Among their most terroir-expressive wines, the Buscado Vivo o Muerto Chardonnay Gualtallary Mendoza El Cerro 2023 stands out because it epitomizes the winemakers’ conviction in making wines from either unexplored or forgotten terroirs.
Because it comes from a plot at 1,300 meters with sandy soils rich in limestone, chalkiness and crushed minerals are part of its nature, but it is the tremendous palate – salted lemon zest with hints of eggshell – that sets it apart.
Sejanovich and Mausbach undoubtedly faced a challenge in making a strong statement from the warm 2023 season, especially from a 20-year-old-plus vineyard with shallower soils like El Cerro. But this wine is fabulously austere, chalky and almost weightless, and it expresses a level of mineral tension that introduces textural complexity, countering the austerity through its piercing acidity. As Mausbach told me, there is a certain kind of roundness to the wine from its minerality and tension – not butteriness or creaminess – and this is what keeps me interested.
Sejanovich believes in the power of cofermentation and subtle extraction to truly unveil the subtlety of place. With moderate alcohol, a bracing laser beam of acidity, salinity and minerality, the El Cerro 2023 is a wine that is extremely versatile with food. Don’t be surprised to find yourself finishing a whole bottle.
– Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor