Bodega Chacra: Patagonia’s Beacon of Purity and Place
It is not often that a winery reshapes how we think about an entire region. Bodega Chacra, in Argentina’s remote Río Negro Valley, has done just that. Founded in 2004 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta of Sassicaia fame, Chacra has become one of the most captivating names in South American wine. Its organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards, some planted in 1932, produce wines that combine Burgundian precision with Patagonian vibrancy, revealing the extraordinary potential of Argentina’s far south.
The estate lies over 600 miles south of Mendoza in Patagonia’s cool, windswept plains. Here, sandy and limestone-rich soils, strong sunlight and cold nights allow for slow ripening and natural freshness. Guided by Piero’s vision, Bodega Chacra has become a sanctuary for old vines, purity and place, crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that reflect their origins with clarity and finesse.
Photo: Jean-Marc Roulot and Piero Incisa della Rocchetta (centre, left to right) with the Chacra team
Chardonnay by Jean-Marc Roulot
When Piero decided to add Chardonnay to his portfolio, he turned to one of Burgundy’s great masters, Jean-Marc Roulot. Together, they have created what many now consider the finest expressions of Chardonnay in Argentina. Working from high-altitude vineyards in Gualtallary in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, Roulot brings his trademark precision, while the Patagonian influence adds brightness and dimension.
The Mainqué Chardonnay is vivid and expressive, blending orchard fruit, citrus zest and chalky minerality. Aged partly in stainless steel and partly in seasoned oak, it offers freshness, purity and texture in perfect balance. The 2024 vintage was awarded top honours by James Suckling, named the best Argentinian wine of the year for its elegance and energy.
The Chacra Chardonnay stands as the estate’s flagship white. It is whole-bunch pressed, fermented with native yeasts and aged in large oak barrels and concrete vats, with no new oak or stirring of lees. The result is a wine of precision and mineral tension, evoking the depth of Puligny-Montrachet while remaining distinctly Patagonian in its clarity and light. It is refined, saline and built to age, offering world-class quality at a fraction of the price of Roulot’s Burgundies.
Pinot Noir by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta
Pinot Noir remains the beating heart of Bodega Chacra. With guidance from terroir specialist Pedro Parra and pruning expert Marco Simonit, Piero produces three wines that have placed Chacra among the most admired Pinot Noir producers in the Southern Hemisphere.
The estate’s vineyards, Treinta y Dos (planted 1932) and Cincuenta y Cinco (planted 1955), are ungrafted and deeply rooted in sandy, silty soils once shaped by ancient riverbeds. Patagonia’s extreme climate and long growing season yield grapes of purity and balance. Fermentation uses only indigenous yeasts, extraction is delicate, and oak use is minimal, allowing the vineyards’ character to shine through.
The Cincuenta y Cinco Pinot Noir is perfumed, graceful and vibrant, showing fine tannins and floral lift. The Treinta y Dos Pinot Noir from older vines is richer and more structured, with layers of dark fruit, spice and earth. Both wines show the seamless balance of power and restraint that defines Chacra’s style.
Bodega Chacra has become a symbol of authenticity, blending Burgundian technique with the wild purity of Patagonia. In both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta has created wines that express nature’s beauty with honesty, precision and life.