VIÑA EMILIANA | Novas | Gran Reserva | Stellar Selection | 2017
syrah | mourvèdre

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Today we are going to review a wine from from Chile‘s famous Valle de Cachapoal region – Novas Gran Reserva Stellar Selection 2017 by Viña Emiliana. This is an organic wine blend, made from syrah (85%) and mourvèdre (15%) grape varieties. The wine is part of the Gran Reserva line of wines that reflects the innovation, quality, and care for the vineyards. When ancient astronomers observed the twinkling of the stars, they thought it meant that a new star was forming, and they called it Novas, hence the name of the wine series. This particular wine has been fermented on ambient yeasts and aged for 10 months partially in french oak barrels, partially in french oak foudres and partially in stainless steel tanks, then it has been blended before bottling. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-depth ruby
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | red currant | sour cherry | dried cranberry | dried sour cherry
fruit character: ripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: herbs | spice | savory | earthy
__herbs: sage | coriander | basil
__spice: red pepper | sweet tobacco
__savory: barnyard | iron | brown olive | horse saddle | veal | venison | game | musk | leather | brett
__earthy: brown soil | clay | loam | forest floor
primary layer: savory

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: supple | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: savory
finish: medium+
aftertaste: seedy-green

//Scoring
VIÑA EMILIANA | Novas | Gran Reserva | Stellar Selection | 2017
variety: syrah | mourvèdre
country: Chile
region: Cachapoal Valley
rating: 92.5

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Chile and, with a total of 92.5 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very delicate wine blend: savory, supple and rustic – a wine that is still developing, thus one that requires 2 or 3 more years of bottle ageing. It tastes seedy and green, with a nuanced old-world accent on the palate, crisp acidity and quite a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. This is a wine that lacks a bit of harmony and balance on the palate. With fine-grained yet green tannins, the wine feels grippy and astringent at the moment, a sign that it requires time to round up and smoothen its sharp edges. On the nose the wine delivers a savory-earthy foreground, supported by a meaty and rustic background and a layer of spice in between. We are strongly recommending to decant this wine for at least 45 minutes before serving, as those meaty-savory notes are quite aggressive immediately after the bottle is uncorked. Our suggestion is to pair this wine with strong-flavoured meats, like for example game, venison or wild boar. Cheers!

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