2011 William Fevre 'Chacai' 茶。紅

Putting my nose in the glass of the 2011 Chacai Mountain Chardonnay made me think of a grand cru Burgundy. It is indeed a serious Chardonnay from a colluvial vineyard located at some 900 meters altitude. The full clusters were pressed and the must fermented in barrel, but only a small part of the barrels went through malolactic fermentation to preserve the freshness. It has an oaky nose, with notes of smoke, nuts, lemon meringue, yellow plums and quince. Only 2,500 bottles were produced and it’s not bottled every vintage. It’s still quite oaky, but it should become less woody over time. Drink now-2018.

William Fevre of Chablis fame has been producing wines in Chile for a very long time in a joint-venture with a local family in Pirque. They are advised by consultant Alberto Antonini.

Importer: Copafina, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 440-2559; www.copafina.com