Queulat Gran Reserva Carmenère Syrah 2021

Viña Ventisquero was founded in 2000 by winemaker Felipe Tosso in the Maipo Valley, the warm inland heart of Chile's Central Valley just south of Santiago. This Queulat Gran Reserva blends Carmenère, the late-ripening Bordeaux variety that has become Chile's signature, with Syrah for spice and structure. Maipo's alluvial soils of gravel and clay sit in a warm, dry climate, while air drawn down from the Andes cools the nights and lengthens the ripening season, helping Carmenère lose its green, herbaceous edge and reach ripe maturity. The wine spends twelve months in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds spice and a savoury frame. It pours deep ruby, with a nose of black plum, blackberry and dark chocolate over tobacco and smoke. The palate is full and ripe, with rounded tannins, peppery Syrah lift and a long, lightly toasted finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted if young, alongside grilled and roasted red meats.