2018 Seleccion de Parcelas Los Primos Pinot Noir

The 2018 Selección de Parcelas Los Primos Pinot Noir performs exceptionally well, presenting a savory, lifted nose of black cherries, citrus peels and dried flowers. The palate is silky and seamless, with a noticeable persistence that carries through the vibrant yet grippy finish. Like much of the Baettig lineup, this wine opened up significantly in the glass, continually weaving together subtle floral aromas, precise fruit flavors and an ever-more multidimensional finish. After distinguished tenures at Errázuriz, revered enologist Francisco "Pancho" Baettig and Commercial Director Carlos de Carlos launched a project in the Traiguén province of Malleco Valley. It revolves around the Viñedos Los Suizos vineyard—named as a playful nod to the Swiss heritage of both owners—planted on volcanic soil in 2013 with 6.4 hectares of Chardonnay and nine hectares of Pinot Noir, both derived from French clonal material to avoid the inconsistencies of Chilean massal selections. Readers familiar with Pancho's work at Errázuriz will not be surprised that the entire lineup is superbly executed and has quickly become a reference point. The roster is divided between the Vino de Viñedo line, which provides an overview of the vineyard as a whole, and the Selección de Parcelas bottlings, which zoom in to showcase a selection of blocks. Chardonnay undergoes barrel fermentation, and bâtonnage is used in the early stages of élevage. The first sulfur additions typically occur in the summer following the harvest. Maturation usually lasts around 13 to 14 months in approximately 35% new 400-liter barrels. Pinot Noirs incorporate about 20% whole-cluster fermentations and are aged in roughly 50% new 300-liter barrels with a slightly longer élevage. Complementing the Burgundian varieties is a newer and equally impressive Cabernet Sauvignon program based in Maule. For this line, the duo collaborates with a group of growers in Coronel de Maule who own century-old País vineyards that have gradually been grafted to Cabernet Sauvignon since the 1980s. Since Baettig's interest and involvement, this progress has accelerated, resulting in more vines being converted and the outright purchase of one site, showcased in the stunning Los Padrinos bottling. The remaining vines contribute to the Los Compadres, which boasts a unique profile that blends a vibrant, umami-like richness reminiscent of Mediterranean wines with a coniferous quality I associate with California's Santa Cruz Mountains.

The 2018 Selección de Parcelas Los Primos Pinot Noir is the second commercial vintage of the selected Pinot Noir. It's from a later-ripening year and a later harvest that delivered a wine with slightly lower alcohol and integrated acidity. Fermentation was similar to the 2017, native with 18% full clusters, and the élevage was slightly shorter—15 months in French barrels, 42% of them new 300-liter ones. The nose is a little more austere than the 2017, but the main difference is on the palate, where it's vibrant and vertical, with very good freshness. The nose is also a little more austere and nuanced, denoting a better year that has delivered wines with more depth. This opens up nicely in the glass, unfurling more detail and nuance, and it is floral and with notes of pomegranate and blue fruit. 2,124 bottles were filled in August 2019

As I do with Francisco Baettig's two Chardonnay releases, I have a slight preference for the 2018 bottling. Made with 18% whole bunches and 42% new wood, it more than confirms the promise of the 2017, showing notes of wild strawberry and tobacco leaf, fine tannins, racy acidity and a subtlety and purity that wouldn't look out of place in Chambolle-Musigny