Natural Chilean Wines From Louis-Antoine Luyt

Vino Puro de Uva: the Chilean Wines of Louis-Antoine Luyt

Louis-Antoine Luyt Producer Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Louis-Antoine Luyt
Region	Maule Valley
Country	Chile
Proprietor	Louis-Antoine Luyt
Size	Sourcing Varies Each Year
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Granite, sand, clay
Grapes grown	País, Moscatel, Chasselas, Sémillon, Torontell
Fun facts	Every time you think you know Louis-Antoine's lineup by heart, he makes ten new wines.

Every time you think you know Louis-Antoine's lineup by heart, he makes ten new wines.

Name of Estate	Louis-Antoine Luyt
Region	Maule Valley
Country	Chile
Proprietor	Louis-Antoine Luyt
Size	Sourcing Varies Each Year
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Granite, sand, clay
Grapes grown	País, Moscatel, Chasselas, Sémillon, Torontell
Fun facts	Every time you think you know Louis-Antoine's lineup by heart, he makes ten new wines.

Get to know
Louis-Antoine Luyt

producer profile 14.06.2019

Louis-Antoine Luyt Producer Profile

He may be a native <glossary title="210">Burgundian</glossary>, but Louis-Antoine Luyt has quickly become a seminal voice in the fight for independent, <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> driven winemaking in Chile. In a country where wine production is run almost entirely by enormous industrial wineries, L.A has managed to source fruit and rent vines from independent farmers throughout the <glossary title="641">Maule Valley</glossary>. Furthermore, his insistance on <glossary title="406">dry farming</glossary>, <glossary title="810">horse plowing</glossary>, <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="">viticulture</glossary> and <glossary title="538">native yeast</glossary>/<glossary title="545">intervention free</glossary> winemaking are welcome proof that wines outside of Europe can succesfully be produced with this work philosophy. At 22, L.A was sick of living in France. With the excuse of polishing up his Spanish, he planned a three month trip to South America. This quickly became a permanent vacation of sorts; needing to find work, L.A found a gig as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. Working his way up, he eventually became the wine buyer and was introduced to Hector Vergara, who at the time was the only <glossary title="638">Master of Wine</glossary> in South America. Hector was opening a <glossary title="969">sommelier</glossary> school in Santiago, and Louis-Antoine was amongst his first students. This gave L.A the opportunity to taste wines from all over the world, of course with a particularly strong focus accorded to Chilean wine: "At first, I was surprised how homogenous Chilean wine tasted to me; this sparked an interest in local wine and the people who made it. What I came to realize is that there are incredible vineyard sites here, and even though a large part of it is completely industrialized, there were still some independently run <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>. Everyone told me they were worthless, but I didn't believe it." Despite the quality of the land, these grapes were either being sold to huge wineries or being used by the local <glossary title="769">peasants</glossary> to make wine for personal consumption.  A plan was beginning to form... The next step was to learn how to make wine. Louis-Antoine flew back to France to study <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and <glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> in <glossary title="154">Beaune</glossary>. During his studies, he befriended Mathieu Lapierre, and a subsequent five consecutive <glossary title="520">harvests</glossary> in <glossary title="1091">Villié-Morgon</glossary> led to a great friendship with the Lapierre family. It was also L.A's introduction to <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>, a philosophy he became determined to bring back to Chile. Now armed with a firm knowledge of <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking, Louis-Antoine founded Clos Ouvert with two partners in 2006: the project focused on sourcing <glossary title="746">organic</glossary>, fair-trade fruit and making <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentation</glossary>, <glossary title="545">intervention</glossary>-free wines to export to France. After a disastrous 2010 earthquake destroyed 70% of their 2009 production, Louis-Antoine's partners decided to back out of the project. Instead of giving up, L.A pushed things further: he immediately started renting eight <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines and <glossary title="1104">vinifying</glossary> two new lines of wines, all while continuing to make Clos Ouvert <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottlings</glossary>.  2010 was the first <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> of the "País de" line, which at the time was the only line of Chilean wines following the European model of using the same <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary> (<glossary title="768">País</glossary>) to highlight different <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. In such, each <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> is named after a specific <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary>: "Quenehuao", "Pilen Alto" and "Trequilemu" are all <glossary title="594">lieu-dits</glossary> with their own soil compositions, <glossary title="430">expositions</glossary>, <glossary title="419">elevations</glossary> and <glossary title="656">micro-climates</glossary>. Chile was never struck with <glossary title="788">phylloxera</glossary>, and these vines are all very old and still on their original <glossary title="869">rootstock</glossary>. The Quenehuao vines are 300 years old! This line was put on hold for a few years, but returned in 2018 with "Pilen Alto". The wines are now dubbed "<glossary title="530">Huasa</glossary> de" to champion the farmer of the site rather than the grape itself.  The second line, currently on indefinite hiatus, is produced with French varieties (<glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>,  <glossary title="237">Carignan</glossary>, <glossary title="1188">Cinsault</glossary>), and are adorned with colorful <glossary title="573">labels</glossary> inspired by Santiago's public transit system. All the vines are tended <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> and many <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> are worked by horse. Nothing is ever <glossary title="549">irrigated</glossary>, a true rarity and flat out ballsy, commendable move for South American winemaking. The wine <glossary title="441">ferments</glossary> off its <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> and only a minimal amount of <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> is added at <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>.  The newest project is the <glossary title="806">Pipeño</glossary> line. <glossary title="806">Pipeño</glossary> is derogatory slang for <glossary title="769">peasant</glossary> wine, usually made with the <glossary title="768">País</glossary> grape. Here L.A highlights unique <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary> and farmers: each bottle sports the name of a sub-region, and is either purchased fruit he's <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> or finished wine made by the farmer. The <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> take place in traditional, <glossary title="1218">open-top</glossary> <glossary title="575">lagars</glossary>, and are made in the light, easy drinking style typical of what the farmers produce for their everyday consumption. All of Louis-Antoine's <glossary title="806">Pipeños</glossary> come in one liter bottles. 2019 Update: After much deliberation, Louis-Antoine and his wife have decided to move back to France, marking yet another massive shift in the Luyt saga. Starting with the 2018 <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>, the <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and winemaking has been fully entrusted to the farmers Louis-Antoine has formed the strongest bonds with over a decade of collaboration. In such, the name of the farmer is prominently featured on the back labels of each different <glossary title="806">Pipeño</glossary> <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. Louis-Antoine travels to Chile at key moments of the season, including <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> time, the early stages of <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> and <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> to lend a helping hand with his expertise. He then buys the finished wines from the farmers in a <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> model.  Though there are always side projects and new wines (he really can't help himself), the <glossary title="806">Pipeños</glossary> are now the main focus of the Luyt production. Taking heed of past experience with the project, Louis-Antoine has come to accept that the the <glossary title="725">primeur</glossary>-style, ultra-natural approach to winemaking that works incredibly well when served right from the tank in Chile sometimes needs a little TLC before exportation. In such, he has started setting simple, helpful guidelines for the farmers, like purchasing <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> to <glossary title="843">rack</glossary> the wine after <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> and, if deemed necessary, lightly <glossary title="447">filtering</glossary> the wines prior to <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>. <glossary title="993">Sulfur</glossary>, which was not always added, will now be standard in very small doses at <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>.  For a much more in depth look at Louis-Antoine's work, we recommend reading The Chile Chronicles, a recounting of Jules' time spent with Louis-Antoine in spring 2016.

