Chardonnay Botanico, Familia Zuccardi 2021

The new white 2021 Botánico comes from their two vineyards in the Monasterio part of Gualtallary, the informal division of the zone (still not approved due to bureaucratic problems with the name), and is a lieu-dit or paraje wine. This is very austere, sharp and mineral, reminiscent of a Chablis. This was harvested very early, almost one month earlier than the Fósil from San Pablo, as Gualtallary ripens earlier. It fermented and matured 70% in concrete eggs and 30% in used 500-liter oak barrels; but there is no aromatic or flavor influence from the oak, as they want to keep the wine as transparent as possible with the character from the soils—limestone and caliche calcareous stone. This has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.23 and 7.36 grams of acidity. It's clean, precise, subtle, elegant, transparent, balanced and symmetric ,with purity and clarity. It has a shaper palate with effervescent sensation of chalk with lemon juice, with lots of energy. This should develop nicely in bottle. I'd like to have a time machine to see what this does at age 15... 5,000 bottles were filled in December 2021. I had the chance to taste the still unbottled 2022, and it felt every bit as good as this.

Tasted over two days. Pale lemon in colour with a layered and savoury nose that only gains in complexity with air. There is a whiff of toast and spice, but the focus is pure citrus and stone fruit. The acids are vibrant as in the Fosil, but here there is a breadth and added creaminess to the wine. Despite the added savoury tones and rounded edges, this wine remains ethereal and elegant thanks to its precise fruit. Long and unerring, this is as accomplished a Chardonnay we have tasted from South America.