Boya Valle de Leyda Pinot Noir 2020

Bright, energetic, and bursting with fresh fruit, the highly acclaimed 2020 Boya Valle de Leyda Pinot Noir (92 Points: Descorchados; 90 Points: Vinous) puts a whole new face on cool climate Pinot Noir. The 2020 Boya Leyda Pinot Noir sports a radiant cherry red robe, while its heady aromatics leap from the glass with the redolent scents of crushed cherry, strawberry, and cranberry. In the mouth, its explosive aromatics re-emerge with succulent cranberry, strawberry and orange zest flavors carried on a stream of racy acidity and incisive tannins, all leading to a laser-like finish. Balanced and beautiful, the 2020 Boya Leyda Pinot Noir strikes the ideal note between Old and New World Pinot Noir with its fruit forward flavors and crunchy tannins. Afford the exceptional cool climate 2020 Boya Leyda Pinot Noir at least 15-20 minutes of aeration before serving it at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2023-2026. Enjoy!

2020 Boya Valle de Leyda Pinot Noir makes a splendid dinner companion as it is fashioned for the delights of the dinner table. Duck Confit with a bright berry reduction, Roast Leg of Lamb brushed with garlic, olive oil, and wild herbs, and even many seafood dishes make superb accompaniments to Boya’s versatile and food-friendly 2020 Leyda Pinot Noir. Game hens and poultry served with wild rice or an onion, sage, and sausage stuffing offer equally delicious companions to Boya’s energetic 2020 Leyda Pinot Noir. Fried sheep or goat cheese salads served with red pepper jelly, caramelized onions, basil oil, and arugula provide tasty accompaniments, too. Not surprisingly, cool climate Pinot Noirs such as the 2020 Boya Leyda Pinot Noir also complement many seafood dishes with aplomb. Consider serving salmon prepared in a creamy fennel sauce with the 2020 Boya Leyda Pinot Noir for a superb food and wine pairing. Fine cheeses such Gruyere and Tome de Bourgogne earn two thumbs up as well. Buen Provecho!

Boya is a scion of the Amayna estate and the brainchild of Matias Garcés Silva and his family who launched Amayna in 2003. Boya, which translates to “buoy” in Spanish, in deference to the vineyard blocks that overlook the Pacific Ocean, evokes the wine’s cool climate environment. Matias’s wine ventures have their origins in a vine irrigation project Matias worked on in the 1990s that brought water from the Maipo River to Chile’s San Antonio coast. With this water project the Garcés Silva family realized the tremendous potential of the San Antonio coast for premium viticulture. With a steady source of water from the Maipo River for vine irrigation, the Leyda Valley along the San Antonio coast has quickly become a source of premium Chilean Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc with Boya one of Leyda Valley’s star performers.

Prior to 2000 the Garcés Silva family had property in the Leyda Valley devoted to the production of grain and lamb. In 2000 Matias made wine from a small experimental vineyard, which gave rise to launching Amayna in 2003 and subsequently Boya. Today Matias continues to be passionate about his wines and the tremendous potential of Leyda Valley. He works hard to produce the best quality wines, a task that begins long before planting. Matias believes in making thorough soil studies before planting the precise grape varieties for each type of soil, and along with his strong technical team he selects the finest plants from which he fashions two world-class Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blanc along with a delicious rosé. Boya’s wines are Certified Sustainable and were on track to be Certified Organic at the end of 2023. Boya’s gravity-fed winery, vineyard composting, wild yeast fermentation, and minimal use of sulphur account for Boya’s success as well as this month’s feature, the tasty and highly acclaimed 2020 Boya Valle de Leyda Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir is the rare grape variety that is capable of being transformed annually into the planet’s most complex red wines as well as the most exquisite rosé and sparkling wines. Although Pinot Noir was born in Burgundy a millennium before Cabernet Sauvignon made its appearance in Bordeaux, it also thrives in Champagne, California, Oregon, New Zealand, Chile, and in rare hallowed parcels across the planet in addition to its native Burgundy. However, the difficult to grow and often mercurial Pinot Noir varietal demands attention, a cool temperate climate, and a deft hand in the cellar. When all stars align, Pinot Noir yields light to full-bodied wines of stunning aromatics, depth, and length of flavor. Moreover, good Pinot Noir can age gracefully for as long as any wine when stored properly. Not surprisingly, it also yields the world’s most expensive wines on average, which makes it all the more attractive to collectors and the grape variety’s growing legion of admirers.