Henriquez, Roberto 2021 Santa Cruz de Coya Pais

Santa Cruz de Coya comes from a truly special and very old (200+ year-old) vineyard of Pais in Bío Bío, very isolated and tucked into the mountains. These old vines are short and bush trained, planted on granitic soils rich in quartz, and immersed in the ecosystem of the valley. The particularities of the location (the microclimate, its isolation, the completeness of the ecosystem) preclude the need for sulfur or copper treatments in the vineyard, allowing for a more-than-organic method of farming. Interestingly, the strong local yeasts (perhaps emboldened by the natural farming) also lead to a faster fermentation. Of the red wines from Roberto Henriquez, this is one of the most elegant, with structure from granite and long, fine tannins. Aging is for 1 year in concrete plus 3 months in neutral barrels. One of the finest demonstrations of what Pais is capable of.