2009 Montes Alpha Syrah

Chile continues to surprise me to this day, both in terms of the wines and regions but also with a knock on the door from a friendly driver who is happy to pass along a bottle or two or eight from that tall skinny country in South America.

I recently reviewed the Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah, but was excited to have the opportunity to try the full-blooded, proper red wine Syrah, but perhaps a slightly modified version...

I always love throwing some Viognier in with the Syrah! The French figured that out with Côte-Rôtie a long time ago, but it works so well... Much like the comedy music team of Garfunkel & Oates. Are Viognier vines taller than Syrah or do I have this whole thing backwards? Aw, those girls are both so sweet and talented I'm not going to take this analogy any further aside from the fact that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

2009 Montes Alpha Syrah
Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley
90% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Viognier
$16, 14.5% abv.

Firm aroma of plum, black pepper, and a touch of bacon fat. Strong tannins with a long, spicy finish. I enjoyed it with a Hawaiian pizza (guilty pleasure during NBC's Community), but obviously this wine could benefit from a few years of aging. Great pairing with the pizza, and such a nice way to end the day before shuffling off to bed.


Note: This wine was received as a sample.