Viñedo Chadwick
Posted by Mark J, Brookshaw on 22nd Sep 2023
“Viñedo Chadwick holds a special meaning as the ultimate expression of this place, handcrafted with real passion and perseverance. The vision for excellence has been passed on from one generation to another to continue our family legacy.”
Magui Chadwick.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS: An exceptional vintage due to a moderately cool season that translated into a long even ripening that preserved the natural acidity of the grapes, aroma and colour. The result is an elegant wine, fresh and full of tension, with high aromatic complexity, that is complemented by the finesse of the tannins, a key characteristic of Viñedo Chadwick. A wine with a great elegant structure, persistence and tremendous ageing potential.
The season got underway with warmer than usual weather, enabling an even fruit set, and returned to moderate temperatures during November and December. Some late January rain helped to replenish our well-drained gravel soils and moderate summer temperatures. The cooler conditions during summer enabled the healthy grapes to ripen gently and smoothly. The maturity of the tannins and sugar accumulation advanced together slowly until picking time. The berries were firm, with excellent colour, ripe tannins and a fresh acidity balanced by optimal sugar levels. After this gentle ripening season, harvesting began in late March.
TASTING NOTES: This deep purple coloured Viñedo Chadwick 2021 is highly complex on the nose, with intense notes of violets, raspberries and cassis, along with hints of cocoa, coffee beans and nutmeg. A wine long and deep, showcasing fresh red fruit, dark chocolate and some notes of sweet spice. The mouth is complex and layered, revealing fine-grained, chalky tannins, juicy acidity, elegance and wonderful persistence. A superb example from this vintage.
The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and troncoconic concrete vats, spent some 10 months in barrique, and then part of the wine (some 20%) was sent to the Stockinger foudres. The nose is reminiscent of a super elegant and sleek Bordeaux, pure and clean, less balsamic than in previous years and less herbal. It's perfumed and floral, precise, fresh and elegant, with very fine tannins, and despite the grape, it is more Pomerol than Graves, with 14% alcohol on the label but without any heat at all. It's velvety and luxurious, juicy and tasty, with fine-grained chalky tannins and the elegant stoniness that the best Maipos are capable of. It has structure and power, like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. This has to be the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster—it's a wine of emotion. This is also my first 100-point wine from Chile! The final blend contains around 3% Petit Verdot from vines planted in 2005. There are some 10,000 bottles of this, and it was all bottled all at once on January 31, 2023.
The 2021 season at the Chadwick vineyard in Maipo was certainly cooler than any preceding years, especially during the end of the season. Despite being a warmer zone than Seña (the sister property), it was pretty similar in 2021. They want to try to bottle a bit earlier and not show the wines just after bottling, as this is now sold through La Place de Bordeaux. This 2021 is elegant and balanced, a wine of emotion, a coup de coeur that gets my first 100-point score for Chile. This is a golden goodbye for winemaker Francisco "Pancho" Baettig, who after 20 years of dedication here, leaves after the 2021 vintage to focus on his personal project, but he will continue as an external consultant here. Bravo!!
The Wine Advocate
RP 100
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez