2019 - Vinedo Chadwick, Maipo Valley

After a perfect 2018, 2019 seems to be a minor vintage. In the perspective of the last two decades, however, 2019 is almost as good as the previous. The main difference is some temperature spikes during January leading to early ripening that allowed for harvest in the middle of March to preserve the acidity. The 2019 Viñedo Chadwick is a good example. Contains a 3% dash of Petit Verdot in addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto, the wine was aged for 22 months, three quarters in French barrels and the rest in foudres. Garnet red with purple flecks. The young, complex nose presents notes of spice and candied and ripe fruit alongside hints of tea, blackcurrant and sour cherry as well as a whiff of chamomile. On the palate, it’s intense and juicy with refined but grippy tannins. A long-lasting core reverberates with energy throughout.

The 2019 Viñedo Chadwick is a classical Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto, one of the best zones within Maipo. It's from a moderately warm vintage that delivered a wine with only 13% alcohol and good freshness. It contains some 3% Petit Verdot. The vines were planted in 1992, and its gapes fermented in equal parts in stainless steel and concrete or troncoconic vats. Three-fourths of the wine matured in new barriques and the rest in Stockinger foudres for 22 months, including time for the malolactic fermentation. I was truly impressed by this vintage, especially because of its elegance and freshness. There are showy aromas reminiscent of tangerine and flowers, ripe red berries (rather than black) and a spicy twist from the oak but nothing herbal or balsamic that one could expect given the moderate ripeness. The grapes were picked very early, and the wine follows the path of the 2016, the coolest vintage so far, with juicy fruit, elegance and great tension. This feels exceptional and transcends the style of the year. 10,000 bottles produced. It was bottled the 25th of January 2021.

Plenty of Cabernet signature, with chewy tannins and a firm frame, mint leaf, eucalyptus, dark chocolate, fairly closed in on the finish with a touch of resistance from the tannins. Needs time, and on this tasting the tannins are stubborn, but knowing the track record of this wine, I am extremely confident it will reveal further nuances over the next few years, so this is conservatively scored. There is juice on the finish, along with a hint of rosebud and hawthorn brambles. Located at 650m from the Puente Alto DO of Chile’s Maipo Valley. 80% new French oak, 20% Stockinger oak casks.

Tasted blind – we only know it is from 2019 and could be Ao Yun. There's a boiled-sweet note that has a volatility about it, perhaps with a touch of brett giving that sticking-plaster aroma. High in acid, and a little bit wild to be honest, although certainly has personality – plus clean fruit beneath. (RH)