Viñedo Chadwick: 21 Years of Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto
BY JOAQUÍN HIDALGO |
In South America, some wines tell a story while others represent an entire era. There is no doubt that in Chile, Viñedo Chadwick is one of the latter. On my last trip to the country, I had the opportunity to explore 21 chapters of that tale, from beginning to end.
Viñedo Chadwick is made in the Don Maximiano Icon Winery, built next to the historic Errázuriz facility in Panquehue, Aconcagua Valley. Pictured, the glazed tasting room stands out from the fermentation warehouse.
This particular label,
Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Alto, is one of the wines that put Chile on the
global map, dominating the scene for the past quarter century. The specific terroir,
consisting mainly of old vineyards of massal selections, is an exclusive
neighborhood, Puente Alto, a curious oasis of vineyards in what was once a
rural community outside Santiago that has nearly been gobbled up by the rapid
expansion of the metropolis.
The Polo trophy room is decorated with Alfonso Chadwick's achievements throughout his career as a polo player. The room is located in the old cavalry stables next to Viñedo Chadwick.
Eduardo Chadwick envisioned this wine in the early Nineties, while he was developing an export strategy for Viña Errázuriz in Aconcagua. This time the project would be rather more personal. The plan involved a return to a vineyard that was very close to him: Fundo San José de Tocornal, an estate of about 300 hectares, some of it already under vine, which had been purchased by his father Alfonso Chadwick in 1942. There, Alfonso Chadwick built a polo field that became legendary in the 1950s and 1960s. San José de Tocornal was partitioned during the agrarian reforms of the 1960s. Only the 25 hectares around the polo ground stayed in the family. Today, all that remains of the polo field are the wicker goals that still watch over the vines.
Chadwick Vineyard is planted on the third alluvial terrace of the Maipo River in Puente Alto. Due to years of flood irrigation, there is a layer of clay built up; the depth of the gravel soils can be appreciated in comparison with winemaker Francisco Baettig’s height.
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In South America, some wines tell a story while others represent an entire era. There is no doubt that in Chile, Viñedo Chadwick is one of the latter. On my last trip to the country, I had the opportunity to explore 21 chapters of that tale, from beginning to end. Here is a journey through both the style of this Cabernet Sauvignon and the history of a terroir that has earned its name in Maipo.
