Making Longaví Cementerio Chenin Blanc in Maule with old vines of País

Longaví Cementerio Chenin Blanc is one of the most exciting new ‘old vine’ wines to come out of Chile in recent years. Winemaker Christian Sepúlveda explains why they decided to graft Chenin Blanc onto 100-year-old vines of Pais in their vineyard in Huerta de Maule, steps away from the local cemetary.

In this interview, we ask why old vines of País can have a new lease of life with wines like Longaví Cementerio Chenin Blanc and talk about the general conditions of Maule for winemaking.

Longaví Cementerio Chenin Blanc: Grafted on old vines of Pais in Maule with winemaker Christian Sepúlveda

Video highlights: Amanda Barnes interviews winemaker Christian Sepúlveda

Grafting chenin blanc on old vines of Pais in Huerta de Maule in Chile, Longavi Cemetario Chenin Blanc — Grafing Chenin Blanc onto old vine País

Christian, we are in the Longavi vineyard, the cemetery vineyard or “cementerio”, can you tell me how you found this vineyard and how you have been grafting Chenin Blanc here?

We are in Maule, in the secano interior, and you will find mainly Pais. In this part of Chile, we have a lot of Pais that is ungrafted, in dry farming conditions and granitic soil.

When we started looking where we would put the Chenin Blanc, we decided to use this rootstock of 100 years old that has been in the same condition for so many years, without any water, so we grafted Chenin Blanc in this kind of soil and under these conditions. This was in 2017 and in the first vintage we saw incredible results in terms of concentration and acidity.

So totally benefitting from the old roots. And Pais is also very drought resistant, a great variety for the secano interior of Chile. But you also do make Pais in this area of Huerta de Maule. Can you tell us about Huerta de Maule and how the conditions are compared to the rest of Maule?

In Huerta de Maule we get medium to high temperatures so you get great alcohol, but in this area, we find very low pH and good acidity so you’ll get wines with good structure. In Maule, wines are known to be juicy as a result of edgy tannins and great acidity. In Huerta de Maule you get good maturity and good acidity.

We are right next to the cemetery. Can you tell me about the positioning of the cemetery and why you chose to name it on the label?

The cemetery of Huerta de Maule is inside the vineyard. It is quite incredible. It is Chenin Blanc grafted in Pais and the label is called Cemeterio because the old cemetery of Huerta de Maule is still here.

How is the vintage 2022 looking for Chenin Blanc?

2022 is a bit warmer than 2021 and the maturity is better for me but the pH is still low so the Chenin Blanc, which is still fermenting, has good structure with great acidity and a lot of strength.

Not only are you re-grafting Chenin Blanc on top of the Pais but you also bring value to this vineyard by the grapes now selling for a better price. Can you tell me how the Longavi project is focused on re-valuing old vines and these vineyards that weren’t selling for as much as they could potentially do?

The Longavi project consists of making partnerships with the owners, which are the ones that keep these vines alive. Pais was generally sold at very low prices. About 10 years ago, 1kg was sold for 10 cents of euro. As a result of this project, which also incorporates another variety on the old vines, the grapes are now sold for between 1 and 1.5 euros a kilo.

Read more about the sister winery, Bouchon, in our winery guide online!