2018 Tara Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
The cloudy and characterful 2018 White Wine 1 Chardonnay has to be one of the most particular whites from Chile, a wine about the place rather than the variety. It's only 12.5% alcohol and has vibrant acidity with intense flavors and a strong stony sensation in the palate. This wine comes from a unique place in the Atacama Desert with stony and limestone soils. They pressed the grapes with 50% full clusters, and the juice fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in 50% concrete eggs and 50% in untoasted oak foudres for 24 months. This really expresses the character of the place, austere and with a marked personality. It finishes with a chalky and saline feeling. Possibly the finest vintage to date.
Critic scores
Average Score
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Chardonnay Tara from Huasco, Atacama, was 30% aged for 24 months in fifth-use Burgundy barrels. Yellow with a golden shimmer. The yeasty nose also includes bread, pear, apple and traces of lactic acid. Austere with notable acidity; the powerful tension is wrapped in the fat from the lees while the palate has a dry, saline feel. A distinctly unusual white.