The UnCorker

2007 Kingston Family Syrah Casablanca Valley Lucero

June 6, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

A sure sign that the world’s wine tastes might be turning away from heaviosity for good is when the Chileans – yes, the Chileans! – head for the coast in pursuit of cool climate growing conditions. Actually, a more accurate statement would be that the wine business in America has decided to look and see if there is anything besides the bargain behemoths Cab Sav and Carmenere coming out of the country and take a chance on trying to sell it. New world wine regions like Argentina, Chile, and Australia are increasingly complex and hard to generalize, and that’s a good thing. Value lurks here – even for you Burg-hounds and Rhone-snobs. Last week we reported on the fabulous Chilean-Argentinian joint venture in sparkling wines – Bodega Cruzat. Today let’s focus on the Casablanca Valley northwest of Santiago – a coastal valley with cool nights and dense morning fogs.   These are Carneros-style conditions that are perfect for Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, and the wines reflect that style.  Intertestingly, Chile’s hottest wine region – Aconcagua – is a neighbor just to the north – so this is a true microclimate.

Kingston Family wines are a good place to start seeking out this new side of Chilean winemaking. Winemaker Byron Kosuge is a California veteran and a Pinot Noir specialist.   He’s a two-harvest type of guy (sort of a winemaker’s equivalent of a bi-coastal Hollywood type.)  Fortunately for us, he spends his winters and springs working in Chile – imparting his aesthetic to more modestly priced wines than what he does in his summers and falls(working for Saintsbury in California.)  When he plays with Syrah, he opts for the cool-climate style, coaxing out a pinot-like end result… medium bodied with expressive minerality, and subtle, racy tannins.  With the Lucero expect rich blackberry and raspberry fruit with a restrained feel.   This is a promising play for $18 – and would be fun to face-off against a considered, central coast California effort such as those from Qupe.  Only 700 cases made.