This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Chilean Red Rhône Varietals over £15 went to San Pedro, 1865 Limited Edition Syrah, Elqui Valley 2010 (14.5%)
Tasted against:
- No other Golds in this category
Profile:
In terms of scale, ambition and production, San Pedro is in Chile’s premier league, with 2,700 hectares of vines distributed throughout the Curicó and Central Valleys and other principal growing regions.
This Trophy-winner is grown on minerally clay-based soils at the northernmost frontier of Chilean viticulture, in Elqui, bordering the Atacama desert about 20km from the Pacific.
The cool, coastal influence enables varieties such as Syrah and Pinot Noir to develop finesse and elegance, although the style of this 2010 Trophy was also influenced by El Niño, which increased temperatures by as much as 2°C, before bringing a cooler-than-anticipated summer, with no rainfall. Bunches were smaller, but more concentrated, contributing refined aromas and elegance to the finished wine.
Marcelo García, part of San Pedro’s winemaking team since 2007, is the man behind the 1865 Syrah. The grapes were handpicked and cold- macerated for five to six days, with some brief pumpovers, and matured almost exclusively in French oak. Some 1,300 cases were produced, and García believes it will mature well for the next five to eight years.
Written by Decanter
