Viñedos de Alcohuaz Grus de Alcohuaz Elqui Valley 2020

“This is a little feast of ripe red fruits and floral tones, but it also has a touch of spice. The palate is tense, marked by the acidity that acts in conjunction with a firm and piercing network of tannins to form a skeleton where the fruit flavors assert themselves. The result is a radiant and refreshing vision of a mountain wine. Grus is a blend that this year is 42% syrah, 25% garnacha, 20% petit verdot, 8% national touriga (the first time this grape has appeared in the blend), and 5% petite sirah, all from the Alcohuaz vineyards in the heights of the Elqui Valley.”

“The ‘village’ wine of the Alcohuaz portfolio, Grus is a juicy blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah and Garnacha, with a touch of Touriga Nacional in this vintage for the first time. Bright red fruit aromas are complimented by a flinty minerality and pure finish.”

“The 2020 Grus is the first year they included Touriga Nacional in the wine, a grape that is very noticeable in the blends. It's a blend of Syrah (42%), Garnacha (25%), Petite Sirah (5%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Touriga Nacional (8%) fermented with 50% full clusters in lagar, except the Garnacha, which fermented in concrete tanks to avoid oxidation, and matured in 1,600-liter concrete eggs, 2,500-liter oak foudres and 6,000-liter tronconic vats for 10 months. The character from Elqui is wet granite. It was a very warm year and it was challenging, with all the grapes ripening at the same time. 6,696 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.”

“The 2020 Mezcla Tinta Grus from Alcohuaz is a blend of 42% Syrah, 25% Garnacha, 20% Petit Verdot, 8% Touriga Nacional and 5% Petite Sirah, aged for 9 months in concrete and foudres. Purple in color. The nose presents wet stone, hops, and herbs over a bed of red fruit and a hint of chutney. Terse in the mouth, it has a fresh core with firm tannins and an herbal backdrop. Time in the bottle will help tame and integrate the potent energy.”