Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, hailing from one of Italy's most renowned winemaking dynasties, ventured far from his roots in Sassicaia to carve out a new legacy in Patagonia's Río Negro region.
In 2004, Piero stumbled upon ancient, ungrafted Pinot Noir vines, setting the stage for a unique chapter in his winemaking journey. He established Bodega Chacra, crafting some of Argentina’s finest Pinot Noir from vineyards planted in 1955, 1945, and 1932. In recent years, he teamed up with Burgundy icon Jean-Marc Roulot, bringing a new level of excellence to Bodega Chacra’s Chardonnay. The results have been nothing short of exceptional.
Barda is the local term for “eroded steep slope” Often perceived as the “village level” Pinot Noir at Chacra, Barda is sourced from the estate’s selection-massalle “youngest" ungrafted vines planted in the 1990s.
- Winemaker: Piero Incisa della Rocchetta
- Farming: Biodynamic
- Variety: Pinot Noir
- Terroir: The soil of the Rio Negro Valley, an ancient riverbed composed of limestone, sand, and clay, coupled with the Valley's pristine pollution-free air and tremendous luminosity, make for ideal conditions to grow Pinot Noir.
- Vinification: Native yeast fermentation in equal parts concrete and French oak, 15% of which is new.
- Aging: 8 months in 40% concrete and 24% French oak (5% new), 35% stainless steel. Bottled unfined/unfiltered with minimal sulphur.
- Tasting Note: Pure, minerally and powerful, with concentrated flavors of red plum and dried raspberry, loaded with powerful meaty notes. Sandalwood accents linger on the finish, showing caressing tannins. Its structure being rather airy and open, Barda was conceived to be consumed while still fresh and young.
- Scores
In 2004, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta (founder of Sassicaia) purchased the first of Bodega Chacra's vineyards, a property with an existing, though abandoned, vineyard planted in 1932 in the Rio Negro Valley in northern Patagonia. This vineyard of gnarled and ungrafted Pinot Noir vines was later added to a neighboring vineyard of vines planted in 1955. With these old vineyards, ostensibly in the middle of nowhere, Piero has created a winery that exists outside of the usual New World vs. Old World debate and is redefining what is possible with Pinot Noir (and now Chardonnay with the help of Jean-Marc Roulot) in the Southern Hemisphere.