The Sassicaia Hand & the Patagonian Wind
Bodega Chacra is the biodynamic and organic estate in the remote Río Negro Valley of northern Patagonia — founded in 2004 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, the legendary creator of Sassicaia. Located in Mainqué, roughly 620 miles south of Buenos Aires and equidistant from the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean, Chacra is a 1,000-hectare property where 80% is untouched Patagonian desert and only 24 hectares are under vine — home to some of the oldest ungrafted Pinot Noir vineyards in Argentina, including vines planted in 1932 and 1955. The estate sits at 280 metres above sea level on a landscape of sandy loam, silty loam, calcareous gravel, heavy red clay, and Patagonian shingle — a terroir of extreme desert conditions where 150–200mm of annual rainfall, winds gusting to 44mph from the Andes, and diurnal temperature swings of up to 40°C produce grapes of extraordinary concentration and natural acidity. Certified organic and biodynamic, Chacra produces a focused portfolio of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — Treinta y Dos, Cincuenta y Cinco, Barda, Lunita, and Sin Azufre for the reds, and Mainqué and Chacra Chardonnay for the whites, the latter in collaboration with Jean-Marc Roulot of Domaine Roulot in Meursault. All wines are made with indigenous yeasts, whole-cluster inclusion, infusion-style fermentation in shallow round concrete tanks, gravity transfers, and no fining or filtration — a philosophy of transparency, purity, and terroir over technique that has made Chacra one of the most celebrated estates in the New World. The 2018 Treinta y Dos received 100 points from James Suckling and was named the #1 Wine of the Year in 2020 — a historic achievement for Argentine Pinot Noir.
A Sassicaia Grandson & the Patagonian Hand
The story of Bodega Chacra begins not in a vineyard but in a blind tasting in New York City in 2001. Piero Incisa della Rocchetta — grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, the visionary who created Sassicaia and helped revolutionise Italian wine — was tasting Pinot Noirs from around the world. One wine stopped him: it was not flashy or flamboyant, but pure, mineral-driven, and brimming with energy. To his astonishment, it was from Patagonia. Piero had grown up drinking Pinot Noir with his grandfather in Bolgheri, Tuscany, and had always been drawn to the grape's seductive austerity and complexity. The Patagonian bottle ignited a curiosity that would change his life.
In 2002, Piero travelled to the Río Negro Valley to investigate. What he discovered was an exceptional genetic heritage: vines over 130 years old, ungrafted, planted by Italian and Spanish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — vines that had survived peronospora, oidium, moths, and phylloxera thanks to the extreme climate and natural isolation of the Patagonian desert. The region was virtually untouched by pollution, swept by pure Andean wind, and watered by the uncontaminated rivers Limay and Neuquén. In 2004, Piero purchased his first parcel: a near-abandoned vineyard planted in 1932 — thick, pure, gnarled Pinot Noir vines on their own rootstock, producing tiny bunches of small, concentrated berries. That vineyard, now known as Treinta y Dos, became the heart of the estate.
Piero chose the name "Chacra" because in Patagonia it refers to a small farm dedicated to fruit cultivation — but also because chacras are "vital energy centers that provide us with the ability to connect with the whole universe". He was immediately taken with the pure, unpolluted beauty and vibrancy of the landscape, and believed that this quality transferred directly into the wines. From the beginning, his goal was not merely to make exceptional wine but to produce the most unobstructed expression of the climate, micro-climate, and terroir of Mainqué — wines that were transparent, pure, delicate, and floral, with a strong minerality. Today, Chacra produces approximately 150,000 bottles annually across eight different wines, with demand exceeding production by at least 60% — and all profits are reinvested into the estate and distributed to employees.
"It wasn't exceptional — but it had the characteristics I'd been looking for a while: very strong fruit, and a floral character."
— Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, on the 2001 Patagonian Pinot Noir that changed everything
Mainqué, Río Negro Valley & the Desert Hand
Mainqué is a small settlement in the Río Negro Valley of northern Patagonia — a landscape of dramatic extremes where the Andes meet the Patagonian Desert and the South Atlantic Ocean lies hundreds of kilometres to the east. The estate is roughly equidistant from the mountains and the ocean, creating a unique climatic convergence. The Río Negro itself originates from the junction of the Limay and Neuquén rivers, two meltwater arteries that descend from the Andes and carve a green belt through the desert. The elevation at the valley floor is between 290 and 330 metres above sea level — low by Argentine standards, but the extreme latitude and desert conditions create a marginal, challenging environment for viticulture.
