Beyond the bottom shelf supermarket Chardonnay from South America, there are also some higher quality Chardonnays too.
South American Chardonnay
Choosing a Chardonnay is like a box of chocolates because it’s not always clear what type of Chardonnay you’re going to get. It’s a neutral grape that takes on its terroir and winemaking. Therefore, you have to know the terroir and the winemaker (or technical notes of the winemaking) to get an idea.
Countries like Chile and Argentina, who count on selling international styled, bargain wines abroad have had to make Chardonnay part of their portfolio because it’s the most recognizable white on the market. Especially in the past, cheaper Chardonnays from South America could mimic California Chardonnays, which can be ripe, oaky and buttery. However, this style has become less trendy overall, and so I find more are leaning towards leaner Chardonnay styles like Chablis with less oak and malolactic or White Burgundy with oak but fresher acidity as opposed to riper, more tropical fruit.
Chardonnay is the second most produced white in Argentina and Chile nowadays with Sauvignon Blanc overtaking Chardonnay for #1 in Chile fairly recently. I wanted to take a look at some midrange (around $20-25) Chardonnays from both countries to check on the quality and styles being produced nowadays.
Tasting Notes
2021 Baettig Los Parientes Chardonnay DO Traiguen Malleco
This comes from the Los Suizos Vineyard planted on volcanic soil. Aged 10 month in French oak barrels (around 10% new). The nose is complex. There’s a touch of oak, buttery creaminess, brioche, clay and vegetal notes. The palate is medium+ bodied with some up front fruit but a savory and citric finish. There’s some spice and smokiness maybe from the volcanic soil. Still think this needs some time to integrate. The nose sort of took me to California Chardonnay but without the ripe fruit. The palate takes me more to Burgundy but it needs time to smoothen out and integrate. Overall, it’s a savory wine more than fruity. 92+
2023 Tabali Talinay Chardonnay Limari
(The 2022 is pictured, but I unintendedly ended up drinking this 2023 first) Fermented and aged in used French oak for 10 months with daily punchdowns. The nose is fresh with citrus and citrus peel, a bit of air freshener or hand wipes you receive at a seafood restaurant, savory spice notes from the oak in the background. Some lees notes. The palate is medium-bodied and round but with a long streak of acidity and salinic minerality to finish. Compared to Baettig, there’s less oak and malolactic. It leans towards Chablis or less/unoaked Chardonnay from southern Burgundy (Cote Chalonnaise or Maconnais) while the Baettig has more oak influence and is less acidic. The latter I would pair with roast or fried chicken while this Tabali I want to pair with raw seafood given its freshness. It’s still young and could improve. 93+
2021 Finca Suarez Rocamadre Blanco Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley Mendoza
100% Chardonnay. The color is cloudy and a golden, almost light copper color. Just saw that it went 10 days of skin contact, which explains its darker color and it’s definitely unfiltered. The nose has a natural feel and is savory. The wine is aged in concrete and used barrels for 12 months. The palate is medium-bodied, medium length with medium-low acid but it doesn’t feel flabby or lacking freshness. At the same time I was expecting more acid given it’s from a cooler part of Mendoza. Hence, you may not want to pair it with raw oysters. Maybe I’d pair it with some spicy Asian foods. There’s some ripe fruit upfront, but it’s not necessarily a fruity wine either. There’s a bit of vegetal, leafy notes. It’s not a full-on orange wine either. There’s some apple cidery and honey aspects to it. I’d still like a little more acidity. A completely different Chardonnay especially compared to the previous two Chardonnays. 89
As a bonus, I had an aged Chilean Chardonnay from Limari recently but again the style is different. This is more expensive too at this age, but was probably around the same price when it was first released.
2009 De Martino Quebrada Seca Chardonnay Limari
De Martino’s website says this vineyard no longer exists and died in 2014 due to all the seasons of drought, but Reta (De Martino’s winemaker) still makes a Quebrada Seca cuvee under his own label and Concha y Toro’s Amelia line too, so either they’ve revived parts of it or parts of it still survived. However, there’s no longer a De Martino version of this vineyard. Only 6,600 bottles were made of the 2009 vintage. I’ve seen conflicting information on whether there’s oak or not. I see some saying 30% new oak. To me, it tastes oaked with some creamy malolactic too. Medium bodied and medium-low acid. High alcohol. Feel heat on back end. Color doesn’t show age. But perhaps the fruit is fading at this age because it’s a bit short but the fruit shows good intensity up front. It’s still mostly on primary and secondary notes. Nose integrated with time. Some buttery oak but not too much. Ultimately, too much alcohol for everyone. Although this does have a Burgundy like personality with a nice balance of oak and fruit, the alcohol is too high and acid too low for me. Perhaps it’s past its prime or in an awkward stage. 89
Conclusion
As I said, with Chardonnay you’re never sure what you’re going to get. One had more prominent oak and malolactic but was still cool climate. One was more focused on freshness and minerality. The last one was like neither and gave us a natural/skin contact example of Chardonnay. The last was aged, but from a hotter climate. Each deserves a place on your table depending on your meal or your palate as a step up in quality and complexity from under $10 examples.