De Martino Syrah Makes Wine Spectator Top 100
Wine Spectator magazine recently published their “Top 100 Wines” of 2010 list, and De Martino Legado Syrah made the list — at #92.
The wine was only one of four from Chile in the Top 100.
Wine Spectator reviewed De Martino Legado Syrah earlier in the year, rating it 90 points and with these tasting notes:
A smoky, restrained style, with mulled black currant and blackberry fruit sitting in reserve and mesquite, graphite and white pepper notes weaving in and out. The finish lets the smoky hint linger nicely. Drink now through 2011.
It may be somewhat surprising that a Syrah — rather than a Carmenere or Bordeaux varietal — from Chile would make the Top 100. After all, Chile has been growing Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot for a much longer time. However, this wine is unique in that it is the only one made from the Choapa Valley — an area discovered by “terroir hunter” Marcelo Retamal of De Martino.
The vineyards are located in the Andes, at an altitude of 825 meters above sea level but only 45 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. The soils are of colluvial origin, with presence of clay, sand and volcanic rock deposits, particularly rocks with angular shapes that have not decomposed. This gives the wine characteristics different from Syrah from other areas — most notably, it is fresher with a higher than expected acidity and distinct mineral notes.
