Montes Folly Syrah 2019
Montes Folly Apalta Vineyard Syrah
Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Vintage: 2019
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Syrah
ABV: 15%
Notes: Vegetarian, Vegan
This wine is a deep red in colour with purple hues. On the nose are intense aromas of ripe black fruits such as blueberry and blackberry, accompanied by notes of leather, black pepper and sweet spices. The French oak is very well-integrated and displays notes of tobacco, vanilla and toast. This wine is well-balanced, complex and elegant, with round tannins, tremendous structure, and a long and pleasing finish.
The Syrah grapes are sourced from a single parcel on the highest, steepest slopes of Apalta's 'Finca Apalta', arguably one of the finest sites for red wine grape growing in Chile. The Guyot-trained vines are planted on 45° slopes providing good exposure to aid ripening, and the soils are of granite origin and consist primarily of eroded rock from the mountain chain above. They are thin with low organic matter and good drainage, which encourages the roots to dig deep in search of water. This results in vines producing low yields of grapes with tremendous concentration and character. Despite being 60 kilometres from the ocean, its cool breezes moderate this warm area. Low night-time temperatures further prolong ripening, allowing for the slow development and retention of varietal aromas and acidity. Yields are very small at 3.5-4 tonnes per hectare.
When they started producing Montes Alpha in 1987, they needed balanced yields and to harvest when the grapes were ripe. They adapted these practices to all their vineyards and the results were startling. Montes’ own vineyards now cover 75% of their requirements. The other 25% of fruit is produced in vineyards that they have planted, cultivated and picked. In other words, they control everything except the ownership of the land. In addition to this control over the vineyard, they also sell in bulk what is not good enough to go into the bottles that carry their label. Having made the selection in the vineyard, they are able to make a further selection in the winery. The results are there for you to taste. In 2020, Aurelio Montes’ illustrious career was recognised in the form of the International Wine Challenge’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
https://www.monteswines.com