Las Pizarras Pinot Noir 2018

There is a jump in quality in the 2018 Aconcagua Costa "Las Pizarras" Pinot Noir, from what was a cold year in Aconcagua Costa, slightly drier and slightly cooler than 2016. So, I'm not surprised this cool-climate variety behaved quite well. The wine has great purity and transparency and is very clean and expressive, with good complexity and aromas of blood orange and sour cherries, a note of iron and a touch of cinnamon. They used some full clusters in the fermentation, which seems to have added some grip, and the wine matured mostly in 300- and 500-liter oak barrels. It has abundant, fine-grained tannins, good weight and juicy fruit and comes through as nicely textured, balanced and elegant but not heavy or ripe. The wine is a lot more elegant, and I think it's the best vintage so far of a wine that can now be the benchmark for the variety in Chile. 9,310 bottles and 60 magnums were filled in February 2019.

Great aromas of dried strawberries and fresh flowers, such as lavender. Full-bodied yet very tight and focused. Impressive tannic structure, but refined and polished. Lightly chewy. Finishes tight and refined. Best pinot of Chile. Drink after 2022, but hard to hold back.