Bodegas Chacra Pinot Noir Trienta y Dos 2016 1x75cl

The top-of-the-range 2016 Treinta y Dos is sold later than the rest of the portfolio, as the wine spends 18 months in oak barrels, now all second and third use, and it’s bottled later. It was cropped from a “typical” Patagonian year with marked seasons and no more rain than usual; this made it a very different vintage than what they had in Mendoza, where it rained a lot. The wine feels a little riper, more concentrated and more powerful, and the oak is a little marked. While some might prefer this style, this time I certainly favored the Cincuenta y Cinco, which felt much fresher and more elegant, while this felt more vinous. It improved with time in the glass, becoming even fresher, which tells me something about the aging potential of the wine. 7,082 bottles and 79 magnums were filled in November 2017. RP