Chacra Barda Pinot Noir Patagonia 2020

When one pictures a fruitful and quintessential wine country, arid landscapes most likely do not come to the top of mind. However, some of the New World's burgeoning wine regions are desert oases, holding their own against the more traditional settings. At the top of this list is pioneering winery Chacra, located in the high-altitude Patagonian Desert of Argentina. The manifested dream of Piero Incisa della Rocchetta and founded in 2003, Chacra is the embodiment of terroir-driven winemaking. Piero found his winemaking mecca in the Río Negro region of Patagonia, where grapes grow in an ecologically sound microclimate. The team at Chacra believes wine is "a consequence of nature and a reflection of our true respect for the ecosystem." So, tasting the 2020 Barda Pinot Noir, you step into a new frontier, where one can achieve biodiversity despite the harshest of conditions, and great wine can come from the most unlikely of places.

From northern Chile to eastern Washington State to the high-altitude vineyards of Lebanon and Israel, these dry climates have seemingly doubtful prospects for crop growing. On the contrary, though, deserts boast one of the critical components for fine viticulture: a diurnal shift from warm, sunny days to cool, breezy nights. In Patagonia, the grapes spend all day soaking up the sun and ripening, and all night cooling off and preserving their acidity. Moreover, as the only river basin in the region, Río Negro is home to nutrient-rich and varied soils and a bounty of flora and fauna that flock to it.

As the grandson of renowned vintner Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, founder of Sassicaia, it's no wonder Piero is where he is today. After tasting a Patagonian Pinot Noir in New York City, Piero was desperately intrigued, and his first visit to the Río Negro region cemented the notion that he would one day make wines from this obscure place. Following his grandfather's footsteps, Piero placed sustainable farming and preservation of the ecosystem at the forefront of his winemaking. The vineyards are managed in harmony with the surrounding plant life and using biodynamic practices such as lunar cycle tracking, vegetable and mineral preparations for compost amendments, and strict abolition of chemical pesticides and herbicides. As a result, the farm is home to vines and thousands of other plantings, including lavender, rosebushes, poplar trees, and a bountiful vegetable garden. Pietro would argue this biome makes Chacra's terroir distinct and lends it to beautifully complex and elegant wines.

Chacra's "Barda" comes from the youngest Pinot Noir vines on the property, which are still over 30 years old. In cement tanks, indigenous yeasts ferment the unfined and unfiltered wine at low temperatures.   Once fermented dry, 70% of the Pinot Noir ages in concrete tanks, and the remaining 30% in French oak (15% new) for nine months. Piero keeps the alcohol low (13%) as the intention is for Barda to be enjoyed in the present. Dried raspberries and red plums aromas layer with mushroom and earth undertones on the nose. Though delicate, the fine-grained tannins give body to the palate and balance the impactful acidity. There is a meaty, umami richness to the wine, with notes of dark fruits that carry through the finish. We look forward to sharing more exciting wines from Chacra's passionate winemaking team and this under-the-radar region.