Once upon a time, Chile (along with most of the other new wine regions) was known for its average, cheap, mass-produced wines. Big on quantity, quality was almost an afterthought. Under Pinochet, there was virtually no export market. That is until the1980s when a handful of producers turned the entire Chilean winemaking industry on its head. Investing in star winemakers and premium French clones, slowly but surely, certain estates began producing wines that were the envy of the new wine wave.

Montes Folly is one such producer. The two original founders, Aurelio Montes, Sr. and Douglas Murray, had bigger goals than what the industry was offering at the time. That was in 1987. The following year they were joined by Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand and the madness of Montes Folly grew roots (both literal and figurative) in the granite filled, Apalta Valley Estate in western Colchagua. With just 321 plantable acres out of 1,730, it is not hard to see where the folly lies.

The first vintage of Montes Folly was 1987. The quad released 7,000 cases of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc onto an unsuspecting market. And then … nothing. Struggling with anonymity, changing a mindset, poor results (Jancis Robinson gave a scathing review which set the estate back decades), Montes Folly was no overnight success. However this did not deter Montes. Back to the drawing board, in 2000 he released his eponymous Syrah which yielded spectacular results. Blended with grapes grown on the steepest, highest slopes of the vineyards, no expense was spared. He imported special bottles from France, commissioned Ralph Steadman to illustrate the label and gave the wine a whopping $70 (€60) price tag, one of the most expensive of the time for a new wine. Montes Folly didn't turn out to be such a folly after all: The 1,100 six-bottle cases sold out, and Montes Folly is considered the best Chilean Syrah being produced today. Even Jancis Robinson is a fan.