The Chakana Estate

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Maipe

Malbec, Bonarda Argentina, Cabernet SauvignonElegant and mature wines with 12 months of oak aging, producedonly with grapes grown in our own estates.

Nuna

Ayni

Ayni is our icon wine. It is the result of our permanent questfor the best Malbec terroirs that Mendoza can offer. This winecomes from the gravely limestone soils of Altamira: powerfulbut fresh and lively, this 100% Malbec has been aged inFrench oak barrels for 18 months. It is presented in 6-bottlewooden cases.

Cueva de las Manos

Chakana Estate Selection

Chakana Estate Selection is a line of wines which represent thebest terroirs of each of our estates. Aged in French oak barrelsfor 12 months these wines give pre-eminence to the expressionof terroir rather than oak. In every wine we try to craft a drinkableand seductive style through the careful management of oursoils and grapes and in accordance with our consumers’ taste.

Chakana winery was founded by Juan Pelizzatti on May 2nd, 2002. Juan was driven to enter the wine industry first and foremost by his passion for wine, and also by the desire to invest his time and money on a product of agriculture. Although Juan did not know it at the time, the company was founded on the same day the Chakana was celebrated on the Andes highlands: on that same day, the Southern Cross (the Chakana for the Inca people) becomes vertical in the night Andean sky.Juan's mission is to create an integral experience to introduce world consumers to the taste and culture of the Andes. His vision is to become one of the top 20 exporters of wine from Argentina, by consistently offering outstanding value for money."An incredible discovery for me, this winery was founded a decade ago and named after the Southern Cross ("Chakana" is the local Indian dialect for that constellation). It is located approximately 20 miles south of Mendoza in Agrelo. All three of these wines are highly recommended, and all are fabulous bargains in Malbec." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2012)

Wine is currently produced in four different levels at Chakana, by winemaker Gabriel Bloise:          Entry Level: Maipe          Reserve Level: Maipe Reserve, Cueva de las Manos, Nuna          Estate Selection          AyniThe Chakana Estate Vineyards 

Our grapes are grown in our own estates located in diverse premium micro-regions of Mendoza.Each of them contributes its character to the final blend of our top quality wines.Our wines are made in a state-of-the-art 2 million liter facility located in our Agrelo estate.

The Three Chakana Vineyard Areas:

FINCA AGRELOLOCATION: AGRELO, Lujan de Cuyo, MendozaDescription: 120 ha. planted with different varieties between 2002 and 2010. Mainly Malbec,Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Viognier and Syrah.Altitude: 960 meters above sea level.TERROIR: Varied. Deep clay to loam. Gravel in some areas. Dry and cool climate with importantamplitude in temperature.Wine Profile: Medium-bodied, elegant, fruity.

FINCA TERRADALOCATION: MAYOR DRUMMOND, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza.Description: 21 ha. 100 year old Malbec.Altitude: 919 metres above sea level.TERROIR: Loam and clay with 70 cm deep gravel. Some limestone. Urbaninfluenced climate, relatively warm.WINE PROFILE: Complex, ripe fruit.

FINCAS ALTAMIRALOCATION: ALTAMIRA, Valle de Uco, MendozaAltamira I |16 ha. Malbec. Altitude: 1,068 meters above sea level.Altamira II |26 ha. Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, planted in 2006. Altitude: 1,097 meters above sealevel.TERROIR: Sandy-loam with gravel at 50 cm depth. Dominated by limestone. Temperate climate.WINE PROFILE: Full-bodied and mineral.

They also source wines from contract suppliers in Ugarteche and Medrano, for entry level wines, and in Vista Flores, for Estate Selection & Ayni levels.

The Wine Making Team:

WINEMAKING CONSULTANT: ALBERTO ANTONINI. Alberto is an Italian winemaker with a pioneering role inthe discovery and development of high quality Malbec. Alberto has brought to us his profound knowledge ofthe wine industry, his uncompromising commitment to authenticity and the belief that Argentina will becomeone of the leading winegrowing regions of the world.

VITICULTURE CONSULTANT: ALAN YORK. Alan is one of the world’s leading consultants on biodynamicviticulture. He is also a permanent source of inspiration and insight into the relationship between man, spiritand nature.

WINEMAKER: GABRIEL BLOISE. Gabriel is one of the stars of the younger generation of Mendoza’s winemakers.30 years old, he has already made 15 vintages in top estates in some of the most important winegrowingareas in the world: Tuscany, Priorat, Australia, California, North Carolina, Salta and Mendoza. He is a tirelessexplorer of the relationship between nature and its effect on the aromas in wine.

TERROIR CONSULTANT: PEDRO PARRA. Pedro's expertise helps us to understand how to identify andmanage the soil in each plot of our vineyards. His palate is fine-tuned to understanding the impact of soilstructure on the taste of wine. This has made him one of the 50 most influential people in wine according toDecanter Magazine.