Errázuriz Family - Viñedo Chadwick 2016 (750ml)
Price: $430.00
Case Sale Price:
$355.00 per bottle
| Producer | Errázuriz Family |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Central Valley |
| Subregion | Maipo Valley |
| Varietal | Cab Sauv & Petit Verdot |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 750ml |
Errázuriz Family Description
Viñedo Chadwick is another project from Eduardo Chadwick of Viña Errázuriz, a man who has been instrumental in building Chile’s reputation in the fine wine arena. His father, Alfonso Chadwick Errázuriz bought the 300-hectare estate in the Alto Maipo Valley in 1945, to indulge his love of wine and polo, having captained the Chilean team for many years. In 1992 – realising that his father’s polo field sat on gravel soils perfectly suited to Cabernet – Eduardo persuaded him to convert it to vineyards. Sadly Alfonso died the following year, before he could see the fruit of the project. In 1999, the first vintage of Viñedo Chadwick – an ultra-premium expression of Chilean Cabernet from the Maipo Valley – was made, in tribute to Alfonso and continuing his legacy.
Viñedo Chadwick made the history books in 2004 when it came first in the Berlin Tasting – arranged by Eduardo Chadwick to prove the potential of Chilean fine wine. Chadwick’s premium expressions of Chile were tasted blind alongside the world’s finest Bordeaux blends, including First Growth Claret and Super Tuscans. The results, with Viñedo Chadwick and Seña leading the pack, officially put Chile on the fine wine map. The 2014 vintage of Viñedo Chadwick was the first Chilean wine to be awarded 100 points, as rated by critic James Suckling.
The aim here is to produce a wine of elegance and purity that expresses a real sense of place. The wine is often 100% Cabernet, but a small percentage of Petit Verdot is included in some years. Today Viñedo Chadwick competes with the finest Cabernets from around the world.
Francisco Baettig – Chile’s most famous and respected winemaker – is in charge of the winemaking for Viñedo Chadwick, having taken over in 2003. He is constantly tweaking work in the vineyard and winery to make the most elegant expression of the site possible.
On arrival at the winery, the fruit is de-stemmed, sorted, then crushed and fermented in separate lots in a combination of stainless steel and concrete. It will spend up to a month on skins with up to three pump-overs a day. The wine is then aged for close to two years in mostly new French oak, with some Stockinger casks, then blended just prior to bottling.
James Suckling: 99 Points
The blue fruit and dark berry aromas are so attractive and catching. Black licorice and blackberry notes. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins. I like the way the wine rolls over the tongue. Beautiful finish. One of the most structured Viñedo Chadwicks ever. A great bottle. Needs four to five years to soften.
Wine Advocate: 96 Points
The price of the 2016 Viñedo Chadwick seems to be going through the roof, and so does the quality. This is a unique, classical Maipo Cabernet that is marketed separately and sold through the négociants in Bordeaux, the same as with Seña, rather than through the regular importers. Sourced from 15 hectares planted 26 years ago (in 1992), the grapes fermented in small stainless steel and concrete vats and matured in 2,500-liter oak vats and 225-liter barriques. It has 3% Petit Verdot and is remarkably low in alcohol at 13%, with a lot of freshness and acidity. This follows the line of change that started in 2015, with more freshness and harmony, and for the first time, it includes a small percentage of Petit Verdot that was planted around 2007. The yields are low, and the grapes ripened nicely before the rains that complicated the end of the harvest. 2016 is a cool year that resulted in a slow and perfect ripening of the grapes. This is now a very elegant wine, getting closer to the style of Seña. Complex, layered, fresh and tasty, it has very fine tannins and is nicely structured but terribly elegant at the same time. 12,000 bottles were filled in February 2018.
