Pino Román

Ignacio Pino Román (Nacho, to those who know him) started making wine in 2018, after working harvests in Alentejo, Napa, and elsewhere. He returned to his home in Chile with the goal of highlighting the ancient viticultural traditions of the Itata valley. His project focuses on the area of Coelemu, about 20 kilometers from the Pacific ocean, where he works with four small growers.

Nacho believes that wine is born in the vineyard, and his approach to working with his winegrowers is collaborative in spirit. The vineyards and winegrowers that he buys grapes from are all old, carefully farmed, and never treated with intensive chemical treatments. In the cellar, Nacho works with neutral wood, stainless steel, and clay vessels. No additives are used during fermentation, and the only sulfur additions are small and at bottling. His goal is to provide as clear a representation of the Itata valley and its ancient vines as possible. 


​The Wines
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País Pet Nat is 100% País from Eliana Sanhueza’s 3 hectare vineyard of 60+ year old own-rooted vines in Trehuaco in Itata’s coastal range. The vines are planted at 161m above sea level on granitic soils. The grapes were harvested by hand and pressed very gently without destemming, yielding the free run juice used for this Pet Nat. Fermented in stainless steel tank until residual sugar reached ~8-10mg/l, then bottled to make an ancestral method wine. 

Semillon is 100% Semillon from Manuel Ulloa’s tiny 0.3 hectare parcel of 40+ year old own-rooted vines in Coelemu in Itata’s coastal range. The vines are planted at 131m above sea level on granitic soils. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then placed in an open stainless steel tank to ferment without temperature control with the skins. After fermentation, the wine was racked off its skins and rested for six months in a stainless steel tank before bottling without fining, filtering and with only a small amount of added SO2. 

Orange (2022 brown bottle) is ​50% Moscatel of Alexandria and 50% Torontel from Eliana Sanhueza’s 3.5 hectare vineyard of 60+ year old own-rooted vines in Tauco within Itata’s coastal range. The vines are planted at 161m above sea level on granitic soils. The grapes are harvested by hand and destemmed, then placed in very old Chilean amphora to ferment without temperature control. After fermentation, the wine ages for 10 months on its skins before bottling without fining, filtering and with only a small amount of added SO2. 
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Orange (2024 clear bottle) is ​100% Moscatel of Alexandria from Eliana Sanhueza’s 3.5 hectare vineyard of 60+ year old own-rooted vines in Tauco within Itata’s coastal range. The vines are planted at 85m elevation on granitic soils. The grapes are harvested by hand and destemmed, then placed in very old Chilean amphora to ferment without temperature control. After fermentation, the wine ages for 10 months on skins pressing off to tank and bottled without fining, filtering and with only a small amount of added SO2. 

País is 100% País from Eliana Sanhueza’s 3 hectare vineyard of 60+ year old own-rooted vines in Trehuaco within Itata’s coastal range. The vines are planted at 161m above sea level on granitic soils. The grapes were harvested by hand and destemmed, then placed in an open vat for maceration and fermentation without temperature control. After fermentation, the wine rested for 10 months in stainless steel vat before bottling without fining, filtering and with only a small amount of added SO2. 

Pipeño is 50% País, 25% Cinsault, and 25% Moscatel de Alejandría from the “Los Pellines” vineyard which is more than 80 years old, dry-farmed and own-rooted in Itata’s coastal Nuble range. The vines are planted at 161m above sea level on granitic soils. The grapes are harvested by hand and destemmed, then each of the varieties are placed in separate open vats for maceration and fermentation without temperature control. After fermentation, the wines are combined in stainless steel tanks for 10 months of aging before bottling in the traditional 1 liter bottles without fining, filtering and with only a small amount of added SO2. 


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Location

General Info

  • Founded: 2018
  • Region: Itata Valley
  • Town: Coelemu
  • Climate: Mediterranean
  • Soils: Granitic
  • Farming: Organic
  • Winemaker: Ignacio Pino Román

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