interview 14.06.2019

An Interview with Louis-Antoine Luyt from 2012

This interview with Louis-Antoine Luyt took place at <glossary title="568">L'Herbe Rouge</glossary> in <glossary term="Valaire" title="1065">Valaire</glossary>, France in January, 2012. How did you end up in Chile?  I came to Chile in 1998 for three months. I was 22 at the time, and sick of living in France. I wanted to sharpen my Spanish, so I decided to visit. I've been here for 14 years.  Did you discover wine there?  No. My family is from <glossary title="212">Burgundy</glossary> and <glossary title="1035">Toulouse </glossary>and has always had an affinity for food and wine. Anyway, my first gig in Chile was as a dish washer at a restaurant, and from there I eventually managed to run the wine program. That's where I started to get professionally interested in wine. This was in 1999, and through work I met Hector Vergara, the only <glossary title="638">Master of Wine</glossary> in South America at the time. He was opening a <glossary title="969">sommelier</glossary> school in Santiago, which was to be the first in South America. I was one of his first students, and we got to taste a lot of local wines. At first, I was surprised how homogenous Chilean wine tasted to me; this sparked an interest in local wine and the people who made it. What I came to realize is that there are incredible vineyard sites here, and even though a large part of it is completely industrialized, there were still some independently run <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>. Everyone told me they were worthless, but I didn't believe it. In 2001, I came back to France to work a <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>. I ended up working for Phillipe Pacalet, and discovered there was a <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>/<glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> school in <glossary title="154">Beaune</glossary>. I begrudgingly went back to Chile after that <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> but came back to France in 2002, determined to go to school. The idea was to apply what I would learn back in Chile. But before that, I wanted some work experience to see if this was really what I wanted to do. I eventually got hired by Louis Jadot in <glossary title="685">Morgon</glossary>; I learned a lot there, and had a great experience. I then worked the 2002 <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> in <glossary title="212">Burgundy</glossary>, followed by my schooling in <glossary title="154">Beaune</glossary>. I met Matthieu Lapierre there, and this was my introduction to <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>. I got to visit the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> many times, and to spend some special moments with Marcel.  After your schooling in France, was there ever a moment of hesitation about going back to South America? Not really. The plan was always to learn in France, then go back to Chile. At the same time, it would still be fun to have a little <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> in France somewhere down the road. Chile is a marvelous country where there is zero pressure from illness: there is no  <glossary title="425">esca</glossary>, no <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary>, next to no <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> and it's really easy to practice <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="78">agriculture</glossary> here. Basically, it's beautiful!  But I see the difficultly of working this way in France, and really feel that these <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> are courageous for doing what they do. Not only are the climates extremely challenging, but costs are high and competition is huge. These are things I never have to worry about, because growing quality grapes is a lot easier here. Making good wine is another story though... Did you feel confident you could reproduce efforts like Marcel Lapierre's in Chile? Yes. Marcel told me I was crazy for going back, that France needed more young guys like myself starting up. I told him that in Chile, there were vines that predated <glossary title="788">phylloxera</glossary>, some of them over three hundred years old! After I said that, he replied: "Well, that worth checking out." Marcel actually came to visit, and after seeing the vines, he confirmed I'd made the right choice.  The vines I work with were all planted well before I moved here and will be here well after I'm gone. I knew good grapes could be grown here. I had no idea if they could make good wine, but I refused to believe that all South American wine was shit.  Let's talk about the Clos Ouvert project: what was it prior to the 2010 earthquakes, and what is it now?  Before the earthquake of February 27th, 2010, I had two business partners in the Clos Ouvert project, which was based on a <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> model. The goal was to promote fair trade by buying grapes from local <glossary title="769">peasants</glossary> who worked naturally. We would go get lost in the countryside, and whatever we found eventually led to the development of our first <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>. The business was organized so that I was the person in Chile organizing everything year-round, with the two other guys coming to help out with <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, <glossary title="1146">blending</glossary> choices, <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> and then handling the commercial side of things in France.  With the earthquake, we lost 500<glossary title="524">hl</glossary> of our 700<glossary title="524">hl</glossary> production. Right before, I had decided I wanted to make some wine on the side, since my partners did not want to increase the quantities of Clos Ouvert. My whole angle was to make <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard</glossary> <glossary title="768">País</glossary>, where I would name the wine by the <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary>/village rather than the <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary>. In 2009, 500<glossary title="524">hl</glossary> were Clos Ouvert and 200<glossary term="Hectoliter" title="524">hl</glossary> were Louis-Antoine Luyt wines; we lost the equivalent of Clos Ouvert's total production. For commercial reasons, my partners chose to back out, but I continue to make <glossary title="168">blends</glossary> and a <glossary title="238">Carmenere</glossary> under the Clos Ouvert name. I've also continued to make my zone-specific <glossary title="768">País</glossary>, as well as some other fun wines under my name. What's the work in the vines like?  My first big decision after the earthquake, strangely enough, was to start renting vines. I rent eight <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> and purchase fruit from the equivalent of 12 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>. Of the vines I rent, there were two <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="768">País</glossary> that were completely abandoned, and hadn't been touched in a decade. The owner was about to tear them out to replant <glossary title="650">Merlot</glossary>, but told me that if I was interested, I could rent them. So I ended up with the rest of his vines, four <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="238">Carmenere</glossary>, and two <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>.  We work <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>, and adhere to some <glossary title="160">biodyamic</glossary> principles, most notably working in accordance to <glossary title="607">lunar cycles</glossary>. For the <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> stuff, I am extremely present throughout the year. I really emphasize purity, and nothing is <glossary title="549">irrigated</glossary>; all the vines I rent have <glossary title="549">irrigation</glossary> systems installed, but we do not touch them, because it just isn't necessary. We use horses to work the soil for the majority of our vines, both for the rented vines and the purchased fruit.  Fortunately, we are blessed with a lot of sun, so for some vines we only do one <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> <glossary title="328">treatment</glossary> a year. I don't mind if <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> rots 2% of our grapes, since it won't end up in the <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary>. Everything is <glossary title="520">hand harvested</glossary>. And in the cellar? I worked five <glossary title="521">harvests</glossary> with Marcel Lapierre, where I learned the motto: "We make a lazy man's wine, since we do nothing." The grapes are either <glossary title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary> or <glossary title="378">destemmed</glossary>. We do <glossary title="795">pigeage</glossary> or don't. It's really an instinctual thing, and we just feel out what each <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> needs. The <glossary title="795">pigeage</glossary>, for example, depends on the thickness of the skins and the maturity of the grapes. I tend to do <glossary title="236">carbonic macerations</glossary> for the <glossary title="768">País</glossary> wines, but I've also <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> them in a more <glossary title="210">Burgundian</glossary> style.  As a Lapierre disciple of sorts, how do you feel about "natural wine"?  It's a little odd talking about all this stuff from a Chilean point of view, since every single <glossary title="769">peasant</glossary> here makes <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>. But then again, these <glossary title="769">peasants</glossary> don't sell their wines much further than a few doors down the road from their farms. I'm the only guy doing this to export it, and I'm the first to claim the wines to be made "this way." All my <glossary title="422">oenologist</glossary> friends out here think I'm absolutely crazy, and I think this is why I have less and less <glossary title="422">oenologist</glossary> friends!  Being in Chile protects me from all the pissing contests and mini-chapels of <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>. I'm not part of the <glossary title="123">A.V.N</glossary>, but I know that everyone in France respects what I do. I'm expressing unique <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary>, and that's what's important.

producer visit 07.06.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 1

<img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//32/26/3226de4a6c470d6ac90f79d68818698a.jpg" /> In the seven years we've worked with <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/luyt/">Louis-Antoine Luyt</a>, he's become a fixture in our lives: he regularly visits the United States to promote his wines and can be seen galavanting around the <glossary term="Dive Bouteille" title="395">Dive Bouteille</glossary> each winter. We see him probably as much as as anyone else we work with. But up until this recent trip, the opportunity to go visit him hadn't come up. Getting to Chile had proven to be a challenge. Louis/Dressner is a company firmly rooted in Western Europe, and if you've followed my writing over the years, you know we spend a lot of time there. When in France and Italy, we can easily cover a lot of ground, visiting dozens of growers in a couple of weeks. But with LA as our sole South-American estate, bringing the team to Chile seemed just out of reach. But after seven years and a strong, justified insistence from LA, it was finally time to visit. I asked him how many days I needed to be there to see everything, and he said nine. So with the dates set, I set off for Santiago. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//f7/27/f727487619bff26ff73eadca3313fd68.jpg" /> After a relatively smooth flight (numbed by the sheer idiocy of Zoolander 2), I met up with LA and our travel-mate Keven Clancy of <a href="http://farmwineimports.com/">Farm Wine Imports</a> and drove to LA's friend Tanguy to settle in. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//65/10/651005a2c7079cfbaedb9af9e5b71472.jpg" /> Tanguy (pronounced TON-GHEE and not <a href="http://www.badtans.com/">TAN GUY</a>) is French, has lived in Santiago for 15 years and runs a successful catering company called <a href="http://www.happycrepe.cl/">Happy Crêpe</a>. That's him on national television, which aired live on my last day in Chile. Apparently one of the hosts said: "You look like Kevin Costner. Why do you makes crêpes?" <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//f1/3d/f13dbb239467f630e0d6d23cbc9b9b98.jpg" /> If you make the crêpes, they will come. After a short nap, we set off to <a href="http://99restaurante.com/">99</a>, one of the guys' favorite Santiago restaurants. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b5/7e/b57e7b28befabea84fc38f6cf1e86a74.jpg" /> Lunch was delicious and cost 15 dollars. LA had an appointment to show wine, but before that he wanted to show us his friend Diego's art gallery. We hopped into Tanguy's van (which reeked due to a recent explosion of eggs in the back seat), but it wouldn't start! Turns out he'd parked illegally and left his headlights on, thus entirely draining his battery. We tried to give the van a nice heave-ho but it was a no-go. Fortunately, LA has a local cab driver friend who came to the rescue within minutes. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//06/ca/06ca6aad6f66ae3493b8fa6a19091a3f.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//c5/55/c555148ce5a20c73a7db8aa4828f7ce6.jpg" /> From there, we headed the art gallery <a href="http://mutt.cl/">Mutt</a> to meet Diego. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//99/e0/99e02f4e3dbbbf2401bc409fbbcd1650.jpg" /> If you've ever drank one of LA's <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> wines, you are familiar with Diego's work. He's the one that designed the label. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//d6/38/d63876d6a728fae8ef84df52cb52b5df.jpg" />Anyway, here's some of Diego's art. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//97/ca/97ca847a56e4f32f75628cc51d8742ec.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//37/ab/37abc1295ef038b5fb8d36e037aafab5.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//09/0b/090ba5c337ba3d5aba1508eae99d7943.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b1/2c/b12c529264d8182454830ecf371efe3e.jpg" /> I wasn't feeling great that day so we headed home and I slept from 8pm to 9am the next morning. It did the trick.

producer visit 13.06.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 2

<img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//e0/98/e098251b6b2d2430d121d404b1bd0b66.jpg" /> After settling in- without jet-lag for once!- we were ready to see some vines! Santiago is about four hours away from where LA is based in the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule Valley</glossary>, and this would be our first of many insanely long drives. If you're unfamiliar with Chile's geography, it's a uniquely laid out country. Bordering Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, it is extremely long and narrow. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//ea/c1/eac1a331c88c8cf8ebaca4393b9f1c90.png" /> LA's work focuses on three regions: the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule Valley</glossary>, the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bío Bío Valley</glossary> and the <glossary term="Itata Valley" title="553">Itata Valley</glossary>. While driving down South, we had plenty of time to catch up on LA's vinous beginnings (if you haven't already,  read his interview for more insight). The first wine LA ever made was some <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> and <glossary term="Carmenere" title="238">Carmenere</glossary> in 2004 from grapes bought in <glossary term="Vrac" title="1122">vrac</glossary>. Having worked with Phillipe Pacalet, he'd wanted to <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> them off their <glossary term="Native Yeast" title="538">native yeasts</glossary> but was forbidden to by the winery's <glossary term="Enology" title="422">enologist</glossary>. "He brought me to his office to have a "serious" talk about the need to <glossary term="Inoculation" title="542">yeast</glossary> and <glossary term="Acidification" title="70">re-acidify</glossary>. The winery he worked for <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> the equivalent of 400 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of wine, so he was totally in an <glossary term="Industrial Wine" title="540">industrial</glossary> mindset." LA bought the finished wine back from this winery, and these were to be the first two Clos Ouvert wines (now defunct, Clos Ouvert was Louis-Antoine's first foray in Chilean wine). Around this point in the drive, we drove past the vineyards of Don Francisco, the world famous host of Sabado Gigante. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//88/d2/88d204b98921fcb1138e504b26b32550.jpg" /> Seriously, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=don+francisco+wine&oq=don+francisco+wine&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.2403j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">google Don Francisco wine</a>. As the long drive whirled along, LA mentioned that the wood industry, specifically pine trees, is a huge part of Chile's economy. Used for cellulose and paper, the increased demand and resulting specialization has meant that a huge amount of the country's native woods were torn out to make way for these conifers. Pay attention to the pictures in the upcoming recaps (including the one at the start of this post), and you'll notice that pine trees are intricately tied to Chilean scenery. "It's green everywhere and blends into the scenery so you don't notice as much, but these are NOT the native trees of Chile! To me, this is the biggest environmental disaster this country faces." With lunch time approaching, we stopped by one of LA's favorite restaurants, Las Brisas de Loncomilla. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//31/0e/310e00a2d23963fdc1aec5f0cc3a669a.jpg" /> The first thing I noticed was at least five dogs just hanging around outside. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//e8/c7/e8c75791db66da3833b5ab968c1f3f63.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//2a/27/2a27e40be45002f9eebc0f1722727bbd.jpg" /> My favorite was this little creature. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//87/99/87992c4f9f71ef593fd06f5540f635cc.jpg" /> Naturally, I had to give her a nice belly-rub to prove it. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//7e/32/7e32966e06da3d56ee3feeb2cc2b3532.jpg" /> Shortly after sitting down, a man named Walter (who works with local farmers) dropped three <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeños</glossary> from a potentially new supplier. The best one came in a three liter coke bottle. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//cb/d2/cbd28b95f6e8b49c1b1fcbc9cda2ce00.jpg" /> It might strike you as unorthodox, but keep in mind that the <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> wines are not typically <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> and this is how they are served. In fact, when we taste with LA each year to make our buying decisions, he always brings his samples in soda bottles. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//dc/aa/dcaa4766226c78afaacfc49a0ac917e9.jpg" /> The three liter <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> went down real smooth, but the two others, from grapes picked much later, were still in bubbling in their primary <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> stages. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//37/74/37748fc29b3856854388cbf58700fce0.jpg" /> After lunch, it was time to visit our first vineyard! We set things off at Truqilemu, the parcel where LA buys his <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//cb/4d/cb4d180ad81a0cb2c79c6093a9838ccc.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//eb/3d/eb3dd43756bde4dcb6c7c43e45ecf847.jpg" /> Upon arrival, we were gruffly greeted by Walter Orillana, the owner of the vines. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b6/36/b63658bca1dea8ae3a804ddb28e01686.jpg" /> I'm not really sure why he needed his rifle, but he held on to it the entire time of our visit. Which is probably why I never got that close to him when taking his picture. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//f2/a4/f2a499f9b84b28c60f7f471aace9997a.jpg" /> Truquilemu is the flattest vineyard LA works with. The vines vary in age, but he sources from those that are between 70 and 80 years old. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//77/6c/776c2004a1f6af0e8e93c4ecba322017.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//2a/50/2a50e79c53897fe7a928f118a3ed2bdc.jpg" /> The soils are composed of <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sands</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//bb/3a/bb3a82212bc0a01bec954e0d7e7d2ee1.jpg" /> LA explained that <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary> has been grown in Chile since 1860, but wasn't really developed until the 1940's. He's been buying fruit from Waldo since 2009, and purchases the equivalent of 1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//16/e8/16e88c61a4f13a82127c2c7413d62177.jpg" /> All in all, Waldo might have uttered 10 words the entire time we were there. But LA reassured me that his other suppliers are much friendlier. "Waldo is the least sympathetic guy I work with: he never talks, always wants to angle business and is as friendly as a prison cell. But he works well and the fruit is beautiful." From Truquilemu, we set off to Quenehuao, the site that produces "País di Quenehuao". <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b4/56/b4562683ee422485a8e49fc3d33686f6.jpg" /> For those unfamiliar with the "País de..." line, LA only makes them from <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, the original grape planted by the conquistadores hundreds of years ago. This <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard</glossary> line is meant to highlight the most singular, unique <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> he works with. Luyt is the only person making <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard expressions</glossary> of <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, and he originally caught a lot of flack for this. You see, the grape is de-classified for use as a single-varietal in all of Chile, and thus cannot produce <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> wine. It commonly denounced for being a lowly, inferior grape that can at best result in mediocrity. But LA never really believed what others told him: "The conquistadores were well educated and intentioned in their plantings. You had clergy members observing and bringing those observations back to Spain in order to make <glossary term="Agriculture" title="78">agricultural</glossary> decisions. So when you tell me <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> is a shitty grape that doesn't make sense here, it just doesn't add up to me. These guys knew what they were doing." Anyhow onto the Quenehuao visit! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//f2/12/f2128bca82a6c18a2ad9b6ce308117d7.jpg" /> The vineyards we were about to visit were owned by Luis Gardeweg, an eccentric engineer who passed away last year. Before visiting the vines, we checked a still functional wool factory from parts he brought back from Europe in the 1950's and 1960's. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//e1/b1/e1b1ce7eec6a10fb556a73cdc4fe9380.jpg" /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_zgagxHBCA8" width="640"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HccucUBqaKw" width="480"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U5QiAKz-v4Q" width="480"></iframe> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//18/ed/18edfd594a96efc0fcf60dc6a7f8c885.jpg" /> This is where LA gets a lot of his sweet sweaters. On to the vines! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b1/87/b18753e378045111fa9a011eb49e2e04.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//0b/18/0b184187eacdb2121d9bfcf7c4bf0268.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//21/d2/21d2bf844c2fb36249fe5ee4374b4e5d.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//13/e0/13e0e945b62f4cd472e4c3a828e80678.jpg" /> Quenehuao's vines are grown on red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> with <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granitic</glossary> <glossary term="Subsoil" title="991">subsoils</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//1f/24/1f245cb19971f849849ae3c917f32634.jpg" /> The vines are approximately 250 years old. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//68/f4/68f479c6b728006a2675803fbdc5bfa8.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//96/1b/961b2d0e25ff458ac3892cc26e2208f6.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//2d/90/2d9085d9b37d3f62271e767e677d6441.jpg" /> "There are no official records for the age of the vines, but you can make a fairly accurate estimate by examining the woods." When I asked why some vines were much bigger than others, LA elaborated: "The vines aren't all huge because when a wood becomes too gnarly, underproductive or broken, you let a new shoot grow from the bottom and eventually trim or snap off the old wood. Think of it as cutting your hair: it's the same <glossary term="Rootstock" title="869">rootstock</glossary> coming from the same place but you need to touch it up every once in a while." <glossary term="Phylloxera" title="788">Phylloxera</glossary> never affected Chile, so all the vines are all <glossary term="Franc de Pied" title="464">franc de pied</glossary> off native <glossary term="Rootstock" title="869">rootstock</glossary>. Rabbit shit is everywhere, serving as a natural fertilizer. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//93/d2/93d273860bbe6574a1746c90c6ed5739.jpg" /> Quenehuao is name of the area, but for the wine LA is referring to the hill we visited, characterised by <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraced</glossary> vineyards on its sides as well as its flatter top. Because of its myriad of different <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">expositions</glossary> and <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granitic</glossary> soils , it reminds LA of <glossary term="Morgon" title="685">Morgon's</glossary> <glossary term="Côte du Py" title="350">Côte du Py</glossary> in the <glossary term="Beaujolais" title="151">Beaujolais</glossary>. "When Marcel (Lapierre) came to visit, this was the vineyard that confirmed to him that I was onto something special out here." <a href="http://louisdressner.com/mpdf/luyt/interview/">If you'd read the interview I linked to earlier</a>, you would know that LA befriended Mathieu Lapierre in <glossary term="Enology" title="422">oenology</glossary> school and spent many years in the Lapierre's vineyards and <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> before returning to Chile for good. All this talking about Marcel got LA into zen mode next to a particularly beautiful vine. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//86/0e/860e3c98a829805186d6d02aa7adc554.jpg" /> This inspired Keven Clancy, who also got in the mix. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//2e/57/2e572fd79f81239ab52d1e3898b2f3b9.jpg" /> The spirit was so strong that even I got into the mix. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//70/d5/70d5b2e9126176fe986d2aa49c823b87.jpg" /> "The vines are so healthy here. The only product they've ever been exposed to is a minuscule amount of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary>. It's not like the old vines in Europe that you can tell are on their last legs." Luyt has been harvesting fruit from Quenehuao's <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> for nine years now. On our way out from the property, Miguel and Gringa made sure we were well on our way. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//21/c0/21c02c15bec6ce94291dd2c70c963052.jpg" /> From Quenehuao, we drove to <glossary term="Chillàn" title="286">Chillán</glossary>, the city were Luyt is based. Before getting home, we swung by the super market to grab some delicious box wine. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//b3/45/b34541a6aabddb79dc11ebd81f7505a5.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//12/7c/127c3715444ccc68096fd78fc0cfc8c3.jpg" /> Naw, just kidding. Instead we had some Luyt rarities like this 2008 <glossary term="Sans Souffre" title="913">sans-souffre</glossary> <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> that took two years to <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary>: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//c1/f7/c1f7e6f522aca6469fde0bde3e200510.jpg" /> And a 2008 Clos Ouvert, the first wine we ever imported from Luyt! <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//91/6e/916e4b8ab3373715b4a60ee30a7fa0fb.jpg" /> It was a hell of a first day! A la proxima por la parte 3!

