Amayna Leyda Valley Syrah 2021

When served to us at lunch at Amayna, the first sip of the 2021 Amayna Leyda Valley Syrah (95 Points – Vinous; 95 – Descorchados; 94 – Tim Atkin) not only convinced us of Leyda Valley’s ability to produce world-class Syrah, it had us begging for more. Reminiscent of the great Syrah-based wines of France’s Northern Rhône Valley (think Côte Rôtie and Hermitage), the youthful 2021 Amayna – which is composed of 93% Syrah, 4% Viognier, and 3% Grenache – dazzled us with its dreamy bouquet, a potpourri of wild flowers, violets, and woodland berries. Yet, it was the wine’s tantalizing blackberry fruit, anise, white pepper, and complex spice tones that sealed the deal. A seamless, silky texture followed by a sleek, gratifying finish made us shake our heads and wonder why we had not had this wine before. Thanks to our recent visit, we are pleased to offer our club members this exceptional wine. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest affording this world-class Syrah at least 15-20 minutes of aeration before serving it at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2024-2029. Enjoy!

The 2021 Amayna Leyda Valley Syrah makes a splendid companion to any special meal. Although I suspect many of our members would just as soon consume this wine on its own, why settle for half the pleasure, when you can have it all? The wine’s seductive floral aromas, pure fruit, and deep down flavors make the 2021 Amayna Leyda Valley Syrah a natural accompaniment to full flavored dishes such as Amayna’s favorite pairing, Roast Leg of Lamb basted with a delicious brown gravy. Marinated New York Strip Steak topped with mushroom truffle butter and served with red pepper risotto and roasted butternut squash provides another delectable accompaniment. Horseradish Crusted Beef Tenderloin served with cheesy Arborio rice and sautéed vegetables offers another tasty complement. Grilled Veal Chops served with a red pepper stuffed with creamy risotto, spicy sausage, and Parmesan cheese offer additional companionship to this wine. Cassoulet makes a fine dinner companion, while duck, quail, and other game birds provide wonderful accompaniments too. Braised Grouse with grapes and walnuts gets especially high marks. A plate of creamy cow or sheep’s milk cheeses served with ripe Bosc pears makes a tasty and easy to prepare accompaniment as well. Buen Provecho!

Matias Garcés Silva and his family launched Amayna in 2003. However, Amayna, which in Chile loosely translates to “the calm after the storm,” has its origins in a vine irrigation project Matias worked on in the 1990s that brought water from the Maipo River to Chile’s San Antonio coast. With this water project the Garcés Silva family realized the tremendous potential of the San Antonio coast for premium viticulture. With a steady source of water from the Maipo River for vine irrigation, the Leyda Valley along the San Antonio coast has quickly become a source of premium Chilean wine and Amayna one of Leyda Valley’s star performers with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and the estate’s exceptional, highly allocated Syrah (and this month’s feature): Amayna’s Leyda Valley Syrah. Amayna’s estate wines are produced from organically grown grapes that beautifully capture Leyda Valley’s unique terroir.

Amayna, which lies just 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean, evokes the calm after the storm, the peaceful feeling one gets when danger has passed. Prior to 2000 the Garcés Silva family had property in the Leyda Valley devoted to the production of grain and lamb. In 2000 Matias made wine from a small experimental vineyard, which gave rise to launching Amayna in 2003. Today Matias continues to be passionate about Amayna and the tremendous potential of the Leyda Valley. He works hard to produce the best quality wines, a task that begins long before planting. Matias believes in making thorough soil studies before planting the precise grape varieties for each type of soil, and along with his strong technical team he selects the finest plants from which he fashions world-class wines in the family’s specially designed gravity-fed winery.

Whether we refer to this great varietal as Syrah or Shiraz, we are referring to the same illustrious grape. Syrah has been grown for centuries in the Rhône Valley of France, where it is responsible in all or in part for many of the greatest red wines of France (Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape to name a few). Until recently, there had been much debate as to the true origin of the full-flavored Syrah/Shiraz varietal. Once thought to have originated around the Persian city of Shiraz, whose wines were much admired by connoisseurs and conquerors, including Alexander the Great, scientific evidence now cites southern France as Syrah’s origin, the scion of two indigenous varietals. One point that everyone seems to agree upon is that the name Shiraz, from the Persian city of that name, is the origin of the moniker Shiraz for the Syrah varietal.

Syrah flourishes today not only in the south of France but in other Mediterranean climates, including many appellations in California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa. It fares particularly well in these locales where it yields racy, full-bodied red wines of distinction. Syrah/Shiraz ranks among the greatest red grape varietals in the world, standing with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo as the non plus ultra among the planet’s red grape varietals.