Today’s Pinot comes from Leyda Valley a bit south west of Santiago. Leyda is rather well known for its cooler and foggy climate. That is why Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the prime varietals over there. It might be the best Pinot area in Chile or South America. The producer of the Amayna Pinot, Vina Garces Silva, isn’t a long-established and well known producer in this area. The winery was found in 1997 by a wealthy Chilean family. The swanky and modern architecture implies that business is going pretty, pretty, pretty gooooood! Well OK, the prices for their wines aren’t the lowest for Chilean standard. Might be one reason for the spaceship winery.
The colour showed very clear and transparent dark ruby red reflexes. No traces of brown discolourations or what so ever. The fragrance appeared to be very intensive and performed a dipsy-doodle throughout the first hours. Scents of coffee, eucalyptus, smoke, strawberry candy, a bit of bright red berry marmalade, alcohol and some other sweet nasal impressions rotate by the minute. Well, oh I better shut up about the rest …!
The actual structure of the taste seemed very nice. I got very well balanced acid, good concentration and very well integrated oak flavours (12 months in 20% new French oak). The fruit flavours however appeared to be problematic. I tasted flavours of bight cherries, sweet strawberry candy, eucalyptus, coffee and after some hours hints of earth, mushrooms and undergrowth. On the second day flavours of rum pot, cranberries and roasted agents joined the club. The alcohol, 14,5%, was problem No. 1. It overlayed the entire wine with its essential oils. Problem No. 2 was the totally overpowered sweetness. This combination of two fundamental problems destroyed the taste adventure I hoped for. For me, this no real Pinot Noir! It was and tastes by far more like a Syrah form Aconcagua. I guess, an I am afraid, it was a stereotypical representative of a New World Pinot like many people, especially from Europe, might expect it to be. I am very glad that I already had the opportunity to show you some beautiful deviations from this unfortunate style. Well okay this is my problem. I just don’t need sweet, or maybe even off-dry, Pinot Noirs with tons of alcohol. Pretty disappointed about this one!
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