Let me introduce you to Tayú by 1865 Pinot Noir. This wine is the first of its kind in the world. An inclusivity wine and vineyard empowerment project created by Viña San Pedro in Southern Chile, using the coveted and adored Pinot Noir grape.
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The Background
It all started when Viña San Pedro found a unique terroir to grow Pinot Noir in southern Chille’s, Malleco Valley’s coastal region. This soil is volcanic and with a cooler climate due to the coastal influence it lends itself well to Pinot Noir’s sensitivity offering it the ability for elegance and ripeness. Tayú, means “Ours” in Mapudungun, and is the rare result of a very special winemaking project linking two very different, yet not so different worlds.
Living on this terroir, in the region of Malleco, are the indigenous Chilean families in the community of Buchahueico. The Mapuche, which means “people of the land”, have a connection to the earth and terroir that goes beyond what can be fully explained. There is a spiritual connection that goes beyond science and the black and white ways we see and talk about soil, sunlight and grapes and vines. It is something that can’t really be quantified, it can only be experienced. The Mapuche harness their intimate knowledge of the soils, tradition and sacred rituals to help to create Tayú by 1865 Pinot Noir. The final wine expresses a rare and unique taste and flavour profile that comes from origin and terroir and the people who help to grow and maintain it.
Each Mapuche family in the community owns 2.5H of Pinot Noir grapes and the members take care of them as if it were their own garden. They are trained and educated about how to grow the Pinot Noir vines from bud break to harvest. Together they work collaboratively with the Viña San Pedro vineyards team and winemaker Viviana Navarette, to produce the best grapes possible from the land, mother nature and the people together as one.
Spearheaded by world-class winemaker Viviana Navarette, she believes that this wine and the unique grape to glass process in collaboration with the Mupuche presented a new understanding of this interesting and complex grape variety. Celebrating Chile´s indigenous roots through this honest and natural partnership, the vine tending and grape growing is based on a traditional approach to nature, which values family and respect above all and also integrates indigenous rituals to fully manifest beauty, truth and purity to the final wine.
Viviana Navarette & Tayú by 1865 Pinot Noir
When it comes to winemaking, Viviana Navarette was recently recognized as Winemaker of the Year by the Descorchados Guide. Viviana is also known as the best winemaker of Pinot Noir in all of Chile, and has made it her career as a winemaker to create extraordinary Pinot Noir in cooler climate regions in Chile. She is dedicated to making exceptional Pinot Noir and making it with remarkable elegance and finesse. Tayú by 1865 Pinot Noir is more than just an exceptional wine garnering very high points from critics; it is a wine with heart, spirit and built on human sustainability.
When interviewing Viviana (I interviewed her for ‘The Juice’) she said that she can truly taste the balance and harmony that comes through in this wine that is unlike anything has ever tasted before. She can taste the dedication, humanity and elegance that this wine showcases not only from the terroir, but the energy also that comes from the people who have helped to make it.
She also explained the image on the Tayú label. The label is an artistic infusion that represents the indigenous Mapuche people, brought together as one hero woman. The brand created this face combining features of dozens of women from the community. On the face are lines that are symbolic of the vines that are planted and grown in Malleco, giving not only the sense of place, but also showcasing the people of the land. Viviana feels very proud to work with this project and these families and feels blessed and excited to bring this wine to the world.
Together Viña San Pedro and The Mapuche families work together to create a wine that is filled with balance and harmony and also tastes like a premium Pinot Noir (it is actually under $20). In this wine you can taste, honestly, integrity, spirituality and sustainability. If any of these things had a taste – Tayú by 1865 Pinot Noir can help you taste them. When you drink this Pinot Noir, you too become a part of this community and when you watch the video and taste this wine, it’s impossible to not love this wine and all that it is doing for the Buchahueico community.
This wine was launched at the LCBO back in January and sold out immediately. It is now back and will likely sell out again. You can find more information here.