The soils are as diverse as they are demanding. At the river banks, acidic sandy loams and silty loams dominate, while the dry plains are covered by extensive gravel mantels known as "Rodados Patagónicos" — the Patagonian Shingle Formation. In the Mainqué area, a high iron concentration produces heavy red clay soils, while another part of the estate is encompassed by "barda" soils — eroded steep slopes with scarce vegetation. The soils are poor in organic matter, free-draining, and mineral-rich, forcing the vines to struggle and producing smaller berries with thicker skins and higher concentration. The combination of high winds, constant sun, little rainfall, and alluvial soils yields grapes of extraordinary natural acidity and phenolic intensity.
The climate is classic desert: warm days and cold nights that extend the growing season and slow ripening. Annual rainfall averages only 150–200 millimetres, and winds from the southeast — cooled by snow on the Andes in winter, warmed the rest of the year — blow constantly, reaching gusts of 44mph. These winds are characteristically dry, as the uplift of air masses through the Andes eliminates humidity from the Pacific. The low humidity in the air eliminates the possibility of mould and other diseases, while the diurnal temperature swing of up to 40°C preserves acidity and floral qualities. Irrigation is provided by the ancient canal system built by British colonists in the 1820s — a flood irrigation network that has shaped the green belt of the Alto Valle for two centuries. At Chacra, this flood system is maintained not merely for tradition but because the old vines have adapted to it over decades, and flooding helps prevent phylloxera and other plant diseases.
The crown jewel of Bodega Chacra is the Treinta y Dos vineyard — a two-hectare plot of ungrafted Pinot Noir vines planted in 1932, their origin uncertain but their character undeniable. Thick, pure, gnarled plants on their own rootstock produce tiny bunches of small, concentrated berries that are harvested entirely by hand. The soil is layered with clay, sand, and pebbles — a complex geological mosaic that forces the vines to dig deep. These ancient vines have survived over 90 years of Patagonian extremes: frost, drought, wind, and desert heat. They are the genetic heart of the estate, the source of the wine that earned 100 points from James Suckling and the #1 spot in his Top 100 Wines of 2020. To stand among these vines is to stand in the presence of Patagonian viticultural history.
The Cincuenta y Cinco vineyard comprises three plots totalling seven hectares, planted in 1955 on a sea of pebbles typical of riverbed soils. The soils are a mix of clay, sand, limestone, and alluvial deposits covered in calcareous matter. These vines rest gently on their stony bed, their roots exploring the mineral complexity beneath. It is here that Piero employs 50% whole-cluster fermentation at very low temperatures, enhancing the delicate, floral characteristics of the wine. The vineyard has the most tension of all Chacra's sites — a structural tightness and energetic drive that distinguishes Cincuenta y Cinco from the deeper, more velvety Treinta y Dos. The old vines, like the 1932 plot, are ungrafted and farmed organically and biodynamically, their fruit harvested by hand in the cool early hours.
One of the defining features of the Mainqué terroir is the persistent wind — a force that shapes everything at Chacra. Winds from the southeast quadrant grow cold in winter, reaching -5°C due to snow on the Andes, but range from 10°C to 35°C the rest of the year. These winds are dry, produced by the uplift of air masses through the Andes that eliminates Pacific humidity. The wind shadow and descending cool mountain air make the desert gusty and arid, with poor precipitation contributing to the extreme conditions. But the wind is also a protector: it keeps the vine canopy aerated and dry, suppressing fungal disease naturally. It thickens grape skins, increasing phenolic concentration. And it forces the vines to develop deep, resilient root systems. Piero has planted over 35,000 poplars in two lines to soften the wind's force, improve drainage, and offer shade from the merciless summer sun — a living architecture that mediates between the vineyard and the desert.
Chacra is farmed entirely according to organic and biodynamic principles — not for certification badges but because Piero believes it is the only logical approach. "If you need chemicals for farming," he says, "it simply means you're doing it in the wrong place." The estate is a living ecosystem: an animal farm with sheep, goats, hens, ducks, pigs, and horses; beehives that contribute to biodiversity and the health of grape yeasts; an organic compost facility producing 300 tons per year; a vegetable garden growing tomatoes, aubergines, beetroots, pumpkins, and herbs; and medicinal plants including roses, lavender, chamomile, equisetum, nettles, and valerian that reinforce the immune response of the vines. The bark of oak trees nourishes the soil. The poplars moderate the wind. Everything contributes to preserving and enhancing the balance of the farm. This is viticulture as agriculture, not industry — a closed-loop system where vines, animals, soil, and people exist in mutual support.
Infusion, Concrete & the Gravity Hand
The winemaking philosophy at Bodega Chacra is summarised in a single principle: to make wines that are transparent, pure, delicate, and floral with a strong minerality — wines that need no cosmetic enhancement, only the courage to let the vineyard speak. Everything is done by hand, from harvesting to sorting, with no automation or mechanisation at any stage. The grapes are refrigerated to preserve freshness, then hand-destemmed and sorted before being moved to the cellar. Fermentation is conducted with indigenous yeasts in round, shallow cement tanks — approximately one metre high and two to two-and-a-half metres in diameter — designed so that the skins have maximum contact with the must. The wine is not made through aggressive extraction but through gentle infusion, allowing the peel to release its phenolic components with elegance and balance.
For the Treinta y Dos — the estate's flagship and most structured Pinot Noir — the 1932 vineyard fruit is fermented in these shallow concrete tanks and then aged for 19 months: 45% in concrete tanks and 55% in second, third, and fourth-use French oak barrels. The goal is for the oak, fruit, and soil nuances to marry perfectly so that the influence of wood is nearly imperceptible. For the Cincuenta y Cinco, the 1955 vineyard fruit undergoes 50% whole-cluster fermentation at very low temperatures to enhance floral delicacy, then ages for 11 months in a combination of neutral oak barrels and 4,000-litre cement vats. The Barda — sourced from the estate's youngest vines, planted in the 1990s on sandy calcareous "barda" soils — is fermented in equal parts concrete and French oak (15% new) and aged for 11 months, conceived to be consumed while still fresh and young.
The Lunita is a singular expression: sourced from a 1.5-hectare old, ungrafted vineyard that the Chacra team slowly brought back to life over 13 years. Previously its grapes were blended into Barda, but as the vineyard was nourished back to health, it showed the quality to stand alone. Lunita's grapes are picked early in the morning and fermented in an open cement tank with 100% whole clusters, then aged for 11 months in concrete tanks to preserve freshness and a vibrant, youthful style. The Sin Azufre is Piero's personal experiment: a zero-sulfur wine made from a special section of the Cincuenta y Cinco vineyard, fermented spontaneously in 600-litre barrels on days 3 to 5 of maceration, aged 11 months in used barrels without any pressed wine, and bottled with no sulfur addition. For the Chardonnays, Piero collaborates with Jean-Marc Roulot of Domaine Roulot in Meursault: the Mainqué Chardonnay is picked early to maintain acidity, barrel-fermented with malolactic blocked, and aged for 10 months in a combination of concrete eggs, stainless steel, and French oak (12% new), using the same barrels Roulot employs in Burgundy. The Chacra Chardonnay comes from a single vineyard of 40-year-old vines in mineral soils with alluvial stones covered in calcaire, fermented in barrel with 100% malolactic and aged 11 months in barrels. Across all wines, the thread is the same: indigenous yeasts, infusion over extraction, gravity transfers, minimal sulfur, and no fining or filtration for the top cuvées.
Indigenous Yeasts, Infusion & the Transparency Ethos
The guiding principle of Chacra is that the best wine is the one that reveals its place without makeup. The biodynamic farming provides healthy, complex grapes from living desert soils. The hand harvest ensures that only pristine fruit enters the cellar. The indigenous yeast fermentation captures the microbial soul of Mainqué. The shallow round tanks allow infusion rather than extraction — a gentle, patient maceration that yields elegance over power. The gravity transfers preserve the delicate structure of the wine. The neutral vessels — concrete and used oak — provide texture without masking the vineyard's voice. And the absence of fining and filtration preserves the living, evolving character of the wine. The cellar is not a factory but a translator — where a grandson of Sassicaia proves that the best Pinot Noir in the New World comes not from imitation but from listening to the wind, the stones, and the ancient ungrafted vines of Patagonia.
