Notes:

Sourced predominately from sandy soils on the same property as the Lunita Pinot Noir, the 2024 Mainqué Chardonnay opens with a fresh, lifted bouquet with floral and herbal flourishes that gain volume with aeration. The palate is fittingly chiseled, slender and delicate, releasing into a long, nuanced and iodine-tinged finish that becomes increasingly nimble and dynamic in the glass.  Wine Advocate 93

• Producer: Bodega Chacra was founded in 2004 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta in the Río Negro region of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Incisa della Rocchetta comes from the family behind Tenuta San Guido, producer of Sassicaia, but Chacra was established as an independent project centered initially on old-vine Pinot Noir in Patagonia. The estate farms approximately 24 hectares and follows organic and biodynamic viticulture. Chardonnay became an important part of the project beginning with the 2017 vintage, when Piero began collaborating with Jean-Marc Roulot of Domaine Roulot in Meursault. Roulot works directly on Chacra’s Chardonnay program, and the 2024 Mainqué technical information identifies him as winemaker in collaboration with the Chacra team. The estate is located in the Río Negro Valley, an arid Patagonian environment where irrigation water originates in the Andes and the dry conditions provide naturally low disease pressure.
• Vineyard: Mainqué comes from multiple Chardonnay parcels in the Mainqué area of Río Negro, Patagonia, at approximately 300 meters elevation. The vines are around 40 years old and are trained using double Guyot. The estate's 2024 technical information describes the soils as predominantly silt with a smaller proportion of sand, while importer information further identifies sandy sections containing clay, pebbles and stones coated with calcareous material. The Mainqué Chardonnay comes from the same property associated with Chacra’s Lunita Pinot Noir and is specifically distinguished by its sandier soils. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically, and the 2024 Chardonnay was harvested in February 2024, reflecting the Southern Hemisphere growing season.
• Winemaking: The 2024 Mainqué was fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. According to the 2024 technical sheet, élevage was divided among 40% French oak barrels, 40% stainless-steel tanks and 20% handmade amphorae. The wine spent 11 months in its élevage vessels, followed by approximately eight months of bottle aging before release. The combination of oak, stainless steel and amphora gives the winemaking team three different maturation environments rather than relying exclusively on barrel. Jean-Marc Roulot directs the winemaking in collaboration with Chacra’s team, continuing the partnership between Roulot and Piero Incisa della Rocchetta that began with Chacra’s Chardonnay program in 2017.
• Technical Details: Patagonia / Río Negro; Mainqué; 2024 vintage; 100% Chardonnay; approximately 300 meters elevation; approximately 40-year-old vines; predominantly silt and sandy soils; double-Guyot training; organic and biodynamic viticulture; harvested February 2024; indigenous-yeast spontaneous fermentation; aged 11 months in 40% French oak, 40% stainless steel and 20% handmade amphorae; approximately eight additional months in bottle; 12.5% ABV; pH 3.4; 5.6 g/L total acidity; 2.03 g/L residual sugar; 49 ppm total sulfites; 750ml.
• Food Pairing: Oysters, scallop crudo, ceviche, grilled langoustines, roasted turbot, Dover sole, grilled branzino, poached lobster, roast chicken, vegetable risotto, young Comté and goat cheese. The wine’s combination of Chardonnay texture, high natural freshness and saline character makes shellfish and simply prepared fish particularly appropriate. Ceviche and raw scallops work with its acidity and relatively low residual sugar, while lobster, turbot and roast chicken can take advantage of the additional texture supplied by the barrel and amphora élevage.