producer visit 20.06.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 3

<img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//27/43/27438f14d4aa4d47a7d8e0c9980a6ef5.jpg" /> Louis-Antoine Luyt lives off an unmarked, unpaved dirt-road in the outskirts of <glossary term="Chillàn" title="286">Chillán</glossary> with his wife Dorothée and three kids: Antoine, Mathilde and Benoit. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8c/a6/8ca697d17fc5d83f901a93a4a4862372.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//92/31/9231fa62ff34fd33172ed3ec09704dcc.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//d6/ee/d6ee7bb0e6b9bc0ca8135354439516c0.jpg" /> They also have four beautiful dogs: Mr Pickles, Bazooka, Ron and Jane (only three pictured). <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8b/c2/8bc2f76c889f5e20b3c45c35336ac4a5.jpg" /> Though I would later find out this is fairly common, dozens of chickens freely roam the yard. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//fa/8b/fa8b7bccd32b3e32a17ccaa5474d1638.jpg" /> And let's not forgot Oinky, the lovable pig with a heart of gold. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//a7/f0/a7f093bc602ca5745fe18385c177bbd8.jpg" /> On our third day in Chile, we were feeling the beginnings of winter: besides the sun setting at 6pm (the result of a just passed daylight saving time), it was foggy, rainy and cold! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//84/49/84494328c9e99e079c2d61107ac266b3.jpg" /> Undeterred, we set out to Louis-Antoine's <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to see where the magic happens. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//93/63/936348669eccd712c2e524ec7aa12691.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//1e/f2/1ef28e42cb16b48f5d0c8d0307a62892.jpg" /> LA shares this <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> with <a href="http://www.vinachillan.com/english/">Viña Chillán</a>, another winery focusing on <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary> grown vines surrounding the property. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//e4/0d/e40d3f1f76d1010df6feacdcbb322785.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//03/87/0387f8da466ac0efce201ec10d75a402.jpg" /> A plethora of international grapes are planted here, including <glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>, <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>, <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary>, <glossary term="Carmenere" title="238">Carmenere</glossary> and <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Malbec</glossary>. Some of these LA <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifies</glossary> in micro quantities as a side-project: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//03/37/0337b9f815a88c958e18e04801b04d57.jpg" /> Stepping into the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, I spotted some familiar bottles! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//d6/02/d6029c2bf9ccab370dd2b4ab0e54e6b4.jpg" /> The main room mainly consists of large <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> and <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//01/25/0125ef14193557c70122813443b5525c.jpg" /> However there are also a large amount of plastic <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagars</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//3b/fa/3bfabf46fd0aa33f720f072817deed4f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//da/90/da90a56d44748b61d16bc056a123d352.jpg" /> Check out that sweet sweater/beanie combo from the Quenehuao wool factory! Anyhow, a <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagar</glossary> typically refers to a stone trough with an open top, but can also mean plastic or, as is more common in Chile, large wood <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vats</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//92/04/9204d0857b508bd0a45a035964b3d88a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//6b/2f/6b2ff9bbd34e852d6135a25719371054.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//36/eb/36eb29eb30a4170753f5bac99a11bc7a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//7e/f1/7ef1f21386deb399149617fa9568b696.jpg" /> As you can see, LA has all three. Since starting his <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> project in 2013 (old vine <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> from different sectors <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> in liters), the traditional <glossary term="Huaso" title="530">huaso</glossary> style of <glossary term="Open Vat" title="1218">open-top</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary> has deeply affected his <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> practices. "When I started, I worked exclusively with <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">cold carbonic macerations</glossary> because that was the only way I really knew how to make wine. In fact, I remember the first time I met your father (the late Joe Dressner), we got into a huge argument about it, with him screaming at me that all I did was <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">carbo, carbo, carbo</glossary>! He still ended up buying the wines anyway!" The <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> have shifted to include some <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">carbonic macerations</glossary>, but at this point are mainly <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary> or <glossary term="De-stemming" title="378">destemmed</glossary> <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> with regular <glossary term="Pigeage/Punchdown" title="795">pigeages</glossary>. In some cases, Luyt <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifies</glossary> parts of the same <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> separately and <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blends</glossary> at the end for more balance. The <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> are much shorter than probably anyone else in Chile, leading to a noticeably less <glossary term="Extraction" title="433">extracted</glossary> style. It also doesn't hurt that he <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvests</glossary> three weeks to a month before the average winery... "Making a <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> is a violent form of <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary>. We <glossary term="De-stemming" title="378">destem</glossary> and then do nothing. Everything happens really fast." In a way, the <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> approach shares similarities with the hands off, <glossary term="Semi-Carbonic Maceration" title="942">semi-carbonic</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> of the <glossary term="Beaujolais" title="151">Beaujolais</glossary> (famously dubbed by Marcel Lapierre as "lazy man's winemaking"). But working with <glossary term="Open Vat" title="1218">open-top containers</glossary> (which remain open throughout <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary>, in itself much more of a challenge), has shown LA that it was time to reevaluate his winemaking practices. "I think my separate <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary>, playing with <glossary term="Pigeage/Punchdown" title="795">pigeages</glossary>, <glossary term="De-stemming" title="378">destemming</glossary> and <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary>, short <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary>, long <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary>, <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blends</glossary>... It's partly experimentation, but I do believe it adds complexity to the wines. Since moving away from <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">carbonic macerations</glossary>, I've had to find my own way." We spent our morning tasting wine, which isn't particularly interesting so I'll spare you. More interesting was our lunch! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8d/79/8d791579e89338b56660004ee8649db2.jpg" /> Every day, LA and his team have lunch just a few 100 meters away in this "clandestine restaurant". <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//c7/eb/c7eb2991aabcbbd12e9a1808f8f46628.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8f/59/8f590b0896f41f95742c09acc582e13a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//4b/54/4b5455ebbcf8427fb2c3b61b0e4d0fb8.jpg" /> LA has struck an agreement with the lovely Angelica (pictured in the middle) to make daily meals for his team. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//c6/a6/c6a6f2dd027a89a7d6283c957b86ab02.jpg" /> "Her husband is a farmer, and she cooks for his team, the <glossary term="Chillàn" title="286">Chillán</glossary> team and mine. She's the best." Her homemade sopaipillas were banging, as was her chicken stew. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//c6/c6/c6c699aa0828d5902cec5c5d3e7c0eb9.jpg" /> Tea was heated right off the furnace. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//75/0b/750bc106fedcd6a42f4f56508e0f12d2.jpg" /> The whole room had some funky details. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//45/dd/45dd3f7e813ad62c1277b430ad6a1cd2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//12/68/126850da1840b11b78eaef219f25927f.jpg" /> My favorite was a picture of a decapitated pig head in a bucket next to happy family pictures. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//d6/bc/d6bc5504d3a8890b053cd0be527c6dec.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//62/35/6235e7629b20698f3306e36c91a7278c.jpg" /> After lunch, we drove for over to the Coelemu vineyard that produces "Gorda Blanca" and the "Coelemu" <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//e8/2f/e82f13ead0e006463e7edf7ebf331dda.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//0a/ff/0aff232d51252a5e56959b41cc5f1e5e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//4d/76/4d76463143df957603e7ca8359e2951e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//17/3c/173cf91e47a87cdbdbbdcb679fdbf18a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8f/55/8f55df3ca54b5e2aeb77eaab7bfb84f3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//dd/41/dd419fcf546de727b25e48e54811b12a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//5c/c6/5cc672fcffb53317619382c6e80cc3f2.jpg" /> The steep hill pictured above is 300 year old <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> that have never been exposed to <glossary term="Chemicals" title="279">chemicals</glossary>. The soils consist of heavy red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> with decomposed <glossary term="Quartz" title="842">quartz</glossary> and <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granite</glossary> <glossary term="Subsoil" title="991">subsoils</glossary>, and are worked by horse. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//5d/ca/5dca636190c29478d1e7e5e50aa190cc.jpg" /> The vines are within a private property of a very wealthy couple's country house (which can be spotted to the left of the picture below.)   <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//0c/9d/0c9def49bc9c25a9b9e4b5d56dccf203.jpg" /> "They are here maybe one month a year. I'm not sure what their incentive was, but they've always worked the vines with tremendous respect. I'd actually been looking in this sector for quite some time, but was having no luck. They are the ones who contacted me." <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//48/0b/480bd67a49f8da89a38ead4c1d0cfdc3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//fa/0f/fa0f059ca0dd8151ba7d2c86cdf56695.jpg" /> Further along the path, another extremely sleep hill is home to 300 year old Moscatel (<glossary term="Muscat d'Alexandrie" title="687">Moscato d'Alexandria</glossary>) and some old vine <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//8f/b0/8fb0f368e6cec2a2e7dcc168ae8e808f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//38/d8/38d8ec952d1bdb51c766f69a7269e022.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//1d/92/1d92aacd05af658d430612424e42aafd.jpg" /> As you can see, the vines here are very sparse. On our way back home, we drove through a sector called Juarilue, which apparently is very... MORMON? <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//46/9a/469a17ad43cc9264388d45ab7d87d690.jpg" /> Apparently, this sector of the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">BioBío</glossary> was once one of Chile's most prolific <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> regions. But when the wood industry began gaining major traction, the cellulose companies realized they needed to sober up the locals, many of whom had a reputation for over indulging in the fruits of their labors. So they started subsidizing churches hoping to get people off the hooch. And I guess it worked! To be fair, you don't want your workers to be hammered when chainsawing huge trees. Within this sector, we were supposed to visit a newly sourced parcel of <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> but got lost for over an hour on dirt roads. LA never uses a GPS to get anywhere because these <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> are not searchable. It's an impressive skill, but in this case didn't pan out according to plan... Still, we got some redemption by ending our day with the Figeroa family. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//99/12/9912b87fb3b725bf1742c4f9a009a79a.jpg" /> The <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> parcel we were trying to visit was theirs. Instead, we checked some of their <glossary term="Chasselas" title="276">Chasselas</glossary> (yes, <glossary term="Chasselas" title="276">Chasselas</glossary>) and <glossary term="Muscat d'Alexandrie" title="687">Moscatel</glossary> and pet their crazy-eyed dog. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//24/e0/24e03040f3639d6667124968dc55d736.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//53/b4/53b45d54fa8ddec62afad5d5b408feba.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//6a/f7/6af76c0ec268c58d3c94a7927bfed049.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//91/ed/91edf4018d86761f7b42cc72678b61d3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_29//d8/74/d8747186890703f2097c488fa9f67fdb.jpg" />

