Wednesday 15th May 2013
7:00pm for 7:30pm
Head Chef
Kenneth Culhane
Chakana
Sophie Jump
£65.00 per person
To view the menu : Click here.
By reservation
Chakana is a name with resonances at several levels in the indigenous cultures of the Andes. It is the Inca Cross, a potent image permeating this culture, with several levels of spiritual meaning, symbolising among other things the 3 levels of existence, the heavenly realm, this terrestrial world and the underworld and the power to move between these existences. It is also the Southern Cross, the constellation prominent in the night sky in Argentina. The Inca Cross is the logo of the winemaker. It symbolises connection with the past and the richness of this land.
Juan Pelizzatti is from a wine making family in Northern Italy, Lombardy. His home is Argentina. The 2001 crisis in Argentina prompted him to leave his job and find a project where he could invest his life savings, his dreams, his soul and his passion for wine. He walked the province of Mendoza in search of new land, and luck and good advice helped him find the perfect place in Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo - 150 hectares of almost bare land.
Drawing on his family background and understanding of the significance of terroir derived from centuries of working the small individual terroirs of Europe, he brought classic wine making skills to this ravaged land, substituting for centuries of accumulated knowledge a methodical and scientific study of this land.
With systematic trench excavation, a terroir consultant identified the nature of underlying rocks, the mix between rocks, stones and soil and mapped the differences, thereby identifying the individual terroirs within the estate.
This information was then married to the choice of grape varieties and correct time for harvesting for each variety. Another Italian wine maker was recruited to strengthen the skills and help deliver the highest quality.
Although Chakana owns and manages such a large area in Mendoza, the culture of terroir is fundamental – storage is according to terroir in order to preserve the individuality and character of each one, enabling the marriage of volume from a rich and benign land and climate, with subtlety and quality.
By 2009 this was recognised by the level of increased sales and exports and then by further investment; in 2011 this was again recognised when Chakana won one of 3 gold medals for the best in class awards for its Malbec Reserve 2010 in the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In early 2012 a biodynamic expert was brought in to move the grape husbandry and winemaking towards biodynamic and organic principles, a further bridge linking tradition and innovation.
The approach of this house was driven by necessity, informed by classic Old World knowledge, applied and reinforced by innovation and inspired by passion. It achieves a level of understanding of the land that took centuries of family husbandry in Europe and harks back to the Andean peoples’ knowledge of their land, whose culture the name Chakana honours.
Wines selected from the following:
Torrontes 2011
Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Malbec Rosé 2011
Malbec Reserve 2011
Bonarda Reserve 2011
Malbec Estate Selection 2011
Ayni Malbec 2011
All wines served in 150ml measurements
To book a place at this dinner, ask to go on our mailing list for wine dinners, or simply to ask for more information please:
Email us at enquiries@thedysartarms.co.uk or call Barny Taylor on 07967 481 625
