Region and Vineyards
Viñedos de Alcohuaz is perched high in the Alta Elqui Valley in northern Chile, where vines grow in a dramatic Andean corridor. The vineyard parcels for Grus lie between 1,720 and 2,206 metres, making them among the highest planted in the Southern Hemisphere. This elevation provides sun-drenched days and cold nights, conditions that preserve natural acidity and allow for slow, balanced ripening.
The soils are a blend of sand, granite, and gravel, lending the wine a signature mineral backbone and fine structure. The dry, desert-like climate of Alto Elqui reduces disease pressure, allowing for sustainable farming without chemical inputs. This rugged environment shapes wines of lift, structure, and understated power.
Winemaking
Each grape variety—primarily Syrah and Garnacha, with small proportions of Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot—is hand-harvested and destemmed, then foot-trodden in open stone lagars. This gentle method helps manage the naturally thick skins of mountain grapes, avoiding over-extraction.
Fermentation is spontaneous, using native yeasts, and the must is treaded daily. After pressing, the wine is aged for 12 months in concrete eggs, which preserve freshness, texture, and purity without the influence of oak. Minimal intervention and a gravity-fed cellar approach result in a red blend that is vivid, lifted, and transparent to place.
Tasting Notes
- Color: Deep ruby-purple with striking clarity.
- Aroma: Aromas of crushed berries, violets, wild herbs, cracked pepper, and stony minerality.
- Palate: Fresh and medium-bodied, with vibrant acidity, silky tannins, and a finish that hums with granite tension and floral lift. A blend that feels both elemental and precise.
Did you know?
The name Grus refers to a constellation in the southern sky—the crane—a nod to both the wine's celestial elevation and its grounded balance. It serves as the signature red blend of the estate and was the first wine released by Viñedos de Alcohuaz, laying the foundation for its reputation as a pioneer of high-altitude Chilean winemaking.
Wine Pairing Ideas
- Chargrilled quail with thyme and juniper - The herbal lift and precision of the wine pair seamlessly with game bird and woodsmoke.
- Pork tenderloin with roasted beets and fennel - The wine's floral lift and acidity cut through sweetness and earth.
- Ratatouille or Provençal vegetable stew - The blend's finesse and minerality echo the dish's layered herbal character.
- Aged goat cheese or Ossau-Iraty - These cheeses complement the wine's structure and spice.
