Bodega ChacraCincuenta y Cinco (1955) Pinot Noir 2016

"Floral and offering up dark berries and dried strawberries. Hints of dried lemon skin. Full-bodied, very powerful and deep in terms of fruit. Chewy tannins yet they are so polished. Goes on for minutes. Best ever."

"Weighing in at only 12.1% in a light Burgundy bottle with screwcap, Cincuenta y Cinco – so-called because the vines, originating in France, were planted by Italian immigrants in 1955 – reflects the philosophy of its owner, Piero Incisa, of Sassicaia lineage. In a vineyard of almost 7ha sitting on pebbly clay and sandy riverbed soils, the luminosity of Patagonias desert, linked to cold nights and pure Rio Negro water, provides even ripening, while a degree of salinity in the soils adds a savoury note. After fermentation with indigenous yeasts on whole bunches, 30% of the wine is aged in cement and the rest in used French oak barriques. "I am drawn to the fruit and floral characters of Pinot as opposed to a more extracted, concentrated, alcoholic style," says Incisa. Its equally renowned sibling Treinta y Dos hails from the same Patagonian vineyard, planted in 1932. The prettiest of perfumes mingles with notes of bright raspberry fruit and liquorice spice in a mouthful of juicy, red berry fruit underpinned by subtle oak, silky tannins and a spine of mulberry freshness."