The 2005 Folly is 100% Syrah from the slopes of the Apalta Vineyard. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple, it has an expressive display of meat, game, cedar, sage, and blueberry. Structured for the long haul, it requires 5-7 years of additional cellaring. The fruit is ripe and sweet, the balance impeccable, and the finish lasts for nearly a minute. It should be at its best from 2015 to 2030. Under the enlightened leadership of Aurelio Montes, the Montes winery remains one of the standard-bearers for Chilean wines. The Carmenere-based Purple Angel is one of the two or three best of its type; the Folly is arguably Chile’s finest Syrah, and the Montes Alpha M one of the Cabernet-based icons.Importer: TGIC, Woodland Hills, CA; tel. (800) 924-0300

Dense and layered, with lots of fig, black currant paste, mocha and black licorice flavors, all supported by a muscular structure. The long, dark finish has lots of power in reserve, but shows fine harmony already. The best-balanced vintage so far of this powerful Syrah. Drink now through 2013. 2,500 cases made. -JM

Minty, creamy and as oaky as can be. Coconut, sawdust, carob and other barrel-based aromas steal the nose, with secondary black fruit and thick tannins composing the palate. This is a ripped, high-alcohol, almost soupy Syrah that in some people’s eye may seem overdone and too woody. But the fruit is of unquestionable high quality, and if you give it time to air out you’ll get the best results.——M.S.(5/1/2008)—— 90