Bodega Benegas Estate Chardonnay
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Grapes are sourced from estate vineyard Finca La Encerrada, Gualtallary (1450 meters above sea level), Valle de Uco, Mendoza.
- Drink now or hold for 5 years.
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Elaboration: Cold maceration, pressing and deburring. Alcoholic fermentation and aging on lees for 9 months in French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: The color is clean and bright. Soft yellow in color with golden reflections. The nose has elegant notes of white fruits, mineral notes and contribution of oak wood. The mouth is elegant and balanced. Smooth entry, great structure, long and persistent finish.
PRESS
2019 – 91 Vinous
2020 – 90 James Suckling
2021 – 92 Vinous | 90 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Finca Libertad is planted in an old riverbed, located on the edge of the Alto Río Mendoza, in the Cruz de Piedra area. It was planted with vine cuttings brought by Don Tiburcio from France in the 19th century. Three-meter-high walls were built to avoid the floods caused by the melted snow water flowing down from the Andes mountains during the summer season.
In 1999, Federico Benegas Lynch purchased what Ángel Mendoza, Trapiche’s Head Winemaker, considered to be the best 40 hectares of the old Finca Libertad.
The Finca Libertad is an old riverbed, with alluvial, stony soils, with some sand and superficial layers of clay. As vines suffer great stress in these poor soils, it produces low yields with excellent quality fruit resulting in superb wines. Despite fertilizing with organic guano, the yields are extremely low because of the vines’ old age.