Bodega Chacra’s 2025 *Chacra* Chardonnay is a Patagonia white built on cool-climate Río Negro fruit and a deliberately restrained winemaking approach. The winery, founded in the early 2000s by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, farms organically and biodynamically in the Alto Valle, and this Chardonnay is part of a project developed in collaboration with Burgundy’s Jean‑Marc Roulot. Rather than relying on overt new oak, the wine is typically fermented with native yeasts and raised in neutral vessels such as concrete eggs, aiming for texture without losing precision. The 2025 is listed at about 13.5% ABV.

The intent is clear in the way the wine is described by critics: a ripe-fruited Chardonnay framed by mineral detail rather than sweetness or heaviness. James Suckling’s note is especially emphatic, and his score is an excellent one. He awards the wine **99 points**, opening with, “**Wow. This is really complex**,” and then detailing a layered aromatic set of “**sliced apples, lemons, flint, stones and a hint of limes**.” He also flags a more delicate register—“**floral and aromatic with white flowers**”—which fits the house style of balancing orchard fruit with lift.

On the palate, Suckling emphasizes length and structure more than power, calling it “**Long, long finish**” and describing the wine as “**complex and thoughtful**.” That combination—fruit clarity, stony/flinty notes, and sustained finish—is the core of why Chacra’s Chardonnay has developed a reputation as a serious New World counterpart to more classically styled whites.

For drinking windows, Suckling’s guidance is flexible: “**Drink or hold**.” In practical terms, this reads as a Chardonnay that should be compelling now for its precision and detail, with enough concentration and balance to reward cellaring.