producer visit 27.06.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 4

<img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//bd/6c/bd6ce09109c75fe99dd22e61cc141c70.jpg" /> On our fourth day in Chile, we started our day in a sector called Tomenelo to check out <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Stoppa/">Elena Pantaleoni'</a>s Chilean side project.   <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//11/f5/11f51fae51c3185da8e50edcccb390bd.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//4a/70/4a70e824fb7f3c9115cae9aa74984a4b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//23/14/23147ecd83c5daa44c03619480f6748e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//c7/dc/c7dcedc5f6c82bcd7ba393b87b775a3d.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//9d/b2/9db2f0bb94e57a0ab012bceecdf7bc12.jpg" /> It was fiercely guarded by the terrifying watch dog Chip. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//e9/7e/e97e4c9d1d2ab1c7f1906789a3d4c682.jpg" /> All in all, 27 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines are planted mostly in <glossary term="Carmenere" title="238">Carmenere</glossary> and <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>. Way back in 2007 and 2008, Louis-Antoine actually made a Clos Ouvert wine from this vineyard. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//61/24/61240b46ce63ec2507a709138d0ca643.jpg" /> The 2007 we tried later that night was tasty! While on the road, LA explained that at this point in time, he is working purely on a <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> model, purchasing fruit at an unheard of three times the market rate. However, he is more directly involved than most <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociants</glossary> with many of the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>' <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, participating in <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary>, <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvesting</glossary> and picking. For <glossary term="Plowing" title="810">plowing</glossary> and day to day work, he trusts his suppliers. "Everything is so spread out. I can't be everywhere at once." Before setting out to discover more vines, we decided to visit LA's friend Lucien. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//1b/3c/1b3c0899759da1073d03f62f490f98e6.jpg" /> Lucien, a jolly guy in his 70's, is originally from <glossary term="Savoie" title="925">Savoie</glossary>. Around 30 years ago, he got sick of France, so he built a wood boat and sailed it to Chile. Since he's clearly good at building things, he founded a <a href="https://www.polytesolet.com/fr/">wood shop that makes some truly unique, beautiful pieces</a>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//99/f8/99f8f66ee7c9d564618707f5f9cccde5.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//f0/9a/f09af9a8da3b3eeb3f200844e65371d4.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//9c/19/9c193591fcbcbc8db993184bfbc5481a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//32/9b/329b63aba46fa619e7cb214281a0f61a.jpg" /> Everything is hand-made. Thin slices of wood are carved, pressed together, then polished and touched up. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//4d/e3/4de32bac0096e5e30fb91f04015119e8.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//9a/68/9a6889443aa98305f5b0c07fee20c4d2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//66/2c/662c95a483bd373cd147b0dabecd4385.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//41/51/415192ff785ecad6a028370d93764e97.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//3e/91/3e9177263852971b75d76939babda4b8.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//60/4e/604e78e30d0dbd517fcfa505ca5efbc0.jpg" /> He also still makes boats. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//ad/a1/ada1c29baaddf153c43b19233e219946.jpg" /> It was a quick visit, and Lucien was very disappointed we hadn't brought a bottle to drink. "That's the modern world. Always on your way somewhere else. Always late." For the record, it was 10 in the morning. And yes, we were late. Late to check out the stunning vineyards that produce: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//a3/aa/a3aabc684ef2d4ee9bf1748fd0553974.jpg" /> After some dirt road action, LA stopped in the woods and told us we'd have to do the rest of the trip by foot. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//8d/c7/8dc7f1b36e99dac213421a07e7ee4f47.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//32/a2/32a26b289e185c61d1c1a27bd2823d3f.jpg" /> It had been raining, so the ground was quite slippery. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//8b/84/8b84702720114bb5863f064d277d8a9b.jpg" /> "Even under better circumstances, it is impossible to get here with a car. During harvest we use an ox cart to bring the grapes back up." During our walk, LA pointed out an exposed patch of rocks that revealed Pilen's <glossary term="Subsoil" title="991">subsoils</glossary>: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//30/9b/309b920a58242bcdc271384188d38159.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//1e/60/1e607ef0560ffc061b47fc8f57e7a948.jpg" /> We'd seen a lot of red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> already, but Pilen is particularly marked by <glossary term="Iron" title="547">iron</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//45/be/45be1a56d68748c00b3e7b9bf8524d2b.jpg" /> After a solid 15 minute walk, we arrived to the first of three <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> of 200 year old <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//76/c3/76c3e4151a0a2f971a57c5c3301cf15a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//a5/16/a5163b6bd3cbdf99fa2bbfcd878c195f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//52/41/5241396e69e8897ade5befd460eeee28.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//fa/6b/fa6b37d67edbcf4d975adf4b0968556f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//4b/6b/4b6ba0918113fdcb91f17ed3c0467848.jpg" /> The soils here are red <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granite</glossary>, red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Schist" title="933">schist</glossary>. At 580 meters of <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary>, Pilen is truly a mountain vineyard. Here are pictures from the equally beautiful second <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//f7/cc/f7ccf0dd4ce7259f00fed1ad15e5d9de.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//c5/72/c5726d46d6848ea50a4dc6d43fbf45a7.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//2e/80/2e800340c43be30caa9f231e86869ce1.jpg" /> These two <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> belong to a young man named Leonel Diaz. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//8c/91/8c91440cdc87defc14049471ec22aee4.jpg" /> He lives with his parents in one of the only two houses in the immediate vicinity (the town is a 20 minute walk away). <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//7a/1b/7a1b190f8ac31c15e3f29dff6f37b75c.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//50/e0/50e02a24cc723e802a4f4bb804e1671a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//e0/28/e02803667566bd742efd3a41f60d3d2f.jpg" /> Leonel owns a lagar that he uses occasionally to make <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//74/9d/749df20224247480087108e808e09130.jpg" /> And this <glossary term="Tinaja" title="1293">tinaja</glossary>, though it doesn't seem to be getting much use these days... <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//1a/6d/1a6d1c4c3fc986265212ddc5ef048ee0.jpg" /> From Leonel's we took a short walk to the only other house in the vicinity. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//bc/b6/bcb68a1f884d1d1e9c36bf4e944f72b6.jpg" /> There, we were greeted by the lovely Margarita Leon. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//f6/aa/f6aae475a53f9264c1fab6c5fc01f715.jpg" /> Margarita was very busy! First off, she was making food for her dogs. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//a9/22/a92238197e0049f297f3a561be523845.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//6b/ec/6becdc6983fb54932d2599fbc03541ee.jpg" /> This little guy was patiently waiting for his meal while sitting on a big bag. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//21/a1/21a133c9ea75a88df439156b81aa2517.jpg" /> Then she had to check on her <glossary term="Tinaja" title="1293">tinaja</glossary> to give her <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> a nice stirring. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//05/76/05761508f8e17adc3c10e9bb61258930.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//7e/91/7e915ea0056986163de8c0d0dda1a979.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//b0/c0/b0c0f9780dc782cf09756aa5964d5c3b.jpg" /> And what about ALL THOSE CHICKENS???? <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//e0/34/e034e168a08cf99f73923bc166c53474.jpg" /> But most importantly, Margarita was working on her main hustle, making hand-made plates and bowls from Pilen's abundant red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//11/a4/11a4be580d06c35dfc1e29bfea5f8361.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//26/09/26091b19e6d21348b62806f0e23b4b5f.jpg" /> Little did I know that I'd been eating out of her handiwork every night at Louis' house! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//26/b7/26b71054a2c0ce7c238e9b5c7f474f90.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//0e/85/0e859a2eb019e03ac4d4404c31738a9b.jpg" /> Just below Margarita's house are her and her husband's vines. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//71/0d/710d654fc26554652ac4cb7b53eb8097.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//df/5d/df5d3992eefd5cb7942929fcec9b9685.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//e6/c0/e6c0b075dfa497f121b39bd7e0bab8c5.jpg" /> Some of the <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, for reasons LA could not understand, had not been harvested. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//83/8b/838b361c74a9132223070f9182c47144.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//a9/5b/a95b59a33b70da263db29f335dfbbbf5.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//32/28/3228120aa52ec730a6661c0721fab69e.jpg" /> "They probably just had too much left." Check out this 200 year old beauty. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Jul_31//ab/c4/abc45aa3aa1f88f33ff1067bbea44e0c.jpg" /> Anyhow, that's it for now!

