Pedro Parra 'Hub' Itata 2022

Pedro Parra was born in Concepción, near Bio Bio and Itata, in the south of Chile. He holds a PhD in terroir from the Paris Center of Agriculture, with six years of experience in French terroirs. He's consulted everywhere, Chile, Argentina, the US, Italy, France, Armenia, bringing an open mind and a sharp eye to winemakers around the world. 

Itata is a remote, mysterious place in southern Chile. Isolated granitic mountains near the ocean, 500 kilometres south of Santiago. For centuries, it was practically inaccessible: no roads, steep slopes, rain, dense forest. That isolation meant the local viticulture developed completely disconnected from the wine modernity that swept through Chile in the last 40 years.

His 'Hub' comes from 40-year-old dry-farmed vines of Cinsault in Guarilihue, in the higher part of the region, on rocky granite soils with lots of silt and quartz. Fermented in concrete tanks with 100% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. Then aged 11 months in concrete vat. N

Cherries in liqueur, brick dust, a little herbal, minty, almost eucalyptus thing happening, which is extremely common in wines from this region. Terroir, eh! The palate is austere, pure sand and rocks, grip. For geeky stony wine people. Drink it with grilled meats, with something earthy, or just on its own. It's a wine to think over it.