A Chat with Roberto Henriquez

ROBERTO HENRIQUEZ

NACIMIENTO, BIO-BIO, CHILE

A native of the Chilean city of Concepción, Roberto – largely inspired by his uncle - has always dreamed of making wine. 

He studied to be an agronomist and enologist, then worked for large commercial wineries in Chile, South Africa and Canada. Returning to his homeland, Roberto spent some time with Louis Antoine Luyt, and this experience - as well as working with producers such as Mosse in France (Loire) - helped shape his perception of wine: natural winemaking was the path he wanted to follow.

Roberto is part of the very small-scale, zero-input agriculture and winemaking community of the Old South: the veteran farmers work traditionally, having never used chemicals. However nowadays, Chilean culture doesn’t pay much tribute to historic winemaking, and he felt he had to do something to try and keep tradition alive. 

Alex visited Roberto last summer:

"First of all, don't go to Chile during winter, it's very cold! And also very good for skiing. But seriously, I have learned a lot about a different approach to wine culture which I have never experienced before.

"Roberto has given real context to his wines and it was interesting to see the variety of different terroirs of País. We visited other winemakers in the area and were always welcomed with open arms, invited into their homes and served deep-fried Sopapilla bread which is meant for special occasions. Chile has an incredibly welcoming culture.

"One of my culinary highlights was visiting a food truck on the side of the road run by a lady who was selling oven-cooked empañadas with pickled green chilli and vinegar. She would sell out by 11.30am!

"Roberto has recently taken over a vineyard in Santa Juana, the 66th vineyard ever registered in Chile, which means it's hundreds of years old. The soils are clay, which give País more softness and elegance - so stay tuned!"


Do wine lovers think of Chile often when they consider the world's finest wines? The reality is that most do not, and therein lies a problem for the country's wine industry, as there are plenty of treasures to be found.



We've had a chat with Roberto:

What led you to be a natural winemaker?
"I have always dreamed of becoming a winemaker, since I was a child, I just didn't know which way I should go about it. After having initially worked with commercial wineries in Chile, South Africa and Canada I returned back to Chile and properly learned about the (nowadays widely discriminated) Pipeño winemaking style. It is a uniquely Chilean style that refers to wine stored in a pipa – a very large ageing vessel made of native Raulí beech wood. Culturally it means wine of and for the people. Grapes are traditionally fully destemmed, open fermented in lagar (massive foudres of raulí), foot-stomped and gravity-fed to pipa soon after fermentation so it can be enjoyed quicker. After experiencing the way the vines were treated at the big commercial wineries it was clear to me that it wasn't the way I wanted to work. What I wanted to do was continuing the Chilean tradition combined with what I have learned from the small natural wine producers i have worked with in France. I wanted to work with our traditional grape varieties in respect to the vines and soils, this is very important to me. My whole family is involved with the work around the vineyard and my uncle, who inspired me to become a winemaker, is also still producing his own wines in Itata, but on a small scale."


How do you treat your soils?
"In general, we do everything by hand. We cut the grass in spring, use animals for ploughing when we can. But the challenge we have here is that it is difficult to find people who will work the vines for you, and that is one of the main reasons why less and less winemakers are working traditionally. In this coastal range we've got 1000ha of winemaking regions and unfortunately most of it is worked with machinery.  Everyone is doing what they have to in order to keep their vines alive and survive financially. Unfortunately a lot of them then end up with cheap commercial wines which are sold in bulk and never even get bottled, which is a shame. About 60-70 years ago traditional winemaking was the way to go but nowadays it is a big challenge to keep up financially as well as logistically."

[Background: In the 19th century, as mining wealth grew in Santiago, the elite travelled to Europe and gained a taste for European culture and in particular, French wines. French varietals were brought over and planted on a massive scale in the central region close to the capital. As opposed to the very small-scale, zero-input agriculture and winemaking of the Old South, these modern plantings heralded the start of industrial viticulture and vinification. This continues to be winemaking based on unsustainable agriculture (heavy irrigation and chemical sprays) and the exploitation of traditional growers. The box wine and export industry relies on paying incredibly low prices for país grapes and blending them with French varietals to increase colour, alcohol and extraction. The industrialisation of winemaking in the hot centre definitively pushed small growers in the south out of the market, and now viticulture is dying as the price of grapes set by the monopoly of Concha y Toro, is too often below cost of production. Source: www.cultivarwines.com]

So are there any other natural winemakers around?
"A couple, but I would say that in Chile in general there are only about 10. The natural winemaking philosophy is not easy to find here as there is no market in Chile for heritage wines. There are thousands of winemakers but most of them produce their wine commercially and sell it to big corporations. Also, as there is no official regulation around natural wine, there are loads of growers who say their wine is 'natural', even though it isn't, at all. There is a thin line between being honest about how exactly you make your wine, and making things up as that will bring you better sales."

What influence does the soil have on your wines?
"For example, granite soils are typical for this coastal region of Chile. I find that they give personality but at the same time still leave plenty of room for the grapes to express themselves. So overall, I'd say granite soils are more neutral. While other soils affect the wine much more, I find that granite soils are less intrusive and therefore offer a good balance - give a hand to the vine, without leaving a heavy mark."

When will you start harvest? 
"We usually harvest here between March and April. Your spring, our autumn. For the last two years, we've had two rather cold seasons. A cold and late spring, cooler summer and generally low sugar concentration."

How noticeable is climate change in your region?
"I can tell now generally there is more cold but also humidity with hot summers, whereas 10 years ago each season was more distinct. There is also overall less rain. I wouldn't say there are catastrophic changes happening over here, just more of an unnatural shift."

Have you finished building your winery?
"So, my winery is opposite my house. We are constantly improving it but it is almost finished! We have started from nothing so that was a big challenge for us."

What are your plans for the future?
"I would like to expand and build another winery in Itata - this is not possible at the moment, but maybe one day!" 

If you could visit any other wine region in the world, where would it be and why?
"There are many that I want to visit. But especially the Canaries, because this is where our viticulture here in Chile comes from. The first ever vines brought to South America came from the Canaries. Each year I want to go but I haven't managed yet!"

Now in Stock

White

2018 Rivera del Notro White (750ml) - Moscatel, Corinto, Semillon - £23.60
A blend made with three traditional varieties from the coastal area of the Itata valley: Moscatel, Corinto, Semillón (100-year-old vines). A floral white wine with spicy character.

2018 Molino del Ciego (750ml) - Semillon - £26.60
From 100-year-old Semillón vines from the Itata region. A refreshing white with herbal and medicinal notes.

2018 Corinto Super Estrella (Magnum) - Corinto - £45.30
From 100-year-old Chasselas vines from Itata, known in the area as Corinto. "This variety is not very appreciated by the locals but for us, it is a treasure." A limited production of only 400 magnums.



Red

2018 Rivera del Notro Red (750ml) - Pais - £21.70
200-year-old Pais vines located on an alluvial piedmont 800m away from the Bío-Bío river. An earthy red wine with herbal character.

2018 Santa Cruz de Coya (750ml) - Pais - £23.30
From 200-year-old Pais vines in Bio-Bio. Vineyard located on the foothills of Nahuelbuta coastal range, Bío-Bío. A lovely red wine with an earthy character.

2018 Ultimate Prensa (Magnum) - Moscatel, Pais - £30.77
From 100-year-old Moscatel and Pais vines in Itata. A one-off production! An easy-drinking red wine with floral and honey notes.

Available online or in store, while stocks last.