2022 La Cayetana - Syrah Los Chacayes (750ml)

2022 La Cayetana Syrah, Los Chacayes, Valle de Uco, Mendoza

La Cayetana is the passion project of Emilia Armando, wife of Eduardo Soler — the winemaker behind the cult Mendoza label Ver Sacrum — and the two share both a philosophy and a vineyard. The project was born from a conviction: to rescue ancient winemaking techniques and express, without technological shortcuts, the singular character of small grower sites across Mendoza. The Syrah comes from a single high-density vineyard in Los Chacayes, planted in 2012 at 1,100 meters above sea level on the old alluvial riverbed of the Arroyo Grande — rocky, calcareous soils threaded with large river stones that stress the vines and concentrate the fruit.

The winemaking is as hands-on as it gets: hand harvested, 50% whole-cluster inclusion, native yeast fermentation over 28 days in French oak, then 12 months aging in 225-liter French oak barriques followed by eight months of bottle rest. The result is a Syrah with a distinctly Rhône-inflected personality — fresh, spiced, and savory rather than jammy or extracted. The nose opens with plum, cassis, white pepper, black olive, and a subtle smokiness. The palate is broad and juicy, with blueberry, lavender, and rose petals on a velvety mid-palate, framed by fine, present tannins and a long, energetic finish.

This is high-altitude Mendoza Syrah with a cooler, more European soul — and one of the more exciting things happening in the Uco Valley right now.