A LOS VINETEROS BRAVOS
Itata, Chile
A Los Viñateros Bravos is a culmination of Leo Erazo’s lifetime of dedication to the terroirs of Chile and Argentina. In 2016 while working as winemaker for Altos in Mendoza (where Leo was responsible for converting the 90 Ha estate to organic and parcelling out the terroirs), Leo and his family were lucky enough to purchase 2 hectares of vines from an old farmer in Itata. Leo had been working these vines already for years already so he knew the area well. He has studied soil science and viticulture for the last 15 years, travelling and working all over the world including vintages in France, South Africa and Australia. His passion for Itata is not just emotional, he recognises the incredible potential of its’ terroir.
Since 2016 the project has grown to 6 hectares and as of 2020 is Leo’s full-time work. In addition to the vines they tend 4 hectares of forest to improve biodiversity. His message to the world is clear: The south of Chile has some of the oldest vineyards in the world and they are disappearing to pine trees and eucalyptus. He wants to preserve them and the old ways they are tended. In a rapidly changing, globalized, modern world, Itata is still stuck in the beautiful past.
The A Los Viñateros Bravos winery is totally off grid, gravity fed and solar powered. They use only rainwater in the cellar. For Leo, making wine from organic fruit is not enough (They have always been organic), the project has to have 0 inputs of CO2 into the atmosphere as well. All of the vineyard work is done by hand or horse, there are no tractors to compact the soil.
The wines are parcelled out in the style of Burgundy with the top wines (La Resistencia) coming from the upper part of Leo’s mid-sloping vineyards the village wines (Granitico & Volcanico series) coming from the bottom of the slope. Bravo’s wines are terroir specific and the location of the vine’s roots of are utmost importance. The more expose to the bedrock the roots are, the better. Soils are mostly granitic, with quartz and some volcanic areas as well. The new plantings are all over schist. Expect Riesling, Albariño and Chenin blanc in the future from this dynamic winemaker.
About Itata:
The first vineyards in Itata were planted around the 1500s near the bay of Concepción very close to the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish planted this region because the granite soil allowed the vines to survive without irrigation. Even today the valley is primarily dry-farmed bush vines. The viticulture of Itata lost its fame around the 1800s. Itata has a cold climate, poor granite soils and great oceanic influence.
The more central regions of chile are now changed to vertical shoot positioning and long rows of vines on wires, have irrigation and are planted on the flat lands. These things are easier to scale up and mechanize. The modern Chilean wine industry lives in central Chile. Itata is 400km away. During this modernization and mechanization period, the farms in Itata got smaller and smaller. The division of the land between families created a lot of vineyards that are between 3 to 5 ha. Today the number of vineyards in Itata is constantly decreasing. An increasing pressure to plant pine trees and eucalyptus trees constantly threatens the old vineyards.
Despite this constant pressure, some vignerons remain loyal to the old ways. Slow farming, low yields, working by hand and producing wines of elegance and terroir. A Los Viñateros Bravos is one of them.
2019 Pipeño Blanco: The oldest wine ever produced in Chile back in 1551 was a Pipeño. Old vines, organic viticulture and natural winemaking, make these wines great introduction to the old vines. Pipeño Banco is mostly old vines Moscatel with some Chasselas and Semillon too. Mostly destemmed then skin Fermented for 2-3 weeks. Fermented like a red wine with punch downs etc. Basket pressed. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 Pipeño Tinto: The oldest wine ever produced in Chile back in 1551 was a Pipeño. Old vines, organic viticulture and natural winemaking, make these wines great introduction to the old vines. Pipeño Tinto is mostly cinsault from an east facing parcel on the lower part of the hill. The mother rock is further away here and there is more clay yeilding a much more vibrant, bright, fresh style. Vines planted in the 1950s. Bush Vines. Fermented and aged in Concrete, maceration about 2-3 weeks. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 Granitico Blanco: 2 separate vineyards. One of Moscatel and one of Semillon. 50/50 blend. Fermented separately, skin fermented for 2 weeks. One year of elevage. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 Granitico Pais: Their oldest Vineyard, planted 1789 (you read that correctly). All on highly degraded Granitic Rock in a red clay matrix. These vines have extremely deep root and are very very low yielding. 100% destemmed before 2-3 week maceration. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 Grantico Cinsault: 60-year-old vines on granite beside the Pais vineyard. It’s the same large east facing plot with lots of exposed granite and some quartz. Same winemaking. 20% stems, 80% destemmed before 2-3 week maceration. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 Volcanico Pais: Basaltic sand soils of volcanic origin. This is a coarser and lighter soil than those of say, Etna, but the volcanic influence is clear. The idea here is to show the different Terroirs through Pais, which Leo feels is an excellent terroir-expresser. 150-year-old vines. 100% destemmed before 2-3 week maceration. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
2019 La Resistencia: This is the grand cru pais: 170 year old Pais vines from a 0.2 Ha plot on the upper slope of the hill. Granitic quarts in a yellow matrix around further decomposed granite. Very poor soils. The roots here go directly into the granite bedrock. They make 1000L or less each year. Fruit is 100% destemmed before 2-3 week maceration. Natural ferment, unfined and unfltered. No sulfur until Bottling.
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