This new 2014 Aconcagua Costa "Las Pizarras" Pinot Noir is a selection of the best lots of Pinot Noir, grown on slate soils (pizarra is the Spanish word for slate) in the coastal part of the Aconcagua Valley, from their Manzanar estate vineyards. Winemaker Francisco Baettig used 20% full clusters for the fermentation in open-top fermenters and then aged the wine in French barriques, half of which were new, for 14 months. For such a young wine, there are very complex aromas that already point at notes of forest floor, mushrooms, truffles, and game, not only wild berries and spices; it is subtle, fine, and layered in a way that made me think of wine from Ren?? Engel. There are some notes of rusty iron, blood, and earth, and an absolute absence of balsamic aromas or notes of wood. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity and tannins, but with plenty of grips. Most would place this in the C??te de Nuits. Do not confuse it with the already existing "regular" Pinot Noir Aconcagua Costa. 4,000 bottles were filled in July 2015.
(WA-Dec 2015)
