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Errazuriz - MAX Chardonnay - Reserva 2015
Wine
MAX Chardonnay is produced from grapes grown at the Errazuriz vineyards in Manzanar, a 2,500-acre property with rolling hills located just 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The cool meso-climate is ideal for growing cold-climate varieties such as Chardonnay. 70 acres of three Dijon clones of Chardonnay were planted there in 2005. Clone 548 produces grapes with tremendous concentration and structure, while grapes from clone 95 are very aromatic, with citrus and tropical notes. Clone 76 adapts very well to the cold-climate conditions, and ripens quite early in the season.
Vineyard
The vineyards are drip irrigated and trellised to vertical shoot position on soils that have a thin, 40-80 cm layer of loam texture over a layer of clay and broken slate-like rocks (schist) that is responsible for the minerality found in Errazuriz' wines from the coast.
Vinification
The grapes were hand-picked, placed in 14kg cases, and taken to the cellar. After being rigorously inspected to guarantee the highest quality fruit, the berries were crushed whole-cluster. The must was cold decanted in stainless steel tanks to increase clarity before fermentation, which was carried out at 18–24ºC (64–75ºF) in French oak barrels. Approximately 58% of the grapes were fermentation with native yeasts, and 56% of the final blend underwent malolactic fermentation for greater complexity in the wine. The blend was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels.
Estate
Don Maximiano Errazuriz founded Vina Errazuriz in 1870 in the Aconcagua Valley, 65 miles north of the capital, Santiago. Recognizing that this valley, with its hot, dry summers and moist Pacific Ocean
breezes, was ideal for growing grapes, Don Maximiano sent for the finest clones from France and with tenacity and perseverance transformed this barren land into a worldclass vineyard. Today, the tradition of quality lives on with Don Maximiano’s descendant, Eduardo Chadwick.