producer visit 06.07.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 5

<img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a7/5c/a75c45931d13e271d894997f2f0fd4f2.jpg" /> From Pilen, we headed to the Coronel del Maule sector of the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule Valley</glossary> to visit Raoul Perez. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//53/86/53866e57ecb95844c7d12ca7f14e1f95.jpg" /> From the moment we pulled into the farm, it was clear there was a special connection between Raoul and LA. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//7f/49/7f4987a23385e7ed73970f573ab4e4cf.jpg" /> "Raoul is my biggest inspiration. We've had our ups and downs, but the trust is there and our our bond is unbreakable. This sector (Coronel del Maule) was the area that originally inspired me to make wine in Chile, and I am so happy to have met him." After some nice helloes, it was time to check the vines. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//24/b5/24b527f264e3b6927ad7558806543efa.jpg" /> On the way up, the Raoul/LA bonding continued. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ec/fa/ecfab54966a4cdd0d42ee77902ff4b46.jpg" /> When LA met Raoul, he was on the verge of abandoning his 1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//51/9c/519ce0e970fbcdb2b306d3f3207acee2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c4/47/c4478a651e51ab4a1a6efe4ec532c658.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//27/ed/27edf0d0c4fbad2358f5a13523fa5aae.jpg" /> "He simply felt it was too much work for what he could get paid for." In a stark contrast to Raoul's beautiful vines (which, for some reason, always keep their foliage very late in the season), here is a picture of his neighbor's <glossary term="Industrial Agriculture" title="539">chemically</glossary> farmed <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//1e/32/1e32a446916b079f7006bf4bb2dcf61b.jpg" /> I prefer these. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//51/9c/519ce0e970fbcdb2b306d3f3207acee2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c4/47/c4478a651e51ab4a1a6efe4ec532c658.jpg" /> The contrast is even crazier in this pic: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//55/24/55245dd639018a6c6ee9d97c9e85d8d8.jpg" /> The vines are at least 300 years old, and grow on soils of <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> with decomposed <glossary term="Gravel" title="504">gravel</glossary> and <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary>. "The roots go down 80 meters." That's deep. It was lunch time, and Raoul graciously invited us into his home. Before we could eat, we had to taste his <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//6e/d4/6ed4f0f4821ebe41704c9ef55d873f16.jpg" /> It was made in this <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagar</glossary>! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//03/f2/03f222c3b57a04ac3a57e23c4e47ef37.jpg" /> The wine is a blend of <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> and <glossary term="Merlot" title="650">Merlot</glossary>. It was delicious, fresh with herbal notes. It also went really well with his wife's soup, made from their farm-grown garbanzo beans and hominy. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e4/9d/e49d8d6087020b7e84b1bade13706f99.jpg" /> It is traditional to have soup AFTER the main dish in Chile, which I'm a big fan of. This was also my first opportunity of the trip to flex my "I'll have seconds" skills. Works every time at pleasing the cook! During lunch, a rather amusing conversation revolved around Raoul trying LA's Coronel del Maule <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> each year and always saying: "It' ok. It's not as good as mine!" Both are delicious, but LA admits that Raoul has a "slight" advantage: he's been making wine from this land since he was a teenager. I asked if Raoul ever sells some of his wine to locals or friends, and LA translated that he'd prefer giving it away. "Most people don't care about the hard work and effort, and don't even know what they would be paying for. They just want some wine. And if they don't buy it from me, they will buy it from someone else. So I'd rather give it to them so they can enjoy." Apparently, in Luyt terminology, "coffee" translates to "another glass of <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>". This was a good excuse to try a traditional beverage/porridge/energy drink consisting of <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>, toasted wheat and honey. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//77/d6/77d6cb2bfe3791af39106ce5d7c925ca.jpg" /> It was pretty good. After lunch, I made sure to give Raoul a big hug with the <glossary term="Huaso" title="530">Huaso</glossary> hat he gave me. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//3c/3a/3c3a1c0fced3351ee75212ed4bb49e3d.jpg" /> Raoul is the best. Here are pictures of his dogs for no reason other than I like taking pictures of dogs. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//78/1c/781c251ea785d33ce176148d15819bec.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//91/7e/917e0ef69957efa13e66fb565b715df4.jpg" /> From Raoul's, we headed to another sector within Coronel del Maule called Pichihuedque. Here, we visited Miguel Alvear. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c9/82/c9829425fcd5b0ba1c42edbdba81641d.jpg" /> When we got to Miguel's, his entire family was huddled up eating boar stew from a beast slain just that morning. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//72/2f/722f80aedf6a98638c809fde2f4fe27c.jpg" /> They asked if we wanted some. After requesting a little taste, we got three huge plates. Second lunch was good (and quite honestly a little too filling), but permitted us to try Miguel's <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>, made from this huge <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagar</glossary> that can hold up to 18,000 liters! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//d3/33/d333441d7fe04baca41fb3b5eb04cee3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2f/e4/2fe48afc3a0aa39030cbb6b868ed0938.jpg" /> "No chemicals. Natural." Unsurprisingly, it was very tasty. Moving along, Miguel's farm was quite a scene. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9c/89/9c89dcc7cb51e6646f6d41421343e825.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//de/18/de180448be8e1fb8f52ba1af1d2c9267.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//be/08/be08fa99066d9cdb3e8ddbe57a995199.jpg" /> There were huge oxen everywhere. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//19/f6/19f6dfb3da5fc3a70c1782e337168001.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9a/d2/9ad2f09132585b56c1c6d548aada5dac.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8e/35/8e35d968e97f607d3ce6448a9e0cc3f5.jpg" /> Miguel insisted they were very nice and that I could even pet them, but I'll admit I wasn't reassured with this guy giving me the stanky eye. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//77/17/7717ea77ca054c6ea988e2a85b6f8110.jpg" /> Keep in mind that picture was zoomed in. From Miguel's farm, we set off to check out the <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> that produce: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//86/59/8659d1ad307e7641bae481834357e69f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9e/fb/9efb7ada0fa6de86ad8a38f23893dab3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//25/ae/25aed3fdfba15cb089d75d14d9f50fba.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//3f/9a/3f9af286badd464a65a974c9b3d4f7d3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e8/54/e854ef18481d3d174f8250d0efd52f97.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//dd/18/dd18d0b9a86381195258c394fbf11c65.jpg" /> This sector is much more marked by heavy <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, with much less decomposed <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granite</glossary> and <glossary term="Quartz" title="842">quartz</glossary> than we'd seen in other areas. "Because of the heavier <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, you get wines that are more on the fruit here, with less smokiness than Pilen or even Raoul's." <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//75/54/7554dbc6efe0928e7d6da74e27e1f812.jpg" /> The second <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> we visited from Miguel had much redder <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9b/2e/9b2e75a3f4ad5697b8954fb631a37900.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9f/94/9f94aa7939a1fda553cceb8e9c093434.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//43/ff/43ffdd2f4a9148d87cfa7a2907f23e3e.jpg" /> The heavy <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, combined with the day's on and off rain, had made for treacherous driving. The car we'd rented was capable of much, but wasn't four wheel drive. For a moment it looked like we might get stuck. Fortunately, Miguel was ready for anything: "Don't worry, I have oxen. They've got four wheel drive: with big hoofs and horns." Our last stop of the day was Sergio Perez, who makes the delicious: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//95/22/9522d276133059481f14548f24b97507.jpg" /> Look, here's the <glossary term="Tinaja" title="1293">tinaja</glossary> that made it! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//31/ad/31adcfd8d0cf3cc8fe2e652fd50d006e.jpg" /> Anyhow, this is the awesome Sergio Perez! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//13/58/1358accc0bf1c3389901b2892bcd1206.jpg" /> Nice hat Sergio! When we got to his house, we woke him up from his afternoon nap. If that day was anything to go on, he has no problem sleeping through the very loud music coming from his boombox. In an unprecedented moment in this blog's history, I took a picture of a cat! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8b/b8/8bb84ecd95692cbea3c33aa2bbaf81a7.jpg" /> Too cute to pass up. Anyhow, Sergio was supposed to <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">press</glossary> his <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> grapes the day we got there, but his employees didn't show up, so he didn't. But that didn't mean we weren't going to taste it! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9a/09/9a095ee9e78eb57e16c8b58181b2b970.jpg" /> In an impressive move, Sergio put together a natural filter by taking a bunch of stems directly from the <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagar</glossary> and jamming them on top of a fire hose. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4d/12/4d1205f007753ebc8af6c48726f6e59e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2d/d9/2dd94db082b66ac78499b8f2f3d8a9bd.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//65/6e/656ee073f27b83a000628a1597042fe2.jpg" /> My, oh my was it tasty! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a7/38/a738189d20099941e1d56d5a92e723ee.jpg" /> Sergio is 79, and has been making wine since he is 12. "I make <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> to give the workers something to drink right away. My <glossary term="Tinaja" title="1293">Tinaja</glossary> wines are the ones you can <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary>." Speaking of his employees, Sergio locks all of his doors because they are "drunk idiots." Maybe if he stopped giving them all that <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>, they'd be more trustworthy? Or maybe they need Mormonism in their lives? After some <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>, we tried his <glossary term="Eau de Vie" title="411">eau de vie</glossary> from <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//47/60/4760ca4de696b7bcfe631e7422d422cd.jpg" /> The single <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> was tucked away in an interestingly decorated room. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2f/2d/2f2dd4b08f347de433c1f25283b80892.jpg" /> In what is perhaps the most bizarre advertisement I've ever seen, here is one for A BUTCHER SHOP pinned to the wall. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//b2/16/b216cdb04d0f926a43bcb11c1b351dc6.jpg" /> FOR A BUTCHER SHOP! And even better, look who was right next to sexy butcher lady. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2d/f3/2df32dead3bacf9e8c797698c7b58f04.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//93/39/9339d805fff656811cfcaf234bc4a6a3.jpg" /> Here's four more pics from Sergio's I wanted to share but had absolutely no way to work in: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//b1/4a/b14a0a5f9fbb50c8e6202e8968db5213.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//62/fa/62fa2102f73f413266cbcd53dbbc417c.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//00/70/00708885e126a92d6495ca4131adae8e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//b1/42/b1429ea440d5f9a505778747b2f5e47d.jpg" /> Boop! It was the end of a long day, and we were finally on our way home. Here some choice quotes from Louis-Antoine. "Coronel is my center, my home base. It is my favorite part of the <glossary term="Maule" title="640">Maule</glossary>. If only I could figure out how to make wine like these guys!" "I know the <glossary term="Beaujolais" title="151">Beaujolais</glossary> and Coronel del Maule. And I prefer Coronel del Maule!" "The people there are the crème de la crème. They are still human. They are independant. They are welcoming. They are kind. They don't judge you. They are everything good about <glossary term="Peasant" title="769">peasantry</glossary>. This is my family."

producer visit 13.07.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 6

<img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ec/ab/ecabc031eef26b42c15ce9e8292ada2c.jpg" /> After an extensive tour of the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule Valley</glossary>, it was time to spend some time in the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo Valley</glossary>! Our first stop was in the sector of Yumbel to visit Tito Saavedra. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4c/69/4c69456d37e009f8aec3adcee81e1c98.jpg" /> Surprise: this area produces... <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//84/c5/84c5d4c89051fe1c0d4fd2b37b044202.jpg" /> Anyhow, the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo</glossary> itself is a river, and the region is divided into two main sectors. Some, like Yumbel, have <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sandy</glossary> <glossary term="Volcanic" title="1117">volcanic</glossary> soils. Other parts are more similar to the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule</glossary>, with <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> and <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granite</glossary>. It rains more in <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo</glossary> than in the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule</glossary>, but it's still very hot. Because there is less <glossary term="Industrial Agriculture" title="539">industrial farming</glossary> here than the <glossary term="Maule Valley" title="641">Maule</glossary>, you find a lot less French grapes. <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo</glossary> is dead in the center of Chile, and has some of the oldest vines in the country. On to Tito's vines: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//7c/76/7c768d019259f60de96dc949c6e1612d.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//bb/36/bb3693c7e2f5a98a4cf122a734492291.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ba/ef/baefe9cab725ae1857f4976adb61d75a.jpg" /> The soils consist of light <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and decomposed <glossary term="Granite" title="502">granite</glossary>, and are much darker than any other site we'd visited. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//66/91/6691d38f78cfd82aa10bca526edd021a.jpg" /> These <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> vines were planted in 1580!!!!!! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//41/35/413512d44b00d94dfa4bb5726bbb50f2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//05/11/051160976742e2cb9e925547b0d0b4e8.jpg" /> "The vines here are incredible. But I still feel Tito overworks them. A huge challenge with farmers is convincing them to <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">prune</glossary> for lower <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary>. In their minds, a good <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> is a plentiful one." LA and Tito have been having <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> conversations that would reduce <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> by 30%, in turn sacrificing quantity for quality. It's a recurring conversation with all of his suppliers; most are willing to compromise and do this on the vines LA purchases fruit from, but not the entirety of their land. From the vines, we checked out Tito's "<glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>" to try his <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//b4/f8/b4f8666d7e3ee7d88649b101d6bee6fd.jpg" /> Check out this elaborate stool setup to get up to the <glossary term="Lagar" title="575">lagar</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c1/f8/c1f8074e9ebe2345983f2607c7fcb2c6.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4c/85/4c85c7f5a58be35344265a0d3a545ae8.jpg" /> Ouuuhhh, a puppy! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//92/11/92113469753ff962f8f69ece6324db3b.jpg" /> It was time to taste Tito's <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> straight out of a big plastic jug. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//72/35/72356fbf4549f844e0a4b132e759c4d3.jpg" /> It was fruity and spicy with nice <glossary term="Structure" title="990">structure</glossary>. This is important to note since Tito's finished wine is what will be <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> as the 2016 "Yumbel" <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>. "Sometimes I buy made wine, sometimes I buy the grapes to make the wine myself. I know Tito makes a good <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> without any bacterial issues so I trust his finished product. It would be great in the long term to buy the wine directly from everyone, but the challenge is being able to <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> very fast. <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeños</glossary> are all about freshness, and you don't want to lose that." In 2016, "Yumbel" will be the only <glossary term="Huaso" title="530">huaso</glossary>-made wine we import the the US. Everything else was vinified by LA. From Yumbel, we were off to the <glossary term="Santa Juana" title="914">Santa Juana</glossary> sector. But first, we had to take a river ferry across the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo</glossary>! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//07/ba/07ba7f8b93bc87c9d753d69f7522250a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ce/f8/cef84f537b3c88b8aa945466d698397c.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//fc/01/fc010b56648ef4894ab186108ddc5355.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//55/45/5545563af736af138f0aecf056a2f306.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//09/42/0942b727351beaa577cf726edc9edd56.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//06/eb/06ebf5eb680e5f86baf4016c27bb98c4.jpg" /> LA was relieved that it was the guy he liked working the ferry. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//63/ab/63abae83da4b41732f6a9e0a02cc3578.jpg" /> "There are two guys who work this job, and they both despise each other. The other guy is a total dick." Once we were on the other side of the river, we took some dirt roads to the middle of nowhere. The drive brought us right to this closed gate. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//23/93/2393597ddc1efb5d7b456758e37ae220.jpg" /> Already there was a nice view. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//6c/fa/6cfa893044f42069ca7ccb2ed1d281eb.jpg" /> Could we be in <glossary term="Santa Juana" title="914">Santa Juana</glossary>? The place that produces: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//41/45/414520a259e2e8f882e3b087cd2d8962.jpg" /> We were! After a few minutes, the lovely Luis Burgos let us in. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//fc/08/fc080b94cc0049756a0c73b07011cacf.jpg" /> Before checking out the vines, we had to pop into Luis' house to meet his wife and proprietor of the land Sara. She was busy whipping up some home-made empanadas!!!!! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2c/c8/2cc8537ef8160edc4e378cbe53044fda.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//dd/54/dd5442b9a6a92c1b537187e05d3fab8a.jpg" /> This was probably the most excited I've ever been writing about food on a trip. But before eating, we had to see vines! This isolated <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of land is hands down one of the most beautiful I've laid eyes on. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//33/a5/33a5e81e90db344810f60955ede7307c.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//06/92/0692fa55f7b67a7fc81229d53812e2f8.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//77/51/7751544869a0b15e2a1d85f869d27edb.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//1a/4d/1a4df47aee3febc95f9b34071c1ee751.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8f/7d/8f7dabad92bb108b0857e5c722e7e5af.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//99/95/9995c5897226e4f06624fecb821e94d2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//85/16/8516528da468dce19b1c25a5531490b0.jpg" /> Amongst some of the flatter vines, an entire box of harvested <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> had been forgotten. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ca/5c/ca5ce3af1104231cabc190d9ca9d8a42.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//1d/34/1d3486611d6751335a9d4cf48379a509.jpg" /> "I honestly think they just forgot it." The soils here are similar to Coronel del Maule: red <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> with decomposed <glossary term="Gravel" title="504">gravel</glossary> and <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary>. The vines used to be worked with <glossary term="Systemic Product" title="1002">systemics</glossary>, but LA and his team have helped <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">convert</glossary> the land back to <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>. Luyt comes with his team each year to <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">prune</glossary>, <glossary term="Green Harvest" title="507">green harvest</glossary> and pick grapes. While Sara kept cooking, Luis served us a little bit of his <glossary term="Sémillon" title="1003">Semillon</glossary> for <glossary term="Aperitif" title="112">apero</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//fc/b8/fcb87007a1e85c88bb7483a7966b8fbc.jpg" /> We also got to try his <glossary term="Merlot" title="650">Merlot</glossary> straight from huge plastic barrel. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8c/09/8c09ef77eb81bdea7c3ac1f525366f13.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ed/a5/eda5ed992fd793246bb02986ff44e3a7.jpg" /> My notes say: "Fresh, juicy juicy." We also tried a <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Malbec</glossary>, which was darker but still easy drinking. By this time we were starving, so we checked up on Sara and her empanadas. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2c/e4/2ce42e3137a3b80e7acdb9f06911999e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//49/ad/49ad34de97d743f21118f227b4f06e65.jpg" /> They were SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//bf/ab/bfabb8c0119a918003c8d9d44f99cbd1.jpg" /> I lost track but I think I ate six. And of course it needed to be accompanied by some <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e1/4d/e14dc18e2ea8d2b567d651ef7becc062.jpg" /> Don't worry, it was Sara's, not Santa Rita. Sara used to make the Santa Juana <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary> herself, but didn't feel like making it this year, so LA bought her grapes instead. "She's getting older but not letting herself slow down. She's always saying yes to every project thrown her way. However making the wine has become too time consuming. Luis makes his personal stash and that's enough for them." Before saying goodbye, we had to take some goodbye pics: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//52/0c/520c342d71e8207d6e68a5a2ed325371.jpg" /> And polish off that <glossary term="Pipeño" title="806">Pipeño</glossary>: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//45/13/45138353f0704b0732dd72086183a66d.jpg" /> By the way, I wasn't joking about those dirt roads: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e8/3e/e83ecb72fa9760230159bdbd0b472c5c.jpg" />

producer visit 02.08.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 7

<img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8d/55/8d55327ef94d6667f8a8284baf6f2b6c.jpg" /> Ed note: We no longer import the wines of Coteaux de Trumao.  In what was perhaps the longest day of driving in my life, after our visit to <glossary term="Santa Juana" title="914">Santa Juana</glossary> (about three hours from <glossary term="Chillàn" title="286">Chillàn</glossary>) we drove five hours South to visit the Coteaux de Trumao project. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//15/da/15da7153d8e743787e6406306ab2914a.jpg" /> Spend a little time examining that label, then compare it to the pictures below. It will all make sense. Coteaux de Trumao was founded by two French brothers, Christophe and Olivier Porte, in the early 2000's. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c5/8d/c58d7f999cba6d9dab9afb307217b98a.jpg" /> The brothers live at the top of the gorgeous <glossary term="Coteau" title="345">coteau</glossary> that inspired the name of the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//51/dd/51dda02420f5b454f552a70f5e09fc0d.jpg" /> Olivier and his wife live in the house to the left of the talapa. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//5b/26/5b26fc79cc80611a712c041dbaa305f8.jpg" /> Christophe and his wife live to the right of it, just out of sight. The talapa itself is absolutely gorgeous: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4e/04/4e04086b4675824fb8e6f1d0d0c4507a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//90/8f/908f2ff95ce8812eda56626e0ec4fb81.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//1b/6a/1b6af3afcae02522ea3ca08d1f38eba6.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//0a/8f/0a8f9685d48c9cfeed0c6aeccdcd3919.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//34/fd/34fd1de1f05c853ee13152b7f502030c.jpg" /> Check out this amazing coal rotisserie action. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//0f/be/0fbe2987fd59113ba64504f77e3f1e1b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//69/33/69335b33e1eb9221f5d0c125449ef0e1.jpg" /> Gotta spin those ducks! Over dinner, we got to hear the Porte's Chilean origin story. Their parents had left France to raise cattle in Chile, and both brothers joined them after college in their early 20's. They both worked in the family business for about 10 years, with Christophe eventually branching out into his own project of running a gold mining operation. Pardon the shitty pun, but it was anything but a goldmine; after nearly a decade he found himself nearly dead broke. Olivier was still working in cattle but wanted a change of pace, so the brothers decided to become partners in a new venture. They founded a wood plant in 1990, which continues to exist to this day. Parallel to their professional lives, a love of Chilean wine was developing, particularly for the <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary> of the 1980's. And despite their increasing disillusionment with <glossary term="Spoof" title="977">spoofy</glossary> 90's winemaking (particularly <glossary term="New Oak" title="717">new oak</glossary>), the Porte bros eventually felt the urge to start a vinous project of their own. This was right around the time they'd settled on building their new homes on the property where the vines now grow. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4003.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c7/95/c795ccce3aa0ccc6e56baecb2a20867c.jpg" /> "We had already decided to build the houses and talapa on this gorgeous, isolated hill off the Río Bueno. One day, while walking around, Oliver and I spotted a single, old vine that had not been torn out. This was a sign to us: clearly vines had been planted here in the past." They hired a consultant who proceeded to plant <glossary term="Merlot" title="650">Merlot</glossary>, <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary> and <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>. "Again, we had no idea what we were doing. But it became very clear early on that the <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot</glossary> was reacting the best to the land, as well as making the best wine." Though the vines have always been worked <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>, the first few <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary> (never released commercially) were <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally</glossary> and proved uninteresting. In 2007, the Porte brother's good friend Lucien (remember him from Part 4?) put them in touch with Louis-Antoine Luyt, who made the long drive down to visit. "I was immediately drawn to the beauty of the land and the potential of the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>. It was clear that <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> worked really well here: it's right off a river, giving the vines the coolness they need. Furthermore, the soils of compacted, <glossary term="Volcanic" title="1117">volcanic</glossary> ash react positively to the variety." Here are pics of said soil: <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4025.jpg" test="test2" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//bd/e1/bde134ab10fec04f2f579f679b62faa9.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//13/5a/135ad2eab3ccec66d470f6655c4697c6.jpg" /> LA agreed to help to partner up with Porte brothers. The first step involved replanting the entirety of the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> to <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> in 2005. After three years of letting the youngest vines grow, he <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> for the first time in 2008. Today, the wine is being made by a young Frenchman named Quentin Javoy, who is to the left of Louis-Antoine in the picture below: <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/quentin.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//fc/ec/fcec9a422387fe146c49ac35ceacd8ae.jpg" /> In the dusk of the early morning, we set out to visit the vines. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3985.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//69/14/6914087f696f025e9a4221cfe48ebbeb.jpg" /> But first, we had to meet the big guy whose names dotes the bottle: Cruchon! <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3964.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a1/cb/a1cbd4eb0029c85017eae3daaa71b6a5.jpg" /> That's right, this wine is named after a dog. So I like it more now. We started at the very top of the hill. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3996-1.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a4/37/a43705a28e3b9e2bc703da49a4a35366.jpg" /> Planted in 2009, these are the youngest vines of the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3998.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c7/ba/c7ba52fb4ae002fed5692d950a131af5.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//00/ca/00ca5438591f41c5667028a5f1d7a5fc.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3999.jpg" test="test2" /> Because <glossary term="Phylloxera" title="788">phylloxera</glossary> never affected Chile, all the plantings are in <glossary term="Franc de Pied" title="464">franc de pied</glossary>. "We simply planted the canes and waited." The 2009 vines are particularly suffering; seven years old and barely producing. Still, it was LA and the Porte's choice not to <glossary term="Irrigation" title="549">irrigate</glossary> these young plants, something you almost never see in Chile. The positive side is that it forces them to create deep root systems, which will pay off in the long run. For now the soils are not being worked, because they don't want grass re-growing and creating competition for the vines. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4004.JPG" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e5/40/e54076fd94c1b9667bcd4119ecfe8533.jpg" /> "Next year we want to start using discs to cut the grass." <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_3977.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//cd/13/cd13468deaa111dfc120d0c8a40bd199.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//c3/ed/c3eda35311164c561f086d4e3b334fed.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4024.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//2a/40/2a401ab26718a7aa01f2c5491b74ee7e.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4011.jpg" test="test2" /> You can't spot it because of the mist, but the <glossary term="Bueno River" title="207">Bueno river</glossary> borders the property. Planted in 2000, the oldest vines are at the very bottom of the hill. Many have been propagated with <glossary term="Marcottage" title="629">marcottage</glossary>. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4023.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//0c/b8/0cb8302db53aa1193bff9f03f3feaf28.jpg" /> Quentin, the young Loire native who now is in charge of the Cruchon project, explained that the <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> is <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary>, with only <glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328">contact products</glossary> touching the vineyards. <glossary term="Oidium" title="737">Odium</glossary> is the biggest problem due to the proximity to the river and big temperature dips from day to night. Other than that, Quentin makes many herbal preparations from plants surrounding the vineyards. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4012.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//05/5f/055f1505a7fd5ebe5e247642dffa43ea.jpg" /> Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of the Chile Chronicles!

producer visit 15.08.2016

The Chile Chronicles, Part 8

<h1><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//63/f1/63f1fdc5840e06f5724e6f6d2a3c2f16.jpg" /></h1> No, this did not suddenly become a California post. Los Angeles is a tiny sector of the <glossary term="Bìo Bìo" title="215">Bìo Bìo</glossary> that used to be densely planted in vines. Today, LA estimates only 30 to 50 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> remain. After yet another long drive from <glossary term="Chillàn" title="286">Chillàn</glossary>, we got lost and drove up and down this road a million times. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4166.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ce/9d/ce9dfb4ff56122f062f58e460bf60f2c.jpg" />   "Shit, this never happens to me!" In this very rare case, LA's mental GPS had failed him and we had to ask for directions at Provisiones Don Leo. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4169.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a8/93/a893766957a4d7d38e92c4e76ce22b2f.jpg" /> I'm not sure if the pan was any good, and wished I had a little more time to gamble on Leo's machines. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4170.JPG" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e9/b6/e9b67fe5483787a5fff9daabc070d3ae.jpg" /> Finally, after a little more searching, we were at the Los Angeles <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>! <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4178.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//67/14/671477a733c33e8ac1216383c2680fa7.jpg" /> The vines here were abandoned in 1955, with the owners opting to replant wheat and other cereals. One problem though: the vines kept growing back. For decades, the owner was convinced they were annoying shrubs. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4182.JPG" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//84/a1/84a1c6c7d8d3d1cabe0f40c6c222f209.jpg" /> "I started working with this vineyard through the owner's uncle (note: the owner of the <a href="http://louisdressner.com/date/2016/6/13/320/">Quenehuao vineyard</a>). When I came to visit, we quickly noticed that the shrubby vines growing from the soil were aligned, confirming this was once a dedicated vineyard. I'd estimate the vines to be anywhere between 200 and 300 years old; the owner kept lopping the woods, but the roots are simply too deep to tear out! They kept coming back!" <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4179.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//19/52/1952dbc6eb7f56dbbaae6d1dcafa0b56.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//8b/01/8b01b934849692faaf8adb624ebd5459.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4181.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//09/d7/09d735f169472635a7f39ea5bae8c642.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4180.JPG" /> The soils here are pure <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary>, making for a fruity, <glossary term="Glou-Glou" title="495">glou-glou</glossary> wine. Before our last vine visit, we grabbed lunch at this place. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4184.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//b0/6c/b06c33071c43e1c74e80bbc961ddad43.jpg" /> Along with our chicken stew, we got to enjoy a shitty 40 Oz of beer. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4186.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//f7/c5/f7c539e64bb85b9f59c9911c78600a3b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4f/d2/4fd2aa20111a5c5863224c437d27f78d.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/OldeEnglish-Stars.jpg" test="test2" /> From lunch, we headed to the Portozuelo sector to visit some newly discovered <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> vines. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4192.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//06/16/0616b6389c22c589025b99a226d2db92.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//fb/1d/fb1dfdb94639db72ec7eec512b5c1e8e.jpg" /> The <glossary term="Cinsault" title="1188">Cinsault</glossary> was essentially a prelude to our visit to see more beautiful <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>! But first we had to walk for a while on this private pass. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4199.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//9e/88/9e88399d647fee0dcaf7592a71b72e23.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//25/56/255647382b73488c279f576eb3843b99.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4201.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//4b/09/4b09a23374528d174530b6ada446852a.jpg" /> After about 15 minutes, we spotted an employee roasting some chestnuts by the <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vats</glossary>. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4204.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//5b/34/5b342e3856831c189a233cd7a0b2c135.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//cf/ee/cfeed13b113e0da7169551bb9bd99e22.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4205.JPG" test="test2" /> A little more walking led to another beautiful pic. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4208.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//ec/a2/eca2dd9828b5d0c294a18f24f95cdc55.jpg" /> After almost 20 minutes on foot, we'd arrived! <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4210.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//92/ec/92eccde5dd2d7d49f057574cbdebdb69.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//1b/ad/1badd9b79609d03b79ed13e4b28d19b2.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4212.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//0d/fe/0dfef3c8526aa2754e6432d20a73a7fc.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//87/b8/87b824016b689cfdc8143e7ed37e9e53.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4215.JPG" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e9/74/e974bf5f0b8eb02bb343edc0d47ebe5c.jpg" /> The next day, we visited a producer that we don't import, so I won't talk about it. I did take the best picture of the trip there though: <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4280.JPG" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//e1/0f/e10f49dc328ba864ec2945265706c6ca.jpg" /> Driving back to Santiago, the sky was on fire. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4281-1.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//0e/25/0e25a307942e4dff8e5dd58a412818e4.jpg" /> We started the night at LA's friend Flacco, an architect, university professor and accomplished DJ in a past life. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4283.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//66/3e/663e8580fd1650ecc913b486e3bd3d40.jpg" /> He had a NY section in his vinyl collection, and we waxed poetic (pun intended) about LCD Soundsystem and Metro Area. From there, we went to another friend's house whose name I can't remember, but who had a really fancy turntable and some good tunes as well. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4286.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//a6/cc/a6ccdec07a7b0fefc860978318b9c40b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//df/cb/dfcbc1e6f7614da52107e6c05846a85b.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4288.JPG" test="test2" /> Old pieces of art from Louis-Antoine's beginnings were on proud display: <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4285.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//22/8d/228d2452465166d71031031e0f5fbe51.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//bf/5a/bf5add46945abc630ac3a8b45edce138.jpg" /> <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4287.jpg" test="test2" /> It was a really fun night. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4297.jpg" test="test2" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2020_Sep_01//cf/35/cf3580358c3c92e04be6e8779682b6a7.jpg" /> THE END. CONCLUSION: What Louis-Antoine Luyt has accomplished over the last decade is nothing short of incredible, and I hope I was able to transmit this in this series of blog posts. He's brought life to forgotten vines in forgotten lands. He's championed <glossary term="Paìs" title="768">País</glossary>, the grape that started it all. He's given us the opportunity to drink wine made from 300 year old vines for the first time. He's encouraged farmers to value their land in a climate that does the exact opposite. It's an honor to be represent him and share his vision with you all. <img alt="" src="http://louisdressner.com/lib/images/IMG_4275.jpg" test="test2" />