I wish more Chilean wines were like this

chile syrah

I wish more Chilean wines were like this

vina leyda costero syrah 2008 chile

Costero Syrah 2008 from Vina Leyda, in the Leyda Valley. Bright, vivid, peppery. Sweet fruit, but not too sweet. Some notes of olive. Black cherry and blackberry fruit, with a hint of Chileanness, but not too much.

It was a bargain at £6.99 on multibuy from Majestic a year ago. I wish I had bought more, because this is the sort of wine Chile should be making more of. The freshness and definition, allied with the savoury, slightly meaty characters make it incredibly drinkable and versatile, with a hint of seriousness.

Alas, too many Chilean reds show sweet fruit and little else, save for that slightly rubbery Chilean character that makes them easy to spot in blind tastings. That Vina Leyda can make an inexpensive wine like this with such character gives me great hope. It’s a cooler-climate region, and I think this is where many of the more interesting Chilean wines are coming from at the moment.

I’d love to see more. Chile does commercial so well, it probably doesn’t have to bother too much with making more serious wines, but the potential is there.

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4 Comments on I wish more Chilean wines were like thisTagged ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

4 thoughts on “I wish more Chilean wines were like this

  1. Hi Jamie,

    Rookie question, but what is the make / model of the glass you have pictured?

    All the best,
    Simon

  2. Shame these disappeared, this and the Riesling were both v good and reasonably priced. Better, I thought than the concurrent Matetic Syrah that was nearly 3x the price…wish I’d done a bit of stocking up too! Agree – more like this would be great.
    Tom

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