Roberto Henríquez ‘Rivera Del Notro’ Blanco 2021
Location: Chile, Itata/Bío Bío
Winemaker: Roberto Henríquez
Grapes: Semillon, Moscatel, Corinto
Soil: granite
Winemaking: the fruit is de-stemmed, gently crushed; wild fermented with punch-downs (no pump-overs). 1 to 3 week fermentation; at dryness the free-run is separated and the skins are pressed. Matured 3 months on the skins, 80% in stainless steel, 20% in barrel.
From the Importer T. Edward: The ‘Rivera del Notre’ Blanco blend is made with three traditional varieties from the coastal area of the Itata valley. Corinto is harvested first (earliest to ripen) then Muscat, then Semillon, last. Corinto is the same variety as Chasselas, and it is known for a higher acidity and minerality but with hints of bacon fat and pineapple. Semillon has a sense of cucumber, off but how it grows here. The varietals are fermented separately, then blended. The final wine has a floral and spicy character.
Roberto Henríquez studied agronomy and enology at the University of Concepción. From there, he travelled and worked with winemakers in Canada, South Africa and finally in the Loire Valley with Rene Mosse. Rene had a profound effect on Roberto’s perspective on winemaking and his progression into organic and biodynamic farming.
Roberto, originally from Concepción, returned home after his time in abroad to begin making his own wine. Returning to the traditional Pipeño methods of the original winemakers of Chile felt intuitive to the winemaking style he had adopted. The rest of his story to present is pure progression to the pursuit of the most pure wines in a true Chilean context.
His vineyards were personally and carefully selected. Working with long term fermage agreements, he farms all the land himself (with the help of farming animals). To the north, in Itata, he is working with a vineyard of old vine Semillon and blends that with Corinto (aka Chasselas) and Muscat d’Alejandria producing an orange style wine. A little further south, in Bío Bío, he is farming Pais, from which he makes the Pipeño and the Santa Cruz de Coya.
He works with carbonic macerations and ages in old Rauli wood barrels. His wines are light-bodied, translucent, refined, and full of character!