Viñedo Chadwick
The Wine
The Viñedo Chadwick wine represents a long-cherished desire of the Chadwick family to honour the memory of the late Don Alfonso Chadwick with an Ultra-Premium Cabernet Sauvignon that showcases the ancestry, tradition, and expertise of the Chadwick-Errázuriz family in producing fine wines and its passion for excellence.
The first vintage of Viñedo Chadwick (1999) was released to great success in 2002, and its second vintage (2000) would later make history.
Although Don Alfonso never saw the finished wine, he is remembered with every bottle of Viñedo Chadwick, named in his honour.
The Vineyard
Viñedo Chadwick is located 650 m above sea level in the Alto Maipo, in the southeastern part of Santiago at the foot of the Andes Mountains, along the northern bank of the Maipo River. The 15-hectare vineyard is considered one of Chile’s best terroirs for producing Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional quality. It has Mediterranean climate with high daytime-night time temperature oscillation, that is one of the main factors responsible for the intense colour of the wines sourced from this zone, alongside alluvial and moderately fertile soils. The cool morning breezes that blow down from the mountains, the placement of the rows, and the moderate daytime temperatures allow the grapes to ripen to perfection while preserving their freshness and acidity.
History
Eduardo Chadwick’s father, Alfonso Chadwick Errázuriz, was considered a visionary in his time, particularly in the modernization of the Chilean wine industry, what he mainly displayed when he took control in the 1980s of Viña Errázuriz, which was founded by his ancestor Don Maximiano. He established Chile’s first wine brokerage in the early 1930s. And in 1942 he bought the Viña San José de Tocornal estate in the Alto Maipo Valley, where he laid his family home and his own polo field. This, because in addition to his dedication to the business world, Don Alfonso was one of the best polo players in the history of Chile, leading the Chilean National Team for many years, and his team to win 19 open championships, just one shy of the Guinness Record.
Knowing this vineyard had produced excellent red grapes for decades, and foreseeing the potential of this unique terroir, Eduardo convinced his father to convert his beloved polo field into vineyards in 1992. Unfortunately, he passed away one year later. Thus, it is a fitting tribute that the beloved field where he once played polo is now planted to the grapes that go into the wine named in his honour.
Visita el sitio oficial
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The first vintage of Viñedo Chadwick (1999) was released to great success in 2002, and its second vintage (2000) would later make history.
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Alfonso Chadwick was a talented athlete as well as entrepreneur and led his team to win the national polo championships on numerous occasions (Photo 1940).
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Don Alfonso Chadwick with his wife Patricia Claro and their children, in front of their family home at Viñedo Chadwick, 1964. Young Eduardo stands on the far right.
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The unique terroir in the Viñedo Chadwick vineyard is composed of ancient terraces of alluvial soils that once supported Alfonso Chadwick’s beloved polo field.
Opinions
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Steven Spurrier, Consultant Editor to Decanter & Chairman of Decanter World Wine Awards, United Kingdom, October 2013
I don’t think he was expecting at all to do as well as he did, but I think having done it, it was an educational experience further than he had planned, because instead of just educating the 40 or 50 people in the room, he educated the entire world.
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Jeannie Cho Lee MW, First Asian Master of Wine, Contributing Editor Decanter Asia, Co-Chair of DAWA, Author, Wine Consultant & Educator, November 2011
When Eduardo and I first discussed the concept of this blind tasting format, I told him to brace himself for disappointment, especially given the popularity of Bordeaux reds in this part of the world. I was completely wrong in my warning and I am truly surprised by the results…
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Jorge Lucki, Brazilian Wine Journalist and Columnist for Valor Econômico de Sao Paulo, October 2013
Until that point only Eduardo knew what he had in his hands. Today the whole world knows… By reaching indisputable recognition in the world wine scene, Eduardo Chadwick’s wines have clearly demonstrated Chile’s tremendous vitivinicultural potential and have helped Chilean wines earn greater space and credibility in the international market.
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Josh Raynolds, Wine Critic to Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, USA, December 2013
These tastings definitely have had an impact on how many influential members of the American wine trade view Chile today. So I see them as invaluable to promoting Chile’s well- deserved image as a source for world-class wine that can sit alongside the best that the rest of the world has to offer.
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Jancis Robinson MW, “Chilean Wine Grows Up” Financial Times UK, ft Weekend Magazine, February 14, 2004
One enterprising Chilean wine producer, Eduardo Chadwick of Viña Errázuriz, has managed to organise a similar evolutionary milestone for the Chilean wine industry—or at least of his own wines… at what will doubtless come to be known in the history of Chilean wine as the “Berlin Tasting”
