Montes is best known for their Montes Alpha and Purple Angel wines, but their reach goes beyond their native Chile into California.
A Love That Knows No Boundaries
Montes is the foremost producer of Syrah in Chile. Chief winemaker Aurelio Montes felt an instant attraction to Paso Robles, where the grape grows magnificently.This love of Syrah has culminated in the Star Angel red wine. The wine is 100% Syrah from California’s Paso Robles region, known for its spectacular Rhone varieties.
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An Earthy Approach
We aerated this wine, but it could have used the recommended hour in the decanter. That is to say, this is a highly structured wine. It could age for another seven or eight years, due to the sturdy tannins.
The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Some Paso Robles wines are high in alcohol, and Star Angel is in that club with 15% alcohol.
The aroma of the wine was a jammy delight. First sip showed a “hot” wine that was tightly wound. Second and third glasses, and the passage of time, allowed the wine to soften. At that point it became a much more enjoyable sip.
Beams of earthiness, spice and dark fruit were radiating from this star. The body is medium, but the heavy tannins need to loosen up before you can appreciate it fully.
We like this wine for a couple of reasons: Montes is a stellar winery and is to be commended for launching a California project, and, Paso Robles is becoming one of our favorite wine regions. We paid $20 online for this and are interested in trying the other wines from Montes USA operation. We recommend a nice red meat entrée to fully appreciate Star Angel.
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