Vanessa

9.3

We absolutely love exploring the world’s many expressions of Pinot Noir!  It’s a lifelong endeavor and we’re here for it. 😆

Tonight, we’re taking a sensory trip to South America and, more specifically, Río Negro, Patagonia 🇦🇷 – the most southerly wine-producing region of Argentina – where Antarctic currents, winds descending from the Andes, & high latitudes offer cooling influences, ideal for producing elegant Pinot Noir styles.

Bodega Chacra was established in 2003 by Tuscan Piero Incisa della Rocchetta (grandson of Sassicaia’s founding father) in search of purity and nuance in fruit expression from the terroir of Patagonia. 🍇
 
Piero now partners with esteemed Burgundian winemaker (and friend) Jean-Marc Roulot in the production process, each contributing their respective oenological “genes” to the final wine, which is first and foremost a child of the earth in Mainqué, Río Negro. 🌱
 
Paying utmost respect to the land, Bodega Chacra cares for its vineyards organically and biodynamically aided, in part, by the arid, windy conditions that naturally mitigate fungal pressure in the vineyard. Their fruit is harvested by hand, allowing for selectivity and the use of whole bunches during fermentation. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This wine is called ‘Cincuenta Y Cinco’ (fifty five) because its fruit comes from vines first planted in 1955, carefully preserved by the team at Bodega Chacra, whose oldest vines actually date back to 1932!

This wine was fermented in cement vats using native yeast, adapted to the environment and matured 11 months (50% in concrete, 50% in French oak of various ages) before release. ⚖️

In a word this wine is ethereal.
 
We served it with a slight chill. Its pristine, berry and cherry fruit profile, complements the delicate cherry blossom, peony 🌺 and baking spice notes. It’s light on its feet w/ medium alcohol (12% ABV) and bright acidity.  It’s lovely & perfumed.

Cheers to Bodega Chacra and all of the beautiful Pinots of Patagonia! — 9 months ago

with Deked1

Randy Fuller

9.5

This wine has a nice golden color in the glass. I get a muted nose with apricot aromas foremost and citrus minerals chasing. The palate shows stone fruit and minerals galore. Acidity is nice and fresh, even zippy. The finish is medium long and carries the minerals back for a revisit. — 3 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.5

Very expressive dried fruit (raisins, cherries), medium body, oxidized style. My wife asked whether this was champagne. Indeed it is, but first and foremost it is a wonderful wine. — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

Intense. Like conversation show stopper! This wine needs all your attention to figure out what is going on. Dark, aged, dry fruit, edgy tannins and black pepper spice… I think. So much going on. Needless to say. I loved it. We made the track again 11 years from the first time we drove up to De Trafford winery and vineyards. This time the road was paved, quite a change from the two track rutted dirt road we took 11 years ago bottoming out our little rental car. Had a great vineyard tour. They first and foremost believe that the wine is made in the vineyard and minimal processing thereafter. They had to deal with a huge wild fire earlier this winter and might have lost their 45 year old top award winning Shiraz vineyard …. Great people who know how to make a great wine. — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Willie Carter

9.1

First and foremost, these are my all time favorite labels. Deep clear ruby color, almost Tawny. Little violet specks throughout. Traditional and classic to its core. Black truffles and moist earth initially on the nose with the customary dried cherries showing up. Menthol, dried herbs, and black tea.

Stylish and refined, as all Barolo should be. Tight at first but opens up very nicely after an hour. Bright acidity and ripe tannins. A staple of these Fontanafredda wines. A touch of old leather to go with the cherries and blackberries. More beautiful herbs on the palate to go with the star anise and cigar box. As wonderful as it is today, it’s fun thinking about what it can be down the road. — 3 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Love at first sight with this pale garnet color! This is first and foremost about herbal and pine forest notes with delicate red berries, cherries, roses and a sort of earthy tempera paint and a hint of cinnamon on the nose. Not so much biting into a fresh strawberry but rather rooting around for one in the brush — 3 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.1

A funny choice to put on the wine list for a Mediterranean restaurant, but very nice for what it is... On the nose this is first an foremost honeyed... A very soft raspberry... On the palate, the raspberry is front and center but concentrated... Like really concentrated... Like fruit roll up concentrated... It burns a bit... No candied elements... This is the real deal. I like it. — 2 years ago

with Anita

Ted

9.3

Tar is first and foremost right out of the bottle. Clove, rose petals. Black licorice makes an appearance. Nice wine — 3 years ago

with Jeni

Daron Watson

9.7

first and foremost was NOT expecting the orange color ~ have had numerous aged botrytis bottles ranging from golden to brown but the orange really threw me

apricot, quince, orange marmalade, grilled orange & pineapple, honey, caramelized brown sugar ~ plenty of sweet severed with acidity

though went well with diver scallops & risotto the most incredible pairing was with Stilton on Égalité mini toasts ~ and not just for flavor ~ but texturally transcendental — 3 years ago

Daniel M

9.2

There is firstly apricot first and foremost. But then there are white flowers, a bit of lemon (?!) and honey and almost a petrol thing like you find in some riesling. Wow! And what a palate! It sweet, it's round, there is almost tannins in mid palate, you can have that apricot taste but the mouthfeel is almost the one of an apricot skin. 🤯🤯🤯. The finish is everlasting. These apricot notes, that dryness which could almost be tannins and it expands a little in the very end with almost a medicinal, herbal thing. Wow that's a great tasting experience. — 4 years ago