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.