Viñedo Chadwick

100 points - On May 13th 2016, Viñedo Chadwick 2014 scored a perfect 100 points from international wine critic James Suckling.

This outstanding recognition marked a milestone not only in the history of Viñedo Chadwick but also for the Chilean wine history, as it was the first time a wine from this country achieved 100 points. This perfect score positioned Maipo Alto and Chile among the most prestigious world-class appellations for red wines, such as Bordeaux, Tuscany and Napa.

Following his recent visit to Chile, during which he tasted more than 600 wines from different valleys, international wine critic James Suckling published his article entitled “Chile’s Evolving Quality Wine World” in which he awarded Viñedo Chadwick 2014 100 points: “Perhaps a sign of Chile truly coming of age is the 100-point rating in this report of the pure Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Viñedo Chadwick. This is a wine that defines the greatness of Chile with a purity, structure and finesse that competes with the best reds of the world. This is a wine that defines elegance and power at the same time.”

Suckling described the wine as “complex aromas of blueberry, blackcurrant and black liquorice. Full bodied yet refined and beautiful with a stunning length and complexity. It has a transparency that shows such greatness and beauty. Half the normal production. Has an energy and brightness. Chile’s first perfect wine and well deserved. Better in 2020.”

This important 100-point score crowns Viñedo Chadwick’s highly successful history as a world-class wine achieved through a passionate commitment to quality, perseverance and constant quest of the pure expression of the terroir.

Viñedo Chadwick is Eduardo Chadwick’s testament to the legacy of his father, Don Alfonso.

The vineyard around the family home had produced outstanding red grapes for decades, and Eduardo Chadwick, foreseeing the potential of this unique terroir, convinced his father to convert his beloved polo field into vineyards. In 1992 it was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Eduardo Chadwick’s father, Alfonso Chadwick Errázuriz, had a passion for vineyards, and was also an accomplished polo player. And it is a fitting tribute that the beloved field where he once played polo is now planted to the grapes that go into the wine named in his honour.

Don Alfonso established Chile’s first wine brokerage in the early 1930s. And in 1942 he bought the 300-hectare Viña San José de Tocornal estate and its vineyards in the Alto Maipo Valley. Even then the grapes grown there were considered exceptional. When the property was later divided, the family retained their home and 25 key hectares of land, including Don Alfonso’s polo field.

Alfonso Chadwick was considered a visionary in his time, particularly in the modernization of the Chilean wine industry. In 1983, he took control of Viña Errázuriz, which was founded by his ancestor Don Maximiano Errázuriz in the Aconcagua Valley in 1870, and asked his son Eduardo to work with him to restore the winery to the prestige it once had.

In addition to his passion for wine, Alfonso Chadwick is considered one of the best polo players in the history of Chile. He was the captain of the Chilean National Team for many years and led his team to win 19 open championships, just one shy of the Guinness Record. His passion for this sport was such that he laid his own polo field at the family estate in the Maipo Valley.

After Alfonso Chadwick passed away in 1993 his son Eduardo succeeded him as President of Viña Errázuriz, continuing his great legacy, passion for wine, and pursuit of excellence.

Viñedo Chadwick is located 650 m above sea level at Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley, in the southeastern sector of Santiago at the foot of the Andes Mountains along the northern bank of the Maipo River. The 15-hectare vineyard is considered one of Chile’s best terroirs for producing Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional quality. The Mediterranean climate has a long dry season, and rainfall is concentrated in the winter (328 mm), while the high daytime-night time temperature oscillation is one of the main factors responsible for the intense colour of the wines sourced from this zone.

The vineyard is located on an old alluvial terrace of the Maipo River, on barely fertile soil with just 40-cm of clay-loam (15%–20% clay content) atop an alluvial layer (70% stone) that provides excellent drainage. This enables an ideal balance of vegetative growth and fruit. The cool morning breezes that blow down from the mountains, the placement of the rows, and the moderate daytime temperatures allow the grapes to ripen to perfection while preserving their freshness and acidity.

The debut vintage of Viñedo Chadwick, 1999, was released worldwide in February 2002
 

In 1942, Don Alfonso Chadwick bought the 300-hectare Viña San José de Tocornal estate and its vineyards in the Alto Maipo Valley. The property was later divided and the family retained their family home and 25 hectares, including the family home and Don Alfonso’s polo field.

Eduardo Chadwick, foreseeing the potential of this unique terroir, convinced his father Alfonso to convert his beloved polo field into vineyards, and in 1992 it was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon.

The vine spacing is 2.0 meters between rows by 1.2 meters between vines with 4,166 vines per hectare. The vines are trained to a vertical trellis and spur pruned. The cool morning breezes blowing down from the mountains, row orientation and moderate daytime temperatures allow the grapes to ripen to perfection while preserving their fruit intensity and acidity.

Viñedo Chadwick is managed using sustainable farming practices. Cover crops are planted in autumn and spring for vigor control and provide a natural environment for selected plants to control harmful insects. As part of these practices, during winter piles of compost are produced to fertilize the vineyard naturally.

According to the vigor observed during the growing season the vineyard is divided into different blocks which are monitored independently. Viticultural decisions are made in each of these blocks guaranteeing that the fruit is harvested at optimal ripeness and uniformity. Yields are maintained at a maximum of 3 to 4 ton/ha.

For careful vigor control, irrigation is done under a unique and highly technical drip irrigation system that allows different irrigation patterns among the defined blocks in the vineyard.

At harvest time these various blocks are harvested separately and at different times. Even sections of one individual row can be harvested at two or three times. Only the best grapes are selected, and all are hand picked.