Polkura Syrah 2008 (Marchigue, Colchagua Valley, Chille)

Appearance: Bright, deep, opaque cherry red core consistent to a narrow dark pick rim. The depth of color seemed to display bluish/violet/purple highlights. There tears/legs were thick and slow moving indicating a relative high level of alcohol.

Nose: Light intensity of indistinct red or black fruit (difficult to tell due to the weakness of the intensity). After a swirl the intensity seemed to be light(+) with a continuation of the indistinct aromas characteristics. Later, after the glass was empty and the wine integrated with more oxygen there was a medium intensity of black fruit and maybe a hint of cooked plums or prunes.

Palate: The wine is dry, medium(+) bodied with medium(+) tannins having a "dusty" texture. The acidity level is medium(+). The fruit flavors were light(+) intensity of indistinct medium-ripe black fruit with hints of green herbs. There was a very slight alcohol sensation of an alcohol burn on the back sides of the tongue and back palate. (14.6%ABV.

Finish/Length: Clean finish with a short length (not lingering fruit flavors). It was the fine grained tannins that lingered longer.

Conclusion: This is a poor quality. It has weak, almost empty aromas and flavors. It does offer the alcohol burn. Not what I expected from a warm climate Syrah. This wine did not meet my expectations. Expectations were to have a deep colored wine (which it is) with aromatics of black fruit (which actually were indistinct and light in intensity), rich, soft and more intensity of fruit flavor on the palate (which the wine did not possess). I wonder about the neutrality of the flavors and aromas (vineyard or winemaking). This wine needs to be drunk now because the components are not at a level to allow this wine to mature beyond maybe one year. I believe the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker gave this wine 91 Points sp maybe I am missing something or they tasted a different wine. The retail price is about US$21.00 which is beyond what I beleive it is worth. I would have estimated its retail price as US$8 to US$10.

Research: According to the Wines of Chille website the 2008 vintage the Sysrah shows intense colors, good but rather tougher tannins than the previous year. This made for careful handling in winemaking. The website also describes the Sysrah from the Cohchagua to be richly pigmented red grape yields inky purplish-red wines that vary greatly in style, depending on where it is grown. In warmer climates, such as Colchagua, the wines are often big, lusty, juicy delights that take center stage wherever they appear.

Producer Notes: Deep purple color. Typical spicy nose is combined with black fruit although the fruity character dominates the 2008. This is a full-bodied wine with very intense tannins. It has depth and extremely velvety. The acidity is in good balance with the sweetness of the alcohol. The wine is still young but very complex with mny layers and has a very long finish.