Despechado saw the light as an expression of the countercurrent and feminist spirit of our winemaker Daniela Salinas. Long ago, there were approximately 1,6 hectares of Pinot Noir planted around ‘House of Morandé’, our old restaurant in the Casablanca Valley. These vines were constantly forgotten and regarded more as a problem than a contribution to our wines, due to the isolation and small size of the vineyard. Harvesting those few grapes implied a great logistical effort, despite their excellent quality, which was the result of the vineyard’s age and the great terroir on which it grew.

So these grapes felt ‘rejected of affection’ (despechadas) by the winemakers as well as by the vine growers…

Harvested for the first time in 2013, these grapes proved how mistaken we were. They showed their floral and austere character, and a decidedly different vein to what we had done so far. Interpreting them differently, fermenting them in concrete eggs, with a high proportion of whole bunches and extended vatting times, in addition to passive and delicate extractions, made a big positive difference during our first tasting. And as it usually happens with ‘rejected’ loves, we regret not having valued them before. Fortunately this time it wasn’t a love lost forever but rescued thanks to the talent of our winemaker.

Without spending time in barrels, this is a young and fresh wine that is straightforward but not simple. Like many of the variety’s best examples, it has an apparent delicacy which might be confused with weakness. But nothing could be more untrue: it is a wine with character and strength. The cliché of being ‘the white of the reds’ doesn’t do it any justice.

That dual character, so typical of Pinot Noir, makes it a much appreciated and wide-ranging wine. It can accompany us in moments of personal meditation, or it can be shared at a large table, offering such amazing options for pairing like few other wines can.

Ricardo Baettig

Winemaker at Viña Morandé