Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Syrah 2022
On the nose the wine displays a peppery aroma combined with an elegant tapenade (black olive) note. Black and white pepper together with meaty notes are in armony with tertiary scent of goudron and toffee. Vibrant, alive, elegant as a cool climate Syrah can be. The mouth is more integrated and with less acidity if compared to 2021 (cooler vintage). Smooth tannins with a clean finish allow for an immediate consumption, although the wine will have a nice evolution inside bottle throughout the next 5 years.
“Quite smoky with some garden herbs, pepper, olive, bacon and bramble leaf alongside ripe red plum. Appealing and juicy.”
93 Points – Decanter
“A juicy and well-made syrah that gets a peppery lift from the fresh red cherry and damson fruit aromas. Spicy and lively, with a medium body, firm tannins and a juicy, medium-long finish. A syrah to enjoy now.”
92 Points – James Suckling
“The coastal vineyards of Casablanca Valley benefit from the refreshing Pacific Ocean breezes. This Syrah captures the essence of the sea, with salty notes, enhancing the tart cherry aromas. A subtle minty note complements its fruit-focused character on the palate, featuring a solid structure. ”
90 Points – Wine Enthusiast
This wine comes from a selection of fruit from ungrafted vines planted between 2000 and 2010 in Casas del Bosque´s own vineyard in Las Dichas: the coolest, westernmost reach of Casablanca Valley. Mainly sourced from red, iron rich granitic soils and blocks equipped with drip irrigation, these vines were cropped at an average of 7 tons per hectare (3.1 US tons per acre). On arrival to the winery, the fruit was destemmed and cold soaked for three days. Fermentation occurred thanks to selected yeasts on open topped tanks, which were hand-plunged twice daily. 25% of the final blend spent 12 months in new French oak 225L barrels. 75% of the blend was aged for 12 months in 2nd to 3rd use French oak barrels. The blend was then realized in stainless steel tanks and fined with inactivated yeasts. 2,580 cases were produced.
The 2021 winter was dry (only 100mm of rain), followed by a warm summer, and then a rather cool beginning of fall season. A dry winter meant less water to irrigate during the summer – so, from a phytosanitary point of view it was a very healthy vintage with low disease pressure The only real challenge was to make a wine that delivers complexity as opposed to just power.
