Montes Syrah Colchagua Valley Alpha 2011

Opens nicely, with hints of olive, earth, rubber and leather. The palate is juicy and lively, while flavors of coconut, toast and black fruit meld together in good fashion. A fresh, clean style of Syrah thatrsquo;s forward but not hard or tannic.

The 2008 Alpha Syrah is purple/black in color with an alluring nose of smoke, game, mineral, underbrush, and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, succulent and chewy on the palate, this lengthy effort is likely to evolve for 1ndash;2 years but can be approached now.

Intensely forward nose for this young of a wine. Campfire smoke, licorice, plum and fresh raspberries swirl from the glass. Big, dense Syrah with luscious, ripe fruit that feels silky on the entry and then deepens mid-palate, taking on a chewy, rustic texture. The wine gains complexity on the finish, which lasts for minutes, showing spicy, toasted oak, a bit of dried herbs and plum-skin tannins. Tastes like the real thing.

Montes Alpha Syrah 2007: Dekantier-Empfehlung (1 Std. vorher belüften), Empfohlene Serviertemperatur: 16-18°C, in Barriques gereift (12 Monate), lagerfähig 5 - 7 Jahre ab JahrgangJahrgang: 2007Inhalt: 0,75 LRegion: Colchagua ValleyWeingut: MontesRebsorte: Syrah, Cabernet SauvignonRestzucker: trockenRestsäure: Alkoholgehalt: 14,5 % Rotwein

Richly layered, with ambitiously styled fig, mocha, espresso and bittersweet cocoa, backed by a lush beam of boysenberry fruit. Fleshy and toasty through the finish, with the dark fruit lingering well in the background. Drink now through 2010.

Ruby-red. Energetic cherry-cola and raspberry aromas offer impressive clarity and a suave floral overtone. Sweet red and dark berry liqueur flavors are complemented by sexy vanillin oak and Asian spices, with supple tannins carrying through the finish. Emphatically modern and quite seductive.

A consistently high-scoring wine, this version of Alpha Syrah from Montes starts with graham crackers, vanilla, sawdust and coffee aromas on top of sexy, herbal fruit notes. The balanced palate delivers plum and berry fruit but even more vanilla and mocha. Maybe too oaky? Regardless, itrsquo;s a very good Syrah for Chile.