Errazuriz: Las Pizarras ‘beyond icon wines’

Viña Errázuriz’s new project in Chile’s Aconcagua Costa, Las Pizarras, is a step on from Chile’s well-known premium icon wines, says head winemaker Francisco Baettig.

“This is the most exciting thing I think I’ve ever worked on,” enthused Francisco Baettig, Errázuriz winemaker and now it seems, part scientist/part geologist.

Not content with making more ‘icon’ wines; he’s already made three for Vina Errázuriz – Don Maximiano Cabernet Sauvignon, Kai Carmenere and Le Cumbre Syrah – Baettig set off to uncover an area by the coast where wines could best express their terroir. In short, a Burgundian approach to making wine, not seen before in Chile.

His chosen area, Aconcagua Costa has schist and slate soils that produce linear, precise wines without the abundance of sweet fruit which characterises many Chilean wines. Baettig also hired Burgundy’s renowned geologist, Françoise Vannier-Petit to help him ‘map’ the area in the same way she had done for Chambolle-Musigny.

“I wanted to really identify the quality potential, and examine everything – the soils, the geology, the exposure, in order to find the grand cru equivalent,” said Baettig.

Of the 70 hectares of Pinot Noir and 50 hectares of Chardonnay, Baettig has so far identified three distinct parcels which make up the ‘grand cru’ of the Las Pizarras range (which means slate), with the 2014 and 2015 vintages grown on exactly the same plots.

“The wines are dry, mineral, fresh, they have a lot of tension and less of the tropical, sweet fruit.” said Baettig. “I blind tasted them against other ones of the same style, and I’m happy. This is Chile’s first old world approach to producing wine.”

Fewer than 300 cases are produced from the Chardonnay, and Baettig says he doesn’t want to have over 1,000 cases for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – “more than that and we’ll look at producing a premier cru.”

At the moment, Chile does not have an official appellation system protecting its best sites, something Baettig is a big advocate of but he has boldly labelled his wine ‘La Pizarras’ anyway while also including the region, Aconcagua Costa and the producer, Errázuriz.

“Chile has done a great job in creating brands and names for its producers, he said. “But now we need to champion the places where the best wine is grown. It’s a step on from our icon wines which we are known for. Things are changing but it will just take time.”

If there’s any lingering frustration in how long the process is taking, Baettig nevertheless beamed when he spoke of the 2015 vintage which will be released in Hong Kong next year.

“The 2015 Chardonnay is the best wine I’ve ever made in my life. Critics and journalists may not agree but this opinion is just for me, and I will always innovate and make the best wine, for me, at that time.”