Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir

Description

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir is a Chilean red wine made from grapes harvested in Casablanca and the Aconcagua Costa. It is bottled as a DO Region de Aconcagua. 

Errazuriz Estate was founded in 1870 when Don Maximiano Errazuriz planted his first vineyards at Panquehue in the Aconcagua Valley – 100km North of the capital. Today, the tradition of quality lives on with Don Maximiano’s descendant Eduardo Chadwick. Eduardo is the fifth generation of his family to be involved in the wine business. Errazuriz’s philosophy is best expressed by Don Maximiano who said, “From the best land, the best wine.” Viña Errazuriz believes in the concept of ‘terroir’ and strives to produce the finest wines by controlling every stage of the winemaking process, from grape growing in the Aconcagua, Casablanca and Curico valleys, to winemaking with the most natural techniques.

The grapes for Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir come from La Escultura vineyard, which is located west of Santiago in the Casablanca Valley. Just 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard is affected by cool coastal breezes that moderate the temperatures during the ripening period. This allows the grapes to ripen gradually and completely while developing pleasing aromas and flavours and maintaining desired acidity levels, which makes the Casablanca Valley particularly suitable to grow the Pinot Noir variety. Some grapes also come from estate vineyards in Aconcagua Costa.

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir is made by fermenting the grapes with the native yeasts that are naturally present on their skins. These native strains provide a broader combination and proportion of biological products than commercial yeasts because of the stressful conditions that native yeast are subjected to during the fermenting process, and this allows the wine to develop distinctive aromas and flavours that bring more complexity. Grapes were hand-picked, double sorted, softly destemmed and crushed, then placed in open-top stainless steel tanks. Prior to fermentation, grapes underwent a 3 to 5 day cold soak. For fermentation, only native yeasts are used so that the wine develops more complex, distinctive aromas and flavours. Total skin contact, including post-fermentation extended maceration, ranged from 10 to 20 days. The Final blend is aged for 11 months in French oak barrels, 15% new.

What does “Wild Ferment” mean?

“Wild ferment” is a winemaking technique whereby grapes are fermented using only the natural, indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins rather than adding commercially produced yeast strains. Compared to wines made with commercial yeast strains this results in the development of more distinctive, complex aromas and flavours in the finished wines. Wild fermentation is often seen as a more “natural” and low-intervention winemaking approach which allows the terroir and character of the grapes to shine through.