INTERVIEW

The Decanter interview Daniel Pi Never more comfortable than when breaking the winemaking mould, the Peñaflor veteran is a central figure in the story of ’s wine industry, as Amanda Barnes reveals

OVERSEEING THE PRODUCTION of more than at the deep end. His task was to start wine 200 million litres of wine each year, Daniel Pi production from scratch in the unfashionable doesn’t have time for much else. ‘I’m lucky I region of San Juan. ‘No one believed in San Daniel Pi love what I do!’ he says sincerely, and you get Juan,’ Pi remembers. ‘I wanted to prove that we at a the impression that he really does love his job. could make good wine there’. So he moved his glance Pi may be softly spoken but, as director of family to San Juan, where they then lived for winemaking for Grupo Peñaflor, he is at the the next decade. Born 1960 in helm of one of the biggest wine producers in During this time, Pi worked with several Mendoza City the world and has been instrumental in Amanda Barnes is a consultants – he credits Australian winemaker Training Juan building its success. His own success is down widely published and Peter Bright as one of his greatest mentors – Agustin Maza to decades of hard graft and determination – awarded writer, and travelled extensively to Washington and University: but Pi also has an intrepid spirit that’s taken publisher and California. Ignoring the Bordeaux influence graduated as a him beyond the ordinary. broadcaster working in taking hold in Mendoza, Pi became a lone winemaker in 1983. Born into a middle-class family, Pi was the print and digital. She Rhône-ranger in San Juan, planting the Don Bosco first to attend university, choosing to study has been based in region’s first and carefully selected college: started architecture. Disillusioned with the creative Mendoza since 2009 clones – both of which have become white wine research limits that restrain architects in Mendoza – emblematic varieties for the region. in 1984 a region known for its earthquakes – he soon Pi also focused on producing own-label Career 1985 head switched to winemaking. Graduating five wines for UK supermarkets including, as he winemaker at Quirós years later, Pi was ready to start making wine fondly chuckles, a ‘Monster Spicy Red’ for winery; 1992 hired – but the industry wasn’t quite ready for him. Tesco. In his characteristically unpretentious by Grupo Peñaflor; ‘I finished my degree and was immediately manner, he credits the UK supermarkets with 1998 becomes head unemployed,’ he recalls sardonically. ‘There discovering the potential of Argentinian winemaker at was an overproduction crisis. White wines in the late 1990s. ‘Malbec was very El Esteco; were fashionable and everyone was common and cheap at the time, and the UK 2003 becomes head overcropping, prices were low and the quality trade is usually looking for a bargain… That’s winemaker of wasn’t good. Let’s say it was “complicated”…’ why it started appearing on labels and people Trapiche; 2009 first started paying attention.’ vintage of his family First steps Attention was also being paid to Pi’s ability label Tres14; Undeterred, Pi took a ‘terribly paid’ job at the to champion good value wines, and in 1999 he 2010 becomes National Viticulture Institute’s laboratory launched Finca Las Moras – the first winemaking director until he landed his first position two years Argentinian brand to export red wines within for Grupo Peñaflor later: making pre-mixed sparkling wine and their vintage year. It went on to become Family Wife Cecilia pineapple cocktails (‘they were popular at Argentina’s most-sold brand in the UK, and Pi (a radiologist), Christmas’). He split his time between the unabashedly describes the wines as ‘easy to children Daniela winery and pineapple factory, but in the understand’, advocating simplicity in a world (28, studying to be a evening he moonlighted at the local university where ‘wine has become too complicated’. winemaker) and researching white wine production. His Having successfully flown the flag for the Gonzalo (26, a growing specialism soon made him one of the underdog region of San Juan, the Peñaflor programmer) most sought-after technical experts for white group now set Pi another challenge: to turn Hobbies Cooking; winemaking in Latin America, and it was around production at their new investment, sharing meals, wine when he was lecturing on the topic in Brazil in Michel Torino (now El Esteco), in Salta’s and music with 1992 that Grupo Peñaflor offered him a job. Calchaquí Valley. It didn’t get off to the best friends; hiking; On paper this might sound like Pi’s big start. ‘The previous owner had sold five architecture break – but in reality he was being thrown in containers of Torrontés to Germany, and we ➢

