2018 Alcohuaz Rhu (750ml)

Syrah from Elqui Valley, Coquimbo, Chile

97D

96JS

95WA

From the highest-altitude commercial vineyard in Chile, this is a remarkable wine in more ways than one. This Syrah blend (with 2% Petite Sirah, 8% Grenache) exudes notes of red plums, raspberries and wild flowers, great freshness as well as a haunting minerality. Marcelo Retamal delivers pure energy in the glass – a pulsating acidity, spicy tannins and a lingering, juicy finish.

97 points, Amanda Barnes, Decanter (Jan 2023)

Deep, meaty nose with fresh, sweet blueberries, spices, asphalt, mussels and dark minerals. Fresh and tangy on the palate with a medium to full body. Intense and fresh flavors seep into the finish. Very long with fresh, fine tannins. 80% syrah, 12% petite sirah and 8% garnacha. 32 months in foudre. 9,000 bottles made. Drink or hold.

96 points, Zekun Shuai, James Suckling (Mar 2024)

Of the three vintages I tasted, the 2018 Rhu is the lowest in Syrah (80%) and has 12% Petite Sirah and 8% Garnacha. It was a year with more rain, and it snowed twice but also had warm weather. It fermented with 90% full clusters in stone lagars with indigenous yeasts, and the élevage was in 2,500-liter oak foudre and lasted 32 months. It has a subtle nose, nuance, detail and elegance, and the palate is the freshest of the three vintages I tasted together this time—2016, 2017 and 2018. This is the finest, most elegant and balanced version of Rhu to date with more Rhône Syrah character and the seriousness of the granite. 2018 was a textbook vintage for them, and they got it right and produced the best wine. They bottled 9,076 bottles in January 2021.

95 points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Aug 2021)

#CLALSY18AE

$64.98

11 bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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