Agrícola Grillos Cantores Mi Nena
Agrícola Grillos Cantores Mi Nena
Grape: Chasselas
Region Itata Valley, Chile
Notes: White pepper, green apple, ripe pear
Agricola Grillos Cantores is a small side project started in 2019 by Paco Leyton of Clos des Fous. The vision began in Itata when Paco met the seventy-something-year-old José Neira and visited the vineyard his grandfather planted in the late 1800’s. Paco fell in love with the head trained, bush vines comprised of Corinto (aka Chasselas), Pais, Cinsault, and Aramon located in the La Leonora subregion of Guarilihue, Itata. The 1.5 hectare vineyard sits on a slope of white silt, sand and granitic soil, littered with mica and a high concentration of quartz. The vines are non-irrigated, plowed by hand, and naturally farmed. The steep terrain enables the vines to grow deep roots and produce complex, balanced wines that are vertical and mineral driven. Paco believes that Corinto is a great terroir translator because of its dry, neutral typicity. Paco’s strives to produce clean and pure wines without ego. Paco also produces a Corinto with Flor and eventually, he hopes to also make a red blend of Pais, Cinsault, and Aramon from the Neira's vineyard in the future.