2018 Tara Chardonnay
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The cloudy and characterful 2018 White Wine 1 Chardonnay has to be one of the most particular whites from Chile, a wine about the place rather than the variety. It's only 12.5% alcohol and has vibrant acidity with intense flavors and a strong stony sensation in the palate. This wine comes from a unique place in the Atacama Desert with stony and limestone soils. They pressed the grapes with 50% full clusters, and the juice fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in 50% concrete eggs and 50% in untoasted oak foudres for 24 months. This really expresses the character of the place, austere and with a marked personality. It finishes with a chalky and saline feeling. Possibly the finest vintage to date.
Critic scores
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Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Chardonnay Tara from Huasco, Atacama, was 30% aged for 24 months in fifth-use Burgundy barrels. Yellow with a golden shimmer. The yeasty nose also includes bread, pear, apple and traces of lactic acid. Austere with notable acidity; the powerful tension is wrapped in the fat from the lees while the palate has a dry, saline feel. A distinctly unusual white.