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plenty of water, so we convinced the company to invest in a vineyard.’ The move has broadened the horizon for Barnes’ top picks from Daniel Pi Argentinian winemaking regions, beyond the western Andes corridor, and laid a blueprint Trapiche, Terroir Tres14, Imperfecto, for future coastal vineyards. ‘With global Series, Finca El Tomillo Gualtallary, Mendoza, warming, the future lies in places with more , Uco Valley 2012 95 water availability,’ Pi says more seriously. Gualtallary, Mendoza, £25 Carruthers & Kent, A more intimate project is Pi’s family label, Uco Valley 2017 94 Laithwaite’s which he started with his children, Daniela £23 Carruthers & Kent, Pi first made the Iscay and Gonzalo, in 2009. The name Tres14 (3.14) Enotria&Coe Cabernet Franc and is an inside joke about their surname, for Daniel Pi’s talent for white Malbec blend in 2008, which Pi was bullied at school. ‘This wine was winemaking reaches his and his affinity for this a chance to make our weakness a strength.’ acclaimed Terroir Series. partnership is clearly They called the first vintage ‘Imperfecto’ Flint, wet stones and demonstrated in this (imperfect) to celebrate its flaws but, after lavender floral notes tease the nose, wine, under his personal label. Made bottles were gifted to wine friends, Imperfecto but the power is on the palate, which with just 3% Cabernet Franc in the gained a cult status. Pi and his daughter shows great tension, volume and blend, it has fleshy black fruit notes, Daniela, now studying winemaking, have length. A class-act Chardonnay. peppery spice and a long, rolling produced a vintage together ever since. Drink 2018-2025 Alcohol 14% finish. Drink 2018-2025 Alc 15% He is also in the process of building a winery for the Bemberg family, who acquired Trapiche, Costa y El Esteco, Chañar Grupo Peñaflor in 2010. Describing himself as Pampa Albariño, Punco, Calchaquí, Salta a ‘frustrated architect’, Pi has helped to design Chapadmalal, Buenos 2011 95 had to take them back – the wine was crap,’ Above: Trapiche’s single-vineyard series, but what made this the modern winery in Gualtallary with Aires 2017 90 £40 Enotria&Coe he laughs. ‘At that time Torrontés wines were Los Arboles vineyard series particularly radical is that he didn’t Mendoza architect Mario Yanzón – though £16 Carruthers & Kent, A blend of 84% Malbec very heavy; nobody liked them.’ Fortunately Pi in Uco Valley, Mendoza want the label to focus on the name of the details are under wraps until next year. Enotria&Coe with . was able to reinvent the winery’s style of winery – but that of the grower. This isn’t the first time Pi has helped to The newest addition – The extreme terrain (at Torrontés, before turning his focus to old-vine ‘There are 23,000 growers and only 800 build a winery for Peñaflor. When he returned and first vintage of 2,000m altitude on schist red vineyards in the region and seeking out wineries in Argentina – that’s a lot of to Mendoza in 2003, he caught wind of a Albariño – from soils) comes out in the distinctive terrains to plant new vines. anonymous people who never get recognised historical winery that Trapiche used to own. Trapiche’s pioneering glass, with a palate that on the labels. We need our growers, so we need ‘It was located across the old railway tracks coastal vineyard is shows notes of wild dark Eye for detail to take care of them,’ he says. and I heard that it was one of the most perhaps the most exciting wine to fruit, smoked meat and seductive After rising to the challenges of San Juan and It took time for Pi to convince the beautiful wineries. But I couldn’t see it at all emerge from it yet. Bright citrus and liquorice. This intense, almost black, Salta, in 2002 Pi returned to his native commercial team, but Trapiche released its – it was covered in trees and bushes. So I went stone fruit notes are framed by a wine is just now hitting its stride. Pi Mendoza to become head winemaker of the Grower Series with the 2003 vintage – exploring with a machete!’ mouthwatering, sea-salt finish. planted this vineyard, calling it ‘pure group’s latest acquisition, Trapiche. Founded including a label (pