2017 Mainque Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Bright light yellow. Lively aromas of nectarine and peach are complemented by a sexy leesy nuance. Highly concentrated, savory wine with terrific saline mineral intensity to its rather plush stone fruit and lemon flavors. Densely packed, deep and vibrant, this fully ripe Chardonnay finishes with excellent palate-coating length. (12.5% alcohol; star Meursault winemaker Jean-Marc Roulot consults on Chardonnay at Bodega Chacra)
Critic scores
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Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Neutral fruit then loads of meal, biscuit and dairy character on the palate. Melon and honey on the finish – but totally dry and savoury. Serious and ambitious – very tasty! (RH)
The 2017 Mainqué Chardonnay is the second white produced with grapes from their own and their partners' vineyards that are worked by their own team, since the wines are organic and biodynamic. It was picked early, as some peaks of extreme heat made the grapes ripen early on while keeping the acidity. It fermented in barrel and didn't go through malolactic, reaching some 13% alcohol. The élevage was 11 months in barrique, in Damy barrels (some new and some used) that they took from Domaine Roulot in Burgundy. This has more up-front fruit, as the soils are deeper, but the common theme with the top Chardonnay is the salinity and the tasty finish lent by the calcareous components of the alluvial soils. Even though I expected this to have a sharper personality, it was more mellow. A worthy debut, and it was not a small cuvée: 11,000 bottles were filled in January 2018.