South American Pinot Noir: 20 to try

An eloquent Pinot Noir made by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta at his biodynamic vineyard in Mainqué, Patagonia, which was first planted in 1955. Adopting a minimal intervention approach and aged – or rather cultivated – in concrete and Burgundian barrels for 11 months, it’s bright ruby red in the glass and has a perfumed nose of cherry and forest fruits, black tea, mushrooms, herbs and mineral aromas. On the palate it’s complex, layered and vibrant with chewy tannins and lasting flavour.

Talinay is a vineyard in Limarí with calcareous-rich granite soils where Felipe Muller and Héctor Rojas have direct planted massal selections of Gevry Chambertin and Vosne-Romenée. Thus was born this exceptional Pinot, with an austere but complex aromatic profile of dried rose, turmeric, wet stone and gunpowder before the energetic flow which delivers lively freshness, a chalky texture and a vivid finish.

Francisco Baettig and Carlos de Carlo make this refined Pinot Noir from grapes selected from a couple of parcels of a dry-farmed vineyard in Traiguén (Malleco), a cool area with mild sunlight and volcanic soils. The fragrant nose presents notes of lavender, violet, sweet tobacco, mint, cherries and wet stone; while it’s vibrant and tense in the mouth with differently textured layers, chalky, grippy tannins and a lengthy finish.

Piero Incisa della Rocchetta’s most recent creation for Bodega Chacra (Mainqué, Patagonia) is this exquisite Pinot Noir made with biodynamic grapes from an old, diminutive vineyard allowed to run fairly wild. Aged in concrete and old barrels, the nose delivers pure mineral and floral aromas accompanied by sour red fruit and hints of citrus. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied with a tense, linear feel and insistent, characterful tannins.

Domaine Nico – one of Laura Catena’s projects – is revealing the potential of Pinot Noir in Uco Valley's Tupungato. La Savante hails from Gualtallary (1,400m above sea level) where the soil is mostly sand and stone with a calcareous layer underneath. The subtle but complex aromatic profile features sour red fruit, rose, mushrooms and hints of truffle; while the flow is voluminous and refined with good freshness and polished tannins.

A refined Pinot Noir from Marcelo Retamal made with grapes from a parcel of granite and limestone soils in the Talinay vineyard (Limarí Valley). 50% fermented with whole bunches, it’s a light ruby red in the glass while the nose is austere but complex with aromas of earth, truffle, wet stone and cherry. In the mouth, it’s fresh and energetic with rewardingly grippy tannins and a perfumed finish.

This Pinot Noir by Viviana Navarrete combines grapes from three calcareous polygons (also rich in iron and granite) in a vineyard just a couple of miles from the sea. 35% fermented in whole bunches with native yeasts, it is aged in concrete and foudres, resulting in an expressive, vibrant nose of fresh cherry, wild strawberry, spice, earth notes and hints of herb. In the mouth the flow is velvety with good energy and tension before the long, fragrant finish.

One of Daniel Pi’s more ambitious projects, this Pinot is made with grapes from a vineyard in Los Arboles, Uco Valley at 1,400m above sea level, where the soils are rocky and climate cool. Aged for six months in foudres, this is a refined, austere wine initially before the oxygen gets to work, bringing out aromas of fresh cherry, blackberry, violet, liquorice, clove and mushroom. In the mouth it’s balanced and fresh with granulated tannins and a lasting finish.

Salentein has been experimenting with Pinot Noir for some time, with the best results coming from its vineyard in San Pablo, a cold part of the Uco Valley 1,400m above sea level. There, Jorge Cabeza and Gabriela García produce this refined wine, which boasts a nose of wild cherries and strawberries, allspice and gunpowder. In the mouth, it’s tacky and fresh with subtle tannins that make for a lovely, easygoing finish.

