2021 Seleccion de Parcelas Los Primos Chardonnay
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2021 Los Primos is incredibly impressive – and the step up from Los Parientes clear. There’s a creamy, lactic note on the nose, working alongside lemon curd, honeysuckle and bright citrus and green fruit. There’s a lushness to the fruit, with gorgeous length and energy, outstanding tension and an everlasting finish, with stony, saline minerality that lingers long after the wine is gone. You can drink this now, but it will be even better if you can give it a couple of years in bottle. Aged for 15 months in 35% new oak. Production: 3,480 bottles
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, energetic but complex with pear, peach and lime, as well as some nut and toast complexity. There are layers of flavour here with nice acidity under the fruit, with some fresh grapefruit and citrus pith, as well as a bit of peachy richness. Nice sour acid on the finish adds balance.
Fascinating aromatically if initially a little introvert – but that actually allows some of its subtler and more unique elements to reveal themselves first. Bitter lemon, quinine, a crushed grassy chlorophyll note too. With a little aeration, it’s the citrus notes that come into focus. Quince and a fabulous dusty, earthy mineral tang. On the palate – wow! This is extraordinarily intense on the focussed and chiselled attack with a searingly fresh citrus acidity to it. Concentrated confit citrus and tarte au citron, a generous dusting of fleur de sel, even a hint of iodine. Incredibly youthful and utterly singular in its personality to the point where you might not even pick it as Chardonnay. Incredible. Such purity, such intensity and enough chiselling to carve out Mount Rushmore from scratch
The 2021 Chardonnay Selección de Parcelas Los Primos hails from Traiguén, Malleco, in the Araucania Region. It was fermented in whole bunches before ageing for 15 months, 35% in new French oak and the rest in used barrels. A slightly murky greenish yellow in the glass. The attractive aromas range from ginger zest to green apple with hints of lime and a touch of acacia followed by a nutty hazelnut layer. Velvety without being overly rich, it delivers an ethereal, refreshing palate tempered by a chalky texture and a pinch of salt. Rich and long-lasting, the nuanced finish ends with an aftertaste of fruit and hazelnut.
About the producer
Baettig is the exciting project from leading winemaker Francisco Baettig (of Errázuriz fame). Crafting vibrant, site-expressive wines from Chile’s south, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Malleco and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maule – this is one of the hottest names in South America.