Treinta y Dos, Cincuenta y Cinco & the Chardonnay Hand
Bodega Chacra produces a focused, terroir-driven portfolio built almost entirely around Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — a deliberate choice that reflects Piero Incisa della Rocchetta's lifelong affinity with Burgundy and his belief that these two grapes find an unexpected home in the Río Negro Valley. The Pinot Noir range spans four distinct expressions — Treinta y Dos, Cincuenta y Cinco, Barda, and Lunita — each sourced from a different vineyard parcel and vinified to express the specific character of its site, vine age, and soil type. The Sin Azufre is a zero-sulfur experimental cuvée that represents Piero's most personal winemaking. The Chardonnay programme, developed in collaboration with Jean-Marc Roulot, includes the Mainqué and the Chacra Chardonnay — two interpretations of Patagonian Chardonnay that bridge Burgundian tradition and New World clarity. All wines are made with indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention, and the Dvoskin conviction that wine must be of its place — or rather, the Incisa conviction that wine must be transparent to its terroir.
The 100-Point Vineyard & the Sassicaia Hand
Bodega Chacra is not merely a winery; it is a proof that a grandson of Sassicaia, armed with a grandfather's curiosity and a Patagonian wind at his back, can plant Pinot Noir where everyone said it was too marginal — and produce a wine that earns 100 points and the title of Wine of the Year. In an era when Argentine wine was defined by the warm, powerful Malbecs of Mendoza, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta demonstrated that the most marginal conditions often produce the most distinctive wines — that the same Patagonian winds that terrified conventional growers are precisely what preserve the acidity and floral qualities that distinguish Chacra from every other estate in South America, that the same poor, sandy soils that were considered inferior are actually the source of the wine's profound minerality, and that a two-hectare plot of 1932 ungrafted vines can produce a Pinot Noir that rivals the great wines of the Côte de Nuits.
The legacy of Chacra is the legacy of the curious hand in viticulture. The 2004 founding is not a distant memory but a living declaration — a reminder that the best way to find your vineyard is to taste blindly, trust your palate, and follow the wine to its source. The biodynamic and organic farming is not a marketing badge but a moral architecture — a formal recognition of practices that Piero believes are the only logical approach: "If you need chemicals, you're doing it in the wrong place." The infusion-style technique is not a trend but a logical response to the fruit — a way of extracting complexity without aggression, of adding structure without mask. And the zero-sulfur Sin Azufre is not a gimmick but a statement of confidence — a belief that fruit farmed biodynamically and handled with intuition needs no chemical protection.
The future of the project is tied to the future of Argentina's cool-climate and extreme-terroir wine movement — to the growing recognition that the country's greatest wines may come not from its most famous valleys but from its most remote corners. As Treinta y Dos continues to earn recognition among collectors who understand the value of 90-year-old ungrafted Pinot Noir, as the Mainqué Chardonnay introduces a new generation to the joys of Burgundian-Patagonian collaboration, as Lunita proves that revived vineyards can achieve greatness, and as Sin Azufre demonstrates that zero-sulfur Pinot Noir can be both pure and profound, Chacra remains what Piero has always intended it to be: a farm grounded in biodynamic principles, extreme desert terroir, and living ecosystem — structured, innovative, and deeply tied to the ancient vines, persistent winds, and pure light of Mainqué. The story of Chacra is the story of a man who looked at a desert valley that everyone else dismissed as too marginal and saw not a problem but a possibility — and who proved that the best bottle from Argentina is sometimes the one that comes from the place no one else dared to plant, made by a man whose grandfather taught him that great wines are not about imitation but about listening to the land.
"It's a marvellous wine, not only because it's a wine that deserves 100 points, but because it represents a series of features we appreciate in today's wine production: an incredible value, an environmentally friendly production, a neat character that mirrors its ecosystem, and an incredible drinkability."
— James Suckling, on the 2018 Treinta y Dos, #1 Wine of the Year 2020