2017 - Errazuriz, Las Pizarras Chardonnay

The 2017 Aconcagua Costa "Las Pizarras" Chardonnay is really fascinating, and it's even sharper, more restrained and with higher acidity than the 2016 that I tasted next to it. Winemaker Francisco "Pancho" Baettig is really pushing the wine to the limits—harvesting early and with more concentration and structure achieved through lower yields, which provides depth and complexity. The origin is the same as for 2016, and so is the vinification and aging in French barriques for almost 13 months. This is really young and austere, and it took some time in the glass to open up. It has Chablis-like definition, austerity and crispness; it's pure, mineral, long, precise like a laser cut, symmetric and chiseled. Even if it's sharp and citrusy, the palate has more volume and depth, and some nutty notes appear after some time. It's more like a Meursault than a Chablis this time, with great length, and I couldn't help but think of the whites from Jean-Marc Roulot when tasting this. It's a monumental mineral white, with the coastal freshness and the slate tastiness. This is hands down the best vintage of Las Pizarras and the best Chardonnay I've ever tasted from Chile. It's amazing how this wine has developed in only four vintages. As an American friend of mine would say, it's awesome beyond belief! 7,000 bottles were filled in March 2018.

The fourth vintage of this Chardonnay from Aconcagua planted in slate soil. Fermented in whole bunches, it spent 10 months in 15% new French oak while 35% is malo-lactic aged. Like its previous incarnations, this is an austere wine although there are now herbal aromas to the nose along with a complex mix of grass, hay, lime, wood, hazelnut and linden blossom. The acidity is cleaver-sharp only slightly leavened by the terse wooden texture. Needs time in the bottle.