar Vineyard."

The Maycas wines are a relatively new project from Concha y Toro, Chile's largest winery. They have committed to the Limarí valley, located very close to the Pacific Ocean, quite a ways north of Santiago. The winery is working with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and each variety is displaying the acidity you would expect in a cool climate. This acidity is the focal point for me, as it not only cleanses the palate (especially beneficial with the tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon), it also preserves the freshness and brightness of the fruit and helps achieve an overall harmony.

To date, the Sauvignon Blanc from Maycas has been my favorite; this wine in the two vintages I have tasted to date (2007 and 2008) has the vibrancy and concentration of the best examples of Sauvignon Blanc; I would rate this as one of the three or four best examples of this variety in all of Chile. I am also quite pleased with the Maycas Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes off quite a bit different than the wonderful bottlings from the Maipo Valley. The Maycas cool climate Cab has lively acidity and bright fruit and while not as soft and as approachable as its Maipo counterparts, it has impeccable balance.

The Syrah is again defined largely by its acidity. The sunshine is plentiful in Chile, so Syrah is not a difficult grape to ripen in most regions of the country. This has lead to some pretty lush, unctious versions that are pleasing upon first taste, but often don't drink well afterwards. That's not a problem with the Maycas wine; my notes for the current 2008 bottling focus on the cassis, black plum and anise flavors along with its ideal ripeness and acidity as well as its nicely integrated oak. This is approachable now, but it really needs a bit of time to settle down- try it in 3-5 years. (At $22 retail, this is a fine value.)

Maria Luz Marin, Casa Marin, San Antonio Valley

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

At Casa Marin, Maria Luz Marin was one of the first producers to work with grapes from the tiny sub-zone of the San Antonio Valley, part of the Leyda Valley appellation. Marin's estate is very close to the Pacific Ocean, with the vineyards located anywhere from two to four miles from the coast, meaning very cool temperatures, which in turn, provide proper acidity and structure to the wines.

To date, Marin has earned much of her acclaim for her two briiliant single vineyard releases of Sauvignon Blanc: Cipresses and Laurel (I recently tasted the newly released 2009 Laurel, which is a rich and as complex as any bottling she has made to date). Now her Syrah from the Miramar Vineyard has reached new heights as well, not only for her but for the Chilean wine industry.

The 2008 has dried cherry fruit and a nice earthiness throughout; this is definitely more in a Rhone-style. Medium-full with a generous mid-palate and beautiful texture, the wine has very good acidity and round, gentle tannins. Overall, the wine is impeccably balanced with outstanding complexity. This is an outstanding wine and a reminder that Chile can produce elegant, seductive reds - it's not all about power and ripeness. (Look for this wine to drink well for 5-7 years; the price is $50.)