2015 Errazuriz, Las Pizarras, Chardonnay, Aconcagua Costa, Chile

On its second vintage now, the 2015 Aconcagua Costa Las Pizarras Chardonnay was sourced entirely from their Aconcagua Costa Vineyard from specific plots that have a significant component of pizarra (schist), hence the name. 2015 was a warm and dry year, but they still managed to bottle a white with 13% alcohol, a low pH of 3.1 and with almost nine grams of acidity! The figures talk about an extreme wine, yet it's wonderfully balanced and pleasant. The full clusters were pressed and the juice put to ferment with indigenous yeasts after 24 hours in French oak barrels. Only half of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. It matured in barrique (15% new) for 12 months. This has an incredible texture and sharp, pungent acidity more often found in a Riesling than a Chardonnay and also has superb minerality and salinity. I'd be pressed to say this was not a Grand Cru Chablis if tasted blind. A world class Chardonnay from Chile. I'd love to see this wine in ten years. 3,916 bottles were filled in March 2016.Luis Gutirrez - 28/04/2017