This week we feature the stunning 'Terroir Hunter' range from Chile's Undurraga made by one of the countries most brilliant young winemakers Rafael Urrejola, with particular focus on the whites in this glorious weather!
£19.99 per bottle, or £15 in a mixed six!
Undurraga Winery was founded in 1885 by Don Francisco Undurraga, one of the pioneers of winemaking in Chile. With plants he brought over from France and Germany, and under the supervision of the renowned French viticulturist M. Pressac, he developed the first Undurraga Vineyards on his Santa Ana Estate in the heart of Maipo Valley. The first grape varieties that were planted included Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer and by 1903 they were the first Chilean winery to ship to the US. Today the Undurraga family owns over 2,000 acres of prime vineyards in the Maipo and Colchagua Valleys.
Rafael Urrejola, was recently recognized by Drinks Business magazine in the January 2014 issue for being one of the top thirty "young winemakers from around the world making a name for themselves as the future of the industry," according to the publication. He also won Chile's Winemaker of the Year Award in 2009.
One of his primary successes was the development of the Terroir Hunter, or T.H. brand, an innovative concept that transcends conventional winemaking boundaries in its search for non-traditional terroirs across the rich and diverse Chilean geography. Rafael and his team search for small plots of land. The plots can be no larger than 13 acres. He searches Chile's diverse topography, for micro-terroirs with micro-climates, where he can manage the chosen area, in such a way that he can obtain the highest quality wines that the soils can offer. Rafael comments that "Wines with strong character and terroir driven wines are the ultimate goal... The different climates and different soils communicate to the world that the new winemakers from Chile can produce world-class wines. In the past we only made everyday wines. Undurraga has helped change that myth, by using winemakers, like myself, to be responsible for certain ranges. We invested in new vats, doubled our property and focused our winemaking in special locations that we knew would excel".
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