San Pedro Sideral 2021

Sideral is something of a second wine after Altaïr. They share the same origin, but Sideral is a different selection, which this year is 73% cabernet sauvignon, 11% syrah, 9% carmenere, 4% petit verdot, and 3% cabernet franc. The wine was aged for 16 months in oak barrels, 20% of them new, as well as in 2,000-liter foudres. It’s usually released a year before Altaïr, and this year, it’s a juicy wine full of aromatic notes and flavors of red fruits and herbs (cabernet franc and carmenere undoubtedly put their signature on this vintage) in a body of firm acidity (very much in tune with a cool season like 2021) and fine, sharp tannins. An elegant and subtle wine that will gain in complexity with another four or five years in the bottle. [This will continue to evolve through mid-2030s.] Score – 95. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2023)