2017 Chile

The 2017 Legado Chardonnay was produced with fruit from Limarí on stony volcanic soils with clay and limestone. The drought between 2013 and 2015 killed some vineyards and increased the salinity of the soils, which is reflected in the wines. And 2017 was a low-yielding year, even in young vineyards like this one planted in 2009. The juice from pressing the full clusters fermented in used oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, and only 10% of the volume underwent malolactic. It matured in barrels for 14 months. The whole Legado range shows very varietal, more so in the Chardonnay than the Sauvignon Blanc, with the chalky texture of the limestone soils. Starting with the 2015 vintage, this wine is produced with grapes from Tabalí. Great for the price. 56,498 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018.
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)

The De Martino family left Italy behind, arriving in Chile in 1934. Today, the winery – one of the most progressive and exciting names on the Chilean wine scene – is managed by brothers Sebastian and Marco De Martino. Through a network of intellectual partnerships and vineyard acquisition, the property has quickly built up a reputation for championing sustainable, high-quality viticulture.

You may suspect a hint of South Africa in this wine given its smoky character, but it is indeed from Chile. What you are picking up is the fascinating influence of significant wildfires in Itata in 2017. Underneath, however, this is still an enjoyably crunchy, red-fruited wine with elegant, fine tannins. Drink now.

The Pandolfi Price family bought an exceptional site in the cool Itata Valley in 2002. Twenty-five hectares of dry-farmed Chardonnay vines had been planted there since 1992 and grapes were sold to other companies until 2007. Realising the high quality of the site’s terroir, the family started making its first wines in 2008.

Crisp notes of lemon and grapefruit dominate the nose, with subtle lemon pâtisserie hinting at a slightly richer mouth-feel – a result of 18 months on lees. On the palate, this richer texture is well-balanced by the fresh acidity which maintains the clean, energetic style of this wine. Drink now to 2021.

De Martino’s unique Viejas Tinajas Muscat is produced from an exceptional old-vine site in the Itata Valley, in Chile’s south. However, its unique character comes not just from its site, but from its vinification and ageing in traditional amphora of varying sizes, some over 100 years old. Having spent 18 months minimum untouched in these amphora, the wine changes dramatically and tastes very much as you would expect for a “natural” wine. The nose is highly aromatic with notes of white flowers and orange blossom, yet this is counterbalanced by an underlying savoury intensity. On the palate, the initial experience is a nutty sensation – yet the beauty of this wine is that gentle grapey fruit and dried orange peel still comes through and is not overcome by the oxidative characters, nor is there any hint of the cidery aspect that detracts from some natural wines. The finish is extremely dry and saline, leaving an intense hazelnut-skin note long after the wine has disappeared. This is an extremely unusual wine but well worth tasting if you are interested in trying a complex yet pure natural wine (and one that is often recommended by Jancis Robinson).
Catriona Felstead MW, Buyer (September 2019)