Vinos Baettig Selección de Parcelas Los Primos Chardonnay 2016

Baettig is the family project of winemaker Francisco "Pancho" Baettig (Errázuriz) and Carlos de Carlos in Traiguén, some 600 kilometers south of Santiago. They planted 15.4 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on volcanic soils in 2013 and the first wines are hitting the Ontario market for the first time now.

This Selección de Parcelas Los Primos was made with Chardonnay grapes grown in Malleco, in the appellation of Traiguén. Malleco is a land of wild forests, beautiful lakes, active volcanoes and abundant rain in the southern Chilean region of La Araucanía. The ancient volcanic soils of this area are composed of pyroclastic volcanic breccia of andesite lava, with clay to loam texture. The abundant rainfall throughout the year allows Baettig to practice a dry-farming viticulture.

The grapes comes from a selection of the Triángulo and Llaima parcels, which deliver vertical and mineral wines with good tension. The name Los Primos (the cousins) refers to the closeness of style and quality of the vineyard parcels that give rise to this wine.

The grapes were harvested during the first two weeks of April, and pressed with whole cluster. The juice fermented in barrels with native yeasts, and was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels—38% in new 400L casks.

Bright yellow colour. Aromatic and highly complex with notes of pear, nougat, acacia, apricot, honey, wax and hints of dried fruits such as walnuts, hazelnuts and cashew. It is deep and full in mouth with a creamy texture and notes of apple, passion fruit, honey, hay and spices. The body and density are harmoniously balanced by the acidity, giving a deep, fresh, lively and tense wine, with a long finish and great aging potential.