Echeverria Chardonnay "No es Pituko"

Producer Note

Viña Echeverría is a family-run estate winery, owned and managed by the Echeverría family. Established in 1930, but with an agricultural heritage going back to the 1700s, Viña Echeverría is as much today, as always, driven by a shared passion for winemaking and an uncompromising search for excellence. Viña Echeverría combines nearly a century of viticulture and winemaking experience with a modern state-of-the-art winery, to produce an extensive collection of quality wines. The 'No es Pituko' range represents a radical departure from the rest of the more traditional Echeverría wines, both in look and make-up, being vinified naturally, without any additions at any stage. Viña Echeverría has recently been awarded its Sustainable Winery status by Wines of Chile, as well as its ISO9000 certification. Vintage The 2020 harvest will never be forgotten. The Covid-19 pandemic hit during harvest, which followed a very hot season. A warm, dry winter was followed by three days of freezing temperatures in early October. However, the temperatures warmed up and the season was characterised by being hot and dry, resulting in a short and early harvest, yielding concentrated grapes full of flavour.

Vineyard

The grapes come from a single vineyard in the Entre Cordilleras area of the Curicó Valley, situated at 243 metres above sea-level. The climate is Mediterranean with long, dry summers and intense sunlight. There is a marked diurnal temperature range, where the cooler evenings encourage balancing natural acidity and aromatic complexity in the fruit which leads to elegant wines. The 37 year old vines are un-grafted, selected from clones of pre-phylloxera rootstock. Grown in alluvium soils, with clay-loam content and the presence of stone at 80 centimetres depth, the soils are fertile, which allows the vines to express their full fruit potential. The vines are trained on the Lyre system which allows the air and sun to circulate through the vine canopy and helps to prevent mildew. The vineyards are cultivated according to sustainable agricultural methods in order to respect the land and its environment.

Winemaking

'No es Pituko' is Chilean slang for 'it ain't fancy' reflecting the fact that this wine was vinified naturally, without any additions at any stage. The grapes were hand-harvested and brought to the winery in 18kg boxes to preserve the quality. They were de-stemmed, pressed and cooled at 8°C, before being fermented with wild yeasts from the environment. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures of 13 to 17°C and lasted for 25 days. The wine rested on its lees for three months with gentle lees work to impart texture.

Tasting Note

Pale and slightly cloudy due to the natural vinification, this Chardonnay offers intense aromas of banana, apple and pear blended with toasted brioche. The full-bodied, rich and creamy palate is balanced by a refreshing and fruity finish.

Grape

Chardonnay 100%