Gabriel Dvoskin selects grapes from his vineyard in Pampa El Cepillo – an especially cool area of the Uco Valley rich in caliche deposits – to make this extremely elegant Pinot Noir. A light red colour, the expressive nose offers cherries, wet leaves, Earl Grey tea and mushrooms, while on the palate it’s rewardingly intense and subtle with layers of different textures, refined tannins and a fragrant finish.

The proximity of the sea – with no mountain ranges to get in the way – and the red clay soils, which are also rich in stone and calcium carbonate, are the two keys to this skeletal Pinot Noir made by Marcelo Papa with grapes from the northern shore of the Limarí River. Concentrated and expressive, the nose features cherry, spice and rose, while it’s velvety on the palate with refined, compact tannins.

Hailing from Los Lagos, then southernmost edge of Chilean viticulture, this Pinot Noir, made with a minimal intervention approach, is a delicious find for fans of natural wines. The cold climate and volcanic soils bring out the fruitiness of the Pinot in a nose of tangy red fruit, rose, mushrooms and wet stone, while in the mouth it’s sharp with lively freshness and a polished texture.

A Burgundy-style Pinot Noir made by Francisco Baettig with grapes from a vineyard in Aconcagua Costa where the soils are rich in slate and iron, this wine is wild fermented, 10% with whole bunches, and aged in 300-litre barrels. The complex nose features sweet, smoky spices, rose, cherry and blood aromas, while on the palate it’s harmonious and fresh with compact tannins that channel the flow.

Otronia is a vineyard in Chubut, in the far south of Patagonia, where the cool climate is ideal for varieties with a short ripening cycle such as Pinot Noir. Made by Juan Pablo Murgia and Alberto Antonini, Block I comes from the most calcareous section resulting in an expressive nose of cherry, raspberry, liquorice, damp earth, graphite and a hint of clove. In the mouth it’s tense with a good tannic structure and a refined but intense character.

Gabriel Pisano is a curious-minded winemaker who has made a name for himself on the Uruguayan viticultural scene with his precise, expressive wines. Using grapes from the Progreso region near the Río de la Plata, this fruity red has a rich nose of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with notes of mushroom and wet leaves. Fluid and flavourful in the mouth, the freshness is accomplished while the tannins are a little rugged.

This exotic Pinot Noir is made by Thibaut Delmotte with grapes from a vineyard planted 3,100m above sea level in the Calchaquí Valley. 30% fermented with whole bunches, it’s a vivid ruby red in the glass with a nose of wild strawberries, redcurrants, stems, herbs and earthy notes. On the palate it’s harmonious and fresh with refined tannins that sculpt the loquacious finish.

The proximity of the Atlantic Ocean is a key factor in this fresh, expressive Pinot Noir fermented by Germán Bruzzone in cement tulips before ageing in oak casks. Complex, with rewardingly fruity notes of sweet and sour cherry, plus mineral and spice aromas. In the mouth it’s dense, harmonious and elegant with firm, compact tannins.

It took 15 years of vineyard studies and experimentation at the winery for Rafael Orrejuela to achieve this modern, sophisticated Pinot Noir from a spot 8km from the sea with calcaire soils. Aged for 11 months in concrete vessels, it delivers a vivid ruby red in the glass, the fragrant nose presents notes of cherry and violet with hints of spice and minerals. On the palate it’s balanced with good body and freshness and firm, refined tannins.

This exciting Pinot Noir is a socially responsible collaboration between Viña San Pedro and a Mapuche community from Araucania who tend to vineyards in Malleco. Viviana Navarrete looks to preserve the essence of the terroir through brief macerations, 20% in whole bunches, and by only ageing 20% of the wine. The nose brims over with red fruit, cherry, lavender and notes of menthol. It’s fresh and linear in the mouth, where the granulated tannins bring out the expressive flavours.

Near the Río de la Plata, the vineyards of the Pisano family are planted in clay/calcium soils that are well-suited to Pinot Noir, as shown by this wine. A simple, easydrinking red, the nose offers cherry, raspberry and fruit coulis accompanied by mushroom and tobacco aromas. In the mouth, the flow is light, fresh and juicy with polished tannins.