Rio de los Pajaros - 2017 - Gustavo Pisano

100% Pinot Noir from vines cultivated using sustainable agriculture and planted on clay-limestone soils in the region of Progreso in Uruguay, just thirty kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. The grapes are harvested by hand, with controlled yields, sorting of the bunches in the vineyard and in the cellar, and 5 to 6 months of maturation in French oak barrels, with no new oak.
Gustavo Pisano is the head winemaker at his family's eponymous estate. Francesco Pisano, the great-grandfather of the current owners, left his native Italy for Uruguay in 1870, and it was his son, Cesare, who planted the first vines in 1914. Located in the region of Progreso, just north of Montevideo and therefore quite close to the Atlantic Ocean, the estate is now run by three brothers: Eduardo, Daniel and Gustavo. Today, Pisano Winery is the standard bearer of family-run, quality viticulture in Uruguay, with some thirty hectares of vineyards planted with Pinot Noir, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, among other varieties. The three winegrowers approach their work like true artisans, and with the Rio de los Pajaros cuvée in particular, seek to convey the identity of the Uruguayan terroir and all the rich potential of this country, with this climate and these soils so totally unique which we find in every Pisano cuvée.