Coteaux de Trumao Pinot Noir 2021

Cruchon is a small family-owned winery located at the beginning of Chilean Patagonia. The winery is the brainchild of two French brothers, Christian and Olivier Porte, who settled in Chile over 30 years ago. In the early 2000s, they planted 2.5 hectares of Pinot Noir. After several vintages, Louis-Antoine Luyt (a former student of Marcel Lapierre) vinified their grapes for them. Later, Marcel Lapierre advised the project and oversaw the expansion of the Pinot Noir plantation. Today, with the help of Quentin Javoy, the Portes brothers have the privilege of creating the southernmost Pinot Noir in all of Latin America. The Pinot Noir vines, ranging from 9 to 22 years old, are farmed biodynamically and grow on Trumao (compacted volcanic sand) and fluvial sand soils. 2,000 bottles are produced annually. Everything is harvested by hand, then the bunches are literally destemmed berry by berry. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in large old barrels for 1 month. The wine then ages for 12 months in old oak barrels, then 12 months in bottle. No filtration and minimal sulfites are added. On the palate, the wine reveals notes of raspberry , wild blackberries , black cherry , graphite , leather , black mushrooms , red plums and licorice . The palate is elegant and structured, balanced by vibrant acidity and a beautiful persistence.

It was Hernán Cortés who ordered, upon the conquest of Mexico, the cultivation of vines in 1524. It gradually extended from Mexico southwards to reach Chile in 1555. During the first 3 centuries of colonization, there was no Only país (misión), a characterless and very productive black grape variety, was cultivated in Chile. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that we saw the introduction of noble varieties, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and, 20 years later, modern winemaking under the leadership of wealthy owners and experts. French that phylloxera in Europe had forced unemployment. Chile stretches 4,300 kilometers from north to south. It is wedged between the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Atacama Desert to the north, the Patagonian plains and glaciers to the south. These natural barriers prevented phylloxera from entering the country. Although the country is only 160 kilometers wide, it has ideal conditions for growing warm, intermediate and cool grape varieties, so much so that it is often described as a paradise for growing grapes. With nearly 300 properties producing bottled wines, Chile fluctuates between 6th and 8th place in the world.