Viu Manent Syrah “Secreto”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Secreto means “Secret” because up to 15% of the wine has up to 15% of a “Secret Blend” that is only known by the Winemaker. The wine comes the winery’s “El Olivar” Estate, located in Peralillo, in the Colchagua Valley. The average age of the vines is 18 years.
- Certified Vegan.
Varietal Composition: 85% Syrah and 15% “secret.”
Elaboration: The grapes were destemmed and crushed into a stainless steel tank, where they underwent a 3-day pre-fermentation cold soak at 8ºC for greater extraction of color and aromas. Alcoholic fermentation took place with native yeasts at 26º–28ºC with 4 short pumpovers per day to extract only the most elegant tannins and obtain the fruitiest and friendliest wine possible. Malolactic fermentation took place naturally in oak barrels. 58% of the wine spent 9 months in French oak barrels, 5% was aged in a cement egg, and the remaining 37% was held on its fine lees in stainless steel and concrete tanks to lend more fruitiness and freshness to the final blend.
Tasting Notes: Deep, intense purplish-red in color with aromas of blue and black fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and ripe plums, along with notes of violets, spices, and pencil lead. Medium-bodied and fresh on the palate with good balance, depth, and complexity and a pleasing finish.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
After working as a wine merchant alongside his father and brother since the 1930’s, Miguel Viu Manent made the decision to branch out on his own in 1965, purchasing a historic vineyard and winery in Chile’s Colchagua Valley. The estate was and still is one of the most well-exposed sites in the region, and it included 150 hectares of pre-phylloxera massal selections from France.
This company provides us with wines we consider the best value wines in the country (see “Reserva line), forward/experimental options (see “Secreto” line), some of the most solid “under $20” varietal wines you’ll find anywhere in the world (see “Gran Reserva” line), site specific/terroir driven releases (see “Single Vineyard” wines), and most famously the iconic “Viu 1.” Malbec is clearly the house specialty here – Viu Manent was the first Chilean winery to bottle, label, and market Malbec, and they’ve for years been Chile’s Malbec leaders both in terms of accolades and quantity produced.
After nearly 100 years this firm is still family owned and operated (a rarity in Chile, especially for a winery of this size), all farming is certified sustainable, and two of Chile’s top names consult with the winery on a permanent basis – Roberto Pizarro (vineyard management) and Paul Hobbs (winemaking).