2021 Bodega Chacra Mainque Chardonnay

WINEMAKER: Piero Incisa della Rocchetta & Jean-Marc Roulot
REGION: Patagonia, ARG
VARIETAL: Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Certified Organic/Biodynamic

From 3 parcels with a range of sand, clay, and pebble soils. A core of bright acidity is surrounded by sunny citrus fruits, white flowers, and a flinty minerality. There’s a focused precision to the wine that recalls Roulot’s masterful touch, coupled with a long, driving finish. With early picking, the wines are fermented and aged for 10 months in barrels from Roulot’s domaine in Meursault (30% in concretete eggs, 10% for 9 months in 1st use, 60 % in 2 & 3rd use).

“Fresh apricots, white strawberries, cream, crushed stones and lemon meringue on the nose. Subtle spice, such as anise, white pepper and lemon grass. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a textured, phenolic palate. Very fresh and focused with persistency and tense layers of white fruit and minerals.” - James Suckling

Piero Incisa della Rocchetta is the grandson of the aristocratic winemaking family behind Tuscany's groundbreaking Sassicaia. In 2004 Piero heard whispers of an abandoned Pinot Noir vineyard in Patagonia, originally planted in 1932. And so, began what is now Bodega Chacra. Organic & biodynamic certified, located in the Rio Negro Valley of northern Patagonia. Since 2017, Piero has been working with famed burgundy wine-maker JM Roulot to produce Chardonnay in Patagonia to great acclaim. Fruit is hand harvested, fermented in concrete, transferred by gravity, created without fining or filtration in order to produce wines with transparency.