Matetic Vineyards, Vale de San Antonio D.O. (Chile) Syrah 2021

 I’ve been noting for years that Chile will become a world leader with virtually all the world’s great grape varieties, and that the only suspense involved is how long it will take before the right people find the right combination of soil, altitude, and latitude to optimize growing conditions.  Well, Syrah can now be added to the list of examples for this point.  This $30 bottling tastes at least as good as most $45 or $50 top renditions from French Rhône Valley appellations such as St. Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage and is far better than most comparable wines from California, South Africa, or most other would-be sources for top-class Syrah.  The magic in this wine is a combination of intense blackberry fruit with great richness but no over-ripe notes at all.  On the contrary, this is very bright and refreshing, even on a very big scale, with beautifully integrated acidity that should enable it to become develop positive complexities for another 5 or even 10 years.  I was so impressed when tasting this that I immediately went online to buy some for my cellar to learn exactly how it will develop over time, and put my money where my mouth is by buying half a dozen bottles from the importer’s online retail outlet.  Only then did I discover that this isn’t even the top Syrah from this house, which also makes a $95 bottling simply labeled as “Matetic.”  The 2017 is currently on offer from Family Wineries Direct at that price, and though I don’t scare easily, I’m a bit scared of how good that wine may be, in light of how good this 2021 “Corralillo” is.  If my score is off, I missed on the low side.