Montes Alpha Syrah 2022

Montes Alpha Syrah is made by Bodega Montes in the Colchagua Valley in Chile, part of the range that put Chilean wine on the international map. Colchagua is a warm, sunny valley with a long, dry growing season, and that climate is central to the wine's character, ripening the Syrah fully to give deep colour, ripe dark fruit and 14.5 percent alcohol. The valley's well-drained alluvial and granitic soils keep yields in check and concentrate the fruit, while cooling afternoon breezes off the coast preserve enough acidity and the peppery spice that marks the variety. The wine ages twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the tannins and adds vanilla, sweet spice and a dark-chocolate richness that suits the ripe fruit. Malolactic fermentation rounds the acidity into a fuller, smoother texture. The colour is deep, dense ruby. The nose is ripe blackberry and plum with cracked black pepper, liquorice and oak-led dark chocolate and vanilla. The palate is full and warm, the tannins ripe and smooth, the finish long and spicy. Serve at 17 degrees in a large glass. A natural match for grilled and roast red meats.