Roberto Henriquez, Pais Franco 2022

Producer: Roberto Henriquez
Region: Bío Bío Valley, Itata, Chile
Varietals: 100% Cinsault
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Category: Red Wine
Size: 750ml

The Bío Bío Valley is one of Chile’s most historic—and extreme—wine regions, and Roberto Henriquez is in the vanguard of its quality-focused producers. At his self-named winery, he preserves the region’s winemaking traditions and native varieties with light-bodied, refined, site-specific wines from ancient vineyards.

These ancient, own-rooted País vines are located 800 meters from the Bío Bío River in a dry riverbed that once held the river. The soil is particularly unique, featuring an alluvial top layer over black, sandy basaltic soils. This is “País Franco”—a nod to piè franco, meaning the vines are ungrafted, like most of Henriquez’s plantings. The name also highlights how this cuvée represents one of the most honest, pure, and expressive interpretations of the variety available.