Vinedo Chadwick, Maipo Valley 2021

The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and troncoconic concrete vats, spent some 10 months in barrique, and then part of the wine (some 20%) was sent to the Stockinger foudres. The nose is reminiscent of a super elegant and sleek Bordeaux, pure and clean, less balsamic than in previous years and less herbal. It's perfumed and floral, precise, fresh and elegant, with very fine tannins, and despite the grape, it is more Pomerol than Graves, with 14% alcohol on the label but without any heat at all. It's velvety and luxurious, juicy and tasty, with fine-grained chalky tannins and the elegant stoniness that the best Maipos are capable of. It has structure and power, like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. This has to be the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster—it's a wine of emotion. This is also my first 100-point wine from Chile! The final blend contains around 3% Petit Verdot from vines planted in 2005. There are some 10,000 bottles of this, and it was all bottled all at once on January 31, 2023.

Beautiful nose with lots of currants, red cherries, flowers, roasted chili and dark chocolate. A fine hint of balsamic. More red fruit than black fruit here with bright cherries and a hint of cigar box. Really even on the palate, with a medium to full body and effortless tannins -- plentiful and silky. Extremely fine-grained and long. Very young but the superb freshness and the tannin quality of this vintage makes you think this is already drinkable. Better from 2025.

The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick is a Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Petit Verdot (3%) from Puente Alto, Maipo. It was aged for 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels and 20% in foudres. The mild summer in the area helped to sculpt the vivid, nuanced aromatic profile: crystal clear blackcurrant notes with sour cherry and raspberry layers plus hints of pepper over a faint cigar box bed. Silky and dry in the mouth, the finely tuned Maipo tannins and refreshing acidity from the cool year make for a long-lasting, complex wine. A Bordeaux-inspired red that enjoyed the very Bordelaise weather in the region this year.

Maipo Alto was not as cool as Aconcagua in the 2021 growing season, with temperatures closer to historical average with the exception of a cold February, and this clearly falls into the balanced category. Crushed roses, pencil lead, cassis, ink, liquorice, cocoa bean, espresso, infused with sculpted Maipo Cabernet signature. Has structure and depth, with fine grained tannins adding support and expansion but not overpowering. Well-defined and precise, and this lengthens out on the palate, built to last, and will evolve slowly. Winemaker Francisco Baettig. Ageing in 80% new French oak barrels, plus 20% large oak casks.

The 2021 Vinedo Chadwick, 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It skips out of the glass with bright, energetic scents of blackcurrant jelly, redcurrant preserves, and wild blueberries, giving way to suggestions of pencil shavings, lavender, and wild thyme. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers intense black and red fruit layers with beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and earthy.