Montes Folly Syrah: Pioneering Steep-Slope Viticulture in Apalta, Colchagua Valley

Montes Folly occupies one of Chile's most dramatic vineyard sites on slopes reaching 45 degrees in the Apalta hills of Colchagua Valley. Apalta is a horseshoe-shaped sub-region sandwiched between the coastal hills to the west and the Tinguiririca River to the east, just north of the town of Santa Cruz. The sub-valley's orientation means vines receive fewer hours of direct sun exposure than the broader Colchagua floor, contributing to a slower but more complete ripening of the grapes. On the steep hillsides, soils are granitic in origin, consisting of decomposing rocks eroded from the mountain chain above, resulting in thin, poor soils with good percolation. This combination of aspect, lean soils, and natural water stress forces vines to produce small quantities of intensely concentrated grapes. The name 'Apalta' itself means 'poor soils' in the local dialect, a fitting descriptor for the site's identity.

• Horseshoe-shaped valley oriented to reduce peak sun hours, allowing slower, more complete ripening compared to the broader Colchagua floor
• Granitic hillside soils are thin and poor in organic matter, limiting vine vigour and concentrating fruit flavour, colour, and tannin density
• Tinguiririca River forms the eastern boundary of Apalta; its corridor channels air movement through the sub-region
• Slopes reaching 45 degrees make mechanised work impossible; all vineyard maintenance and harvest must be conducted by hand

Montes Folly is made with deliberate restraint and precision from vineyard to bottle. Grapes undergo a meticulous dual sorting process, once by optical sorting machine and once by hand, ensuring only perfect berries are used. Fruit is cold-soaked for approximately five days before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 26-29 degrees Celsius for 12-15 days. After malolactic conversion, the wine is aged in French oak for 18 months, typically using 70-80% new barrels depending on the vintage. The wine is bottled with minimal intervention, unfiltered in some releases. Yields of approximately 3 tonnes per hectare naturally concentrate the fruit, meaning the winemaking goal is preservation rather than extraction. Alcohol typically reaches 15-15.8%, a reflection of Apalta's warm, sun-drenched slopes and the style Aurelio Montes has cultivated since the first vintage.

• Dual sorting process, optical then manual, ensures only perfect berries are selected for this single-vineyard wine
• Cold soak for approximately five days at 10 degrees Celsius extracts colour and aroma before fermentation
• 18 months in French oak, 70-80% new depending on vintage, builds structure without overwhelming fruit expression
• Bottled with minimal intervention; yields of 3 tonnes per hectare do much of the concentration work in the vineyard

Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray began their partnership in 1987 with the ambition of producing wines of a quality far superior to what Chile was producing at the time. In 1988, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand joined the project and Viña Montes was formally constituted. Montes acquired the Apalta Estate in 1995 and planted Syrah on the steepest hillsides, a variety with virtually no track record in Chile at that time. Fine wine in Chile was dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, and the decision to dedicate a single steep-slope site exclusively to Syrah was considered a reckless gamble by many in the industry. When the wine succeeded, the founders embraced the scepticism rather than dismissing it. The wine was named 'Folly' to proudly acknowledge the madness of the endeavour. The first vintage was produced in 1999, and the wine has been made continuously since, now sitting within Montes's 'Divine Collection' of flagship wines alongside Montes Alpha M and Purple Angel.

• Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray began their vision in 1987; Viña Montes formally founded in 1988 with Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand
• Apalta Estate acquired in 1995; Syrah planted on the steepest hillsides, a variety with almost no precedent in Chile at the time
• First vintage produced in 1999; name 'Folly' deliberately embraced the agricultural scepticism surrounding steep-slope Syrah viticulture in Chile
• Montes Folly now sits within the winery's 'Divine Collection' alongside Alpha M and Purple Angel, establishing Chile's premium Syrah credentials

Montes Folly has achieved consistent international recognition across its more than two decades of production. The 2012 vintage received 97 points from James Suckling, with Wine Spectator and Vinous Media both awarding 93 points to the same vintage. The 2018 vintage received 97 points from James Suckling and 94 from Wine Enthusiast. The 2020 vintage was rated 96 points by James Suckling. At the Global Syrah Masters 2025, the 2021 vintage secured a Master medal, the highest category available. The current average retail price sits around USD 109 per bottle, placing it firmly in the premium tier for Chilean wine. The wine has helped define the conversation around Chilean Syrah and Apalta as a serious fine-wine destination, appearing on premium wine lists internationally alongside other Colchagua icons such as Casa Lapostolle's Clos Apalta.

• 2012 vintage: 97 points James Suckling, 93 points Wine Spectator, 93 points Vinous Media; 2018 vintage: 97 points James Suckling
• 2021 vintage won a Master medal at the Global Syrah Masters 2025, the highest category awarded at that competition
• Average retail price approximately USD 109 per bottle; the 2000 vintage produced around 9,000 bottles, illustrating the wine's limited-production origins
• Recognised alongside Casa Lapostolle's Clos Apalta as one of Apalta's defining icon wines and a benchmark for South American Syrah

Apalta is a horseshoe-shaped sub-region within Colchagua Valley, found just north of the town of Santa Cruz. The valley is sandwiched between coastal hills to the west and the Tinguiririca River to the east. Colchagua Valley itself sits approximately 160 kilometres south of Santiago and forms the southwestern half of the larger Rapel Valley. The region has a textbook Mediterranean climate, warm but cooled by ocean breezes and moderated by the Pacific at a latitude of 34 degrees south. Colchagua has emerged as one of Chile's most prestigious red wine regions, with Apalta widely regarded as its finest sub-zone. In 2018, Apalta gained official DO status, notably one of the first Chilean DOs defined by terroir rather than administrative boundaries. With approximately 900 hectares under vine, it is one of Chile's smallest DOs, home to flagship producers including Montes, Casa Lapostolle, Ventisquero, and Neyen.

• Apalta is a horseshoe-shaped microclimate sub-region within Colchagua, its south-facing amphitheatre limiting peak sun hours and slowing ripening
• Colchagua Valley located approximately 160 km south of Santiago at 34 degrees south latitude; Mediterranean climate moderated by Pacific Ocean cooling
• Apalta DO gained official status in 2018, one of the first Chilean DOs defined by terroir rather than administrative or political boundaries
• Approximately 900 hectares in the Apalta DO, one of Chile's smallest; home to Montes, Casa Lapostolle, Ventisquero, and Neyen among others

Montes Folly expresses Apalta's warm, sun-drenched terroir through ripe dark and red fruit aromatics, including blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, and black plum, layered with violet florality and characteristic Syrah black pepper spice. The influence of 18 months in French oak introduces notes of coffee, chocolate, toast, tobacco, and vanilla that integrate well without overwhelming the fruit. On the palate, Folly delivers full body, concentrated but rounded tannins, and impressive length. With bottle age, secondary notes of dried meat, leather, and Asian spice emerge. The wine's power and structure make it a natural partner for red meats, game, and mushroom-based preparations, while its fruit richness complements slow-braised and roasted preparations especially well.

• Aromatic profile: ripe black and red fruits (blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry), crushed violet, black pepper, with coffee and chocolate from oak integration
• Full-bodied with rounded, concentrated tannins; fruit-driven youth gives way to secondary complexity of dried meat, leather, and Asian spice with age
• Alcohol typically 15-15.8%, balanced by the intensity of fruit concentration and tannin structure rather than by cool-climate acidity alone
• Food-friendly with red meats, lamb, game, and mushroom-based preparations; also excellent with aged hard cheeses