Errazuriz - Wild Ferment - Chardonnay 2010

Tasting notes

A light yellow color with greenish tints, with an expressive nose that shows soft toasty notes from oak aging, blended with mineral character and expressive notes of tropical fruits. The palate features a vibrant acidity lively acidity that balances the wine’s creamy extravagant texture from the malolactic fermentation, and a prolonged and persistent finish.

Vinification

The Chardonnay Wild Ferment 2010 was hand-picked and rigorously selected in the early morning, placed and transported to the cellar in boxes to guarantee the highest quality fruit and then whole pressed gently. The wine was decanted in stainless steel tanks to ferment and increase clarity before fermentation. Due to the native yeasts used in the wild fermentation process, they were not selected according to technical criteria (SO2 resistance and alcohol resistance) and experience more stressed yeast during fermentation. This effect, together with the presence of a greater variety of yeasts, produces distinctive flavors and complexity to the wine. Fermentations was carried out at temperatures at 61°–72°F, and 30% of the final blend underwent malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, 11% of which were new.

Vineyard

The grapes are sourced from the La Escultura vineyard in Casablanca, just 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The cool coastal breezes encourage slow ripening of the grapes, helping to preserve natural flavors and aromas and ensuring good levels of acidity.

Chile Aconcagua Valley