Viñedo Chadwick 2017

The first edition of this Viñedo Chadwick was made in 1999 and since then, this cabernet sauvignon-based wine (with some petit verdot) has come from the alluvial soils of the Tocornal Vineyard, the same source of great Chilean wines as Almaviva and Don Melchor. Since the 2014 vintage, it’s been moving into fresher territory, with less oak and less alcohol. The 2016 vintage was something of a “coming out of the closet,” a cold year that was the perfect excuse for showcasing that new direction. The challenge came the following year, with a completely different set of conditions—it was warmer, with much less possibility of obtaining freshness. The result is a wine with red fruit that may not be as bright as it was in 2016, but it’s still fresh and vibrant. The difference is that the mid-palate and tannic structure are firmer here than they were in 2016. Who knows—maybe the cold year prevented Chadwick from obtaining that kind of skeleton. But the fact is that this wine is vibrant and solid.

Drink: now-2040