Viñedos del Alcohuaz, Elqui Valley DO (Chile) Syrah 2015

 The world of Syrah is wide-ranging.  In France, the Northern Rhône region is the mecca for Syrah.  However, many “New World” regions (California, South Africa, Australia, and Washington State) have shown great proficiency with the grape variety.  Make sure to also add Chile to the list, as Chile is starting to prove that it can produce outstanding wines from Syrah.  This is perfectly demonstrated in the Viñedos de Alcohuaz Tococo Syrah, displaying the distinct dusty mineral character and tension of a Northern Rhône Syrah.  This an irresistible wine that is powerful but elegant and speaks of grape and place.  It offers scents of blueberry and blackcurrant, flinty crushed granite, and spice box seasoning. It exhibits delicious fresh acidity and well-defined tannins that linger on the finish.