… Full of red fruit and earthy notes. Despite the strength of Choapa’s sun, the wine’s flavors are clear and refreshing, rich in acidity and subtly smoky, as is typical in syrah from the north.

Smoke-accented cherry and cassis aromas show hints of licorice and dark chocolate. Smooth and smoky in the mouth, offering bitter cherry and cracked pepper flavors that flesh out as the wine opens up. Finishes with firm tannic grip and good length, leaving a note of cherry pit behind.

The 2012 Legado Gran Reserva Syrah is from the Choapa Valley, a new wine region north of Aconcagua. This wine has very expressive aromas of smoked bacon, barbecued meat, violets and tar – very Northern Rhone, if you ask me – developing notes of iodine with time. The palate is medium-bodied, precise, laser-like cut, sharp and delineated, with very clean acidity. It might have a little more wood than the 347, but it also has more depth. Drink now-2018.

Deep ruby. Smoky cherry and red berry scents are complemented by notes of black pepper, woodsmoke and mint. Sappy and lively on the palate, offering tangy redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors that gain sweetness with air. The taut finish shows lingering spiciness, supple tannins and good persistence.

A solid version, displaying dark plum fruit character backed by savory hints of game and grilled herb, with medium tannins adding grip to the finish. Drink now.

The Valley of Choapa, 200 miles north of Santiago at 2,800 meters in altitude, is a relatively unknown wine region in Chile. For now, this is the only wine from Choapa we’ve come across, a little monster of a ripeness and astringency, deep and strong in its flavors – and needing lamb, urgently.

Bright purple. Somewhat reduced, offering smoky dark berry and licorice aromas and flavors plus a hint of black pepper. Spicy and on the bitter side, with the peppery note giving a palate-numbing impression. Aeration brings out more sweetness but this is less about fruit than spice. Finishes with good peppery bite and a touch of candied flowers.

Purple color; Asian spices, incense, black and blue fruits, dense, layered, mouth-filling.

Smoky, with a strong grilled herb edge, backed by roasted plum and soft black cherry notes. Features a flash of white pepper on the finish. Drink now.

The 2007 Syrah Legado Reserva is sourced from the Choapa, a desert-like region in the north of Chile where there are big diurnal swings in temperature. Purple-colored, it offers up an expressive perfume of spice box, mineral, black cherry, and blueberry. Layered on the palate, it has excellent depth and grip as well as several years of aging potential.  Drink this excellent value from 2011 through 2019.

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.