The AOC wines of Château de Val Joanis are made with Grenache and Syrah grapes for the red wines and rosés and Grenache blanc, Roussanne, and Ugni blanc for the whites.
There are no wineries in any of these sectors, but vines planted on the rocky, foothill soils produce small quantities of high quality Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with high acidity and low pH, which is increasing the interest for the area among many wine producers.
But most importantly, that same year Robert Skalli decides to cross the length and breadth of Languedoc to convince wine-producers to commit themselves to making quality varietal wines by planting new grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Syrah |
The vineyards at Hoya de Cadenas have a 200 hectare area, being Vallejo Arroyo and Chacelas the most attractive zones with their clayey soil that produce wines and grapes from different Appelations of Origin including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvingnon Blanc and Bobal – symbol of Utiel-Requena Appelation of Origin.
Only one brand of wine, De Martino Syrah, currently holds the D.O. of “Choapa Valley”.
The 1971 vintage won first prize in Syrah/Shiraz at the Wine Olympics in Paris.
Pinhal da Torre uses mainly Portuguese grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira, Castelão, Arinto and Fernão Pires, which can be combined perfectly with foreign grape varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Tablas Creek produces a wide range of varietal labeled wines including Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Picpoul blanc, Counoise, Viognier, Bergeron, Vermentino and Tannat.
The label of the Migliara Cortona Syrah received a score of 98 points from Wine Spectator.