Just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of downtown Santiago lies Puente Alto. A sub-region of Alto Maipo, it is a name that has become renowned for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, home to many prestigious estates such as Don Melchor, Almaviva and Cousiño Macul. Yet there is one wine dynasty that links all of these great estates, and which has cemented the reputation of this celebrated terroir – Viñedo Chadwick.
It was in 1942 that Don Alfonso Chadwick Errazuriz purchased the 40-hectare San José de Tocornal estate in Puente Alto. As well as planting vineyards, he created a polo field where he could practise his beloved sport. Chadwick had an illustrious polo career and next to the pitch sat his family home. However, in the early 1960s the government introduced radical agrarian land reform laws that led to the vast majority of the estate being sold and redistributed. Beneficiaries included Concha y Toro and latterly Almaviva, the neighbouring property to the current Viñedo Chadwick. The Chadwick family remained with just 40 hectares of the estate.
Alfonso’s son, Eduardo Chadwick, had started working in the family’s Aconcagua-based Errazuriz estate during the 1980s and became a key figure in transforming its fortunes. A young Eduardo saw the huge potential of the family property in Puente Alto. Magui Chadwick, Eduardo’s daughter and head of marketing recalls, ‘As my grandfather got older his polo playing days were limited. We were all living here on the estate in the family home, right next to the polo field. In 1992 my father asked my grandfather if he would be happy to plant the polo field with vines. It was not an easy thing to ask.’ Alfonso gave his blessing and 15 hectares were planted. Sadly, in 1993 he passed away before he could see the project truly mature.
The vineyard sits at around 650 metres above sea level, and despite the hot days in the summer, temperatures drop in the evening thanks to the mountain breezes that descend from the Andes. Massal selection has determined the vines, which are all planted on their own rootstocks. ‘We really wanted to maintain the massal material,’ says Chadwick winemaker Francisco Baettig. ‘It means that you get smaller bunches which mean more concentration, especially in combination with the long ripening season that we enjoy here.’
There was a small amount of Carménère in the first vintage in 1999, but it has since been discarded. ‘The quality of the Carménère was just too inconsistent. We planted Merlot and Cabernet Franc but they really weren’t suited to this site,’ says Baettig, ‘We then planted Petit Verdot in 2005 and that has done really well, it helps add some acidity to the blend and a little spice. This terroir we have here is just perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon.’
The vineyard has approximately 50cm of clay loam on the surface with free draining gravel soils beneath. With annual rainfall averaging around 350mm, irrigation is required here, which comes from the Andes, Baettig says. ‘The water we get from the Andes has a high percentage of calcium carbonate, which I believe adds to the flavour profile of the wines.’
I ask him to describe Chadwick’s style: ‘It tends far more towards red fruits with a real intensity and concentration. Polished and rounded tannins are a hallmark; we find here that the tannins are smooth, but in warmer vintages they can get more firm. It is always a wine with tension and purity.’
It is always a wine with tension and purity
Many wine lovers will have heard of Chadwick (and its stablemate and sister wine Seña from Aconcagua) through the fabled Berlin tasting of 2004. This saw Chadwick and Seña pitted blind against a host of fine wines from Tuscany, Bordeaux and Napa, including names such as Sassicaia, Lafite, Latour and Opus One. Chadwick finished in first place with Seña claiming second spot. The tastings would be repeated in various cities over the following years with the Chilean wines frequently outperforming the competition. What is one of the most astonishing feats is that the 2000 Chadwick that was entered was just the second incarnation of the wine.
What follows are notes from a complete vertical tasting of every vintage of Chadwick, which was carried out at the property in Puente Alto with winemaker Francisco Baettig. Eduardo Chadwick has stated many times that the aim of Viñedo Chadwick was to honour his father and prove that Chile is capable of producing truly world-class wines. Along with Seña, he has certainly demonstrated this to be the case.
Chadwick wines: 1999-2021
Producer | Name | Vintage | Region | Subregion | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 1999
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 1999 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2000
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2000 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2001
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2001 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2002
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2002 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2003
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2003 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2004
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2004 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2005
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2005 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2006
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2006 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2007
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2007 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2008
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2008 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2009
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2009 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2010
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2010 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2011
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2011 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2012
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2012 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2013
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2013 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2014
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2014 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2015
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2015 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2016
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2016 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2017
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2017 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2018
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2018 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2019
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2019 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2020
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2020 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto | |
Viñedos Familia Chadwick, Viñedo Chadwick 2021
Maipo Valley
, Puente Alto
|
Viñedos Familia Chadwick | Viñedo Chadwick | 2021 | Maipo Valley | Puente Alto |