Las Pizarras Pinot Noir 2015, Errazuriz

The Pinot Noir that sets the standard for South America.  Superb fruit quality, but it’s the minerality, tannin structure and beautifully poised style that puts this wine in the world class bracket.

99pts James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2016 “Even better than the debut and great 2014. Perfumed and vivid with strawberry, raspberry, flower leaf, cedar, stone and flint. Full body yet compacted and compressed giving it an ultra-fine palate profile. Tension and finesse. Light citrus finish. Polished to almost perfection. Seamless finish. 500 cases made.”

Production notes –
Sourced entirely from our Aconcagua Costa Estate from specific blocks that have a significant component of metamorphic rock including slate (pizarras, in Spanish). Given the extremes of this cool climate site, as well as the uniqueness of its soils and elevations, each small block ripens at its own pace. Its proximity to the cool Pacific Ocean and its well-drained soils, with high level of slate and metamorphic rock, allow the Estate to produce Pinot Noir of exceptional complexity, depth, minerality and natural acidity.

Warm temperatures in spring and lower than average rainfall resulted in an early start to this challenging yet balanced 2015 vintage. The conditions produced an early harvest, with overall small to normal berry sizes giving excellent flavour concentration and structure to the wine.

All grapes (85% de-stemmed, 15% whole cluster) were picked and rigorously sorted out by hand before placing them directly into small open-top fermenters. 80% of the fruit had a cold maceration at 8 to 10¼C for 5 to 7 days before starting fermentation with 100% native yeasts, followed by an extended average maceration period of up to 20 days. Daily gentle punch downs made by hand helped to keep the cap moist. Free-run wine was drained and then kept for 13 months in 100% French oak, 30% of them new.