Errázuriz brings Burgundy to Chile for new ‘grands crus’

Viña Errázuriz has taken a wholly Burgundian approach to an impending new release of a top-end Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Chile’s Aconcagua Costa.

The wines, which are due to be shipped later this year, or springtime 2016, have been made with the support of both a Burgundian winemaker and geologist; come in a Burgundian bottle shipped from France, and follow the region’s labelling approach, which focuses on the vineyard site, rather than a brand name.

Errázuriz chief winemaker Francisco Baettig told the drinks business in Chile last month that he “wanted to do the best possible Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the place”, which is an estate in Aconcagua Costa, which was bought by Errázuriz owner Eduardo Chadwick in 2004.

Helping him in this endeavour has been Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair in Burgundy’s Vosne-Romanée, who has been consultant winemaker for the new Pinot Noir, while the same region’s highly respected geologist, Françoise Vannier-Petit, has been brought in to create a detailed map of the Chilean estate’s soils.

Although Liger-Belair was already involved in a winemaking project in Chile – he works with the country’s Francois Massoc and Pedro Parra on the Aristos brand – Baettig stressed that this was a coincidence: “I selected Louis-Michel when I didn’t know he already had a project with Pedro Parra in Chile.”

As for Vannier-Petit, she had never worked as a geological consultant outside France, according to Baettig, who chose her because he wanted to recreate a similarly detailed map of the Aconcagua estate as Vannier-Petit had done for Chambolle-Musigny.

Initially, it was thought that the Chilean property might be used to produce further “icon” wines to complement the five others in Eduardo Chadwick’s portfolio: Seña, Viñedo Chadwick, Don Maximiano, La Cumbre, and Kai.

However, Baettig said that it was later decided that the new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir should follow a Burgundian approach to its labelling, and consequently the wine has been called after the dominant rocks in the vineyard: Las Pizarras, meaning “slate”, while the packaging also clearly references the region, Aconcagua Costa, and the producer remains prominently stated: Errázuriz.

Errázuriz’s existing Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir, which represents the “village level” offering from the region, while the new Las Pizarras, pictured above, is the equivalent to grand cru in Burgundy.

“We didn’t want to do another icon with a different name, we wanted to push Aconcagua Costa as the origin, and the place, Pizarras… it is a more terroir approach,” he said.

Continuing he said, “We wanted to do something like you have in Burgundy where the name of the wine is related to the place, the terroir, and not just a fantasy name.”

Baettig also hopes to create a Burgundian-style quality tiering with the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the region, producing equivalents from village level Burgundy to premier and then grand cru.

Presently, as previously reported by db, the Las Pizarras label is considered equivalent to a grand cru Burgundy, while the Errázuriz existing Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is the producer’s “village” offering.

“The idea is to have the same label for all the Aconcagua Costa range but the top will be Las Pizarras, which could be the equivalent of a grand cru,” he said.

Noting that presently the Errázuriz range from the region comprises an entry level and then the new top wine, Baettig told db that he plans to bring out a wine in between, to complete a three-tier quality proposition.

He stressed that a focus on the specifics of the site was important in Aconcagua Costa because the region “is so big”, although presently just three producers are making wine in the area: Montes, with its Zapallar Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc; Clos de Fous, with its Arenaria Pinot Noir, and then Errázuriz, which owns 1,000 hectares in the region, although 230ha are planted to vines for both the Errazuriz and Arboleda brands.

Speaking about the wines from the area, Baettig said that the Chardonnay used in Las Pizzaras was “the best I’ve ever made”, and, pointing out the potential of the Pinot Noir, he said that even Liger-Belair was “surprised by the quality”, while noting that the Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa planting for just this grape had swelled from an initial 5ha to over 70ha today.

For more detail on the Las Pizzaras Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, from winemaking techniques to prices and production volumes, view the following pages.

Errázuriz Pizarras Aconcagua Costa Chardonnay 2014

Just 280 cases of Las Pizarras Chardonnay have been produced from its inaugural 2014 vintage. The wine, which was bottled last month, is expected to retail for around £35 when it’s released either later this year, or in March 2016.

Although it is an important addition to Chile’s relatively undeveloped fine white wine offering, the Pizarras Chardonnay is not the country’s most expensive – that is a position held by the Duquesa Chardonnay from Aristos (a project, as mentioned above, from Francois Massoc and Pedro Parra, along with Burgundy’s Louis-Michel Liger-Belair). The Aristos white comes from Cachapoal and retails for over £40 a bottle.

The Pizarras Chardonnay was whole-bunch pressed, and fermented in a French oak barrels and small stainless steel tanks using native yeasts.

60% of the blend underwent malo-lactic fermentation and the wine has spent 14 months in 20% new French oak, with the rest aged in 1 year-old and three year-old French oak barrels.

It has an abv of 13%, total acidity of 7.5gl and a pH of 3.1.

Errázuriz Pizarras Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2014

The first release of Las Pizarras Pinot Noir comprises 300 cases from the 2014 vintage, and, although a price has yet to be confirmed, winemaker Francisco Baettig said it would probably be released later this year for around £65.

While it is certainly expensive by Chilean standards, the new wine won’t be the country’s priciest Pinot – it is still slightly less than Stefano Gandolini’s Ventolerala Claro de Luna Pinot Noir, which comes from Leyda and has a shelf price of around £70, and the new Empedrado Pinot Noir from Torres, which is made using grapes from an entirely new site in Maule Costa.

As reported by db last week, the Torres wine has become Chile’s most expensive Pinot Noir with a suggested retail price of around £90 in the UK.

Las Pizarras was made in open-top fermenters, incorporating 20% whole clusters of Pinot Noir, using native yeasts. The wine was aged in French oak for 14 months, 50% of which was new. Although the quantity of new French oak might seem high, Beattig told db, “I was worried by the amount of new oak, but [consultant] Louis-Michel Liger-Belaire suggested that amount, and he was right – it is very well integrated.”

The wine has an abv of 13.5%, total acidity of 6.09g/l, and a pH of 3.47.