We have offered Bodega Chacra Pinots in the past and have admired its meteoric rise to worldwide acclaim. Behold the 2023 “Cincuenta y Cinco” which sings with vibrant New World fruit, but is structured like Cru Red Burgundy. Chacra has become one of the most recognized biodynamically grown Pinot operations in the world with amazing press accolades to back it up.
You need to pick a few bottles of this if you’re seeking the finest efforts from California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Burgundy. We frequently taste $150 1er Cru Red Burgundy that doesn’t hold a candle to this offering. Is Patagonia the final frontier for great Pinot? We certainly think so with efforts like this!
The estate is owned and run by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta. He’s the grandson of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, founder of Italy’s Tenuta San Guido (producer of iconic “super Tuscan” Sassicaia). Piero’s work beautifully mirrors his grandfather’s. While Mario is most often remembered for creating the first Cabernet-based blend in Tuscany, his real contribution was legitimizing Bolgheri as a great winemaking region. Dozens of great producers have followed in Mario’s footsteps. Piero purchased Chacra in 2004 and only began releasing wine from it after nearly a decade of vineyard rehab. From the get-go, these wines demanded attention from serious Pinot lovers. Don’t be surprised if in the coming years, we see a wave of thrilling Patagonian wines.
What makes the greatness of Chacra’s Pinots most unexpected is that the bodega is located in a virtual no-man’s land. You’ll find it in the Rio Negro Valley, at the northen end of Patagonia. The region as a whole straddles the Argentina/Chile border and is marked by extreme elevations and a very dry climate. There’s little disease pressure here; the climate is so isolated and so dry that phylloxera has never made inroads, and most vineyards can go entire growing seasons without being sprayed. The soils here are a mix of limestone, sand, and clay, perfect for retaining tension in the face of Patagonia’s distinctly sunny weather. But Chacra pushes things further. Their Pinot holdings center around two plots of ungrafted vines, planted in 1932 and 1955. Distinctions like “Old World” and “New World” are blurred at Chacra. While it’s geographically the New World, the Pinot plantings here are older than you’ll find just about anywhere in Europe.
97 Points, James Suckling:
"This is incredibly fresh and vivid with orange peel, orange blossoms, cherries and hints of rose stem. Medium-bodied with a sleek and racy palate of creamy, fine tannins and a energetic length and purity. Crunchy. 100% whole cluster. From vineyards planted in 1955. Drink or hold." - Feb. 2024
