Buenissimo!

Jean-Marc Roulot said back in 2021 that Bodega Chacra Chardonnay was the qualitative equal of his Meursault villages. An enormous assertion, given his 2022 now sells for around @ £335 per bottle/ib…
Piero Incisa Della Rochetta  (from Tuscan Sassicaia stock) set up Bodega Chacra, Rio Negro in Patagonia, after having already managed to sculpt an outstanding Pinot Noir from old vines planted in 1932 & 1955 he discovered in this lost corner of the world. The thought had begun to cross his mind that he should try to make a white wine, but he was the first to admit his limited expertise in the area.
Piero was intent on asking a contact in Chablis for help, until a dinner party changed his entire trajectory.
‘Why would you ask someone from Chablis, when you know me?!’ was the comment he received across the table from long-time friend Jean-Marc Roulot. Now, whilst this fairytale might have a happy ending, like most there was some turbulence in the middle, as Piero explains it despite this generous offer from a man who is unequivocally one of the finest white wine makers in the world, and a good friend, so good that they had even been on holiday together, so he hesitated.
In Piero’s own words: ‘Asking Jean-Marc to come and make a Chardonnay in far-flung Patagonia felt like asking the Pope to come and conduct mass in a small village church in East Sussex.’  
He prevaricated, then procrastinated. Eventually even flying back to the vineyard without giving Jean-Marc an answer. He had started to put the thought to the back of his mind until he mentioned it to his geologist, Pedro Parra (a superstar consultant who has travelled the world working for Liger-Belair, Biondi Santi, and Commando G, to name just a few) a reprimand followed. Jean-Marc was called, and shortly afterwards, he joined Piero as a partner in the business.

World renowned geologist Pedro Parra, in his natural environment

It is no secret that great Chardonnay needs calcareous soil and Piero, now full of enthusiasm, began grafting Chardonnay onto 40-year-old Merlot vines just outside the winery. A reprimand followed. Pedro was yet to analyse the profile of the soil to see whether it was suitable for Chardonnay and fortunately this small block of vines was sitting over an old riverbed, full of alluvial stones covered in limestone. 

‘It seems like they have found a special place to produce this wine’
Luis Gutierrez on tasting the first vintage of Chacra Chardonnay …..

It rapidly came together and the first vintage of Chacra Chardonnay, 2017, of which they made just 1,350 bottles, was met with high praise.
The process hasn’t changed much over six vintages, with Jean-Marc raising the wine predominantly in used barrels from Domaine Roulot, with a small (15-20%) amount of new oak, as well as some concrete eggs and clay jars.
This small vineyard, in a good year, is now capable of producing just over 1,000 cases (6.000 bottles) of wine, of which we are lucky to get a few bottles. It is spellbinding Chardonnay, and an absolute confluence of Roulot’s laser focus, with the extra breadth from the Patagonian climate.
At Chacra, the sense of place is paramount, so much so that alongside the vineyard being farmed organically and following biodynamics, Piero has been exceptionally careful in nurturing a fully self-sustaining, biodiverse ecosystem, exemplified by the hundred or so beehives which are not only essential for pollinating the vines, but also provide the wax which seals the tops of their bottles.

The goal here is not to use anything produced outside of the farm, as Piero puts it, he wants ‘a sustainable form of wine-making that can persist in perfect harmony with the natural environment.’ 
Whilst it is a closed ecosystem, Chacra isn’t just a wine with an eco-conscience, it is a wine with a community. Vineyard workers are provided with homes, their children given books and extra resources for their education and everyone’s jobs protected.
The 2022 is a wine that every Chardonnay lover should own. Beyond the story, the community and the people involved, it is objectively outstanding, electric and incredibly age worthy.
To return to what Jean-Marc Roulot said himself, this is £2,000/6 Meursault village quality, made by the hand of a Burgundian legend. Whilst it has a character all of its own, it is one of those rare wines from outside the region which can scratch that white Burgundy itch, and every year it is growing in both profile and price.  What we have to offer you today of this wine ex our cellars LCB VT, are very small quantites of the following:

CHACRA CHARDONNAY Bodega Chacra, Patagonia

6 bottles 2022 @ £69bt
6 bottles 2021 @ £75bt
6 bottles 2020 @ £85bt
6 bottles 2019 @ £85bt
6 bottles 2018 Sold Out
6 bottles 2017 Sold Out

– Priced per 75cl bottle Under Bond & offered subject to remaining unsold, as usual –

2022 CHACRA CHARDONNAY Bodega Chacra
– Patagonia –

“The 2022 Chardonnay, vinified in 50% oak and 50% amphorae, hails from Mainqué in Río Negro. Yellow-hued, with a greenish sheen, the 2022 offers enticing aromas of cream, corn and green apple, underscored by hints of lime, herbs and green tea. Dry and creamy, the saline-driven, refreshing palate lingers long on the fruit notes. This is quite a complex, pure Chardonnay. ”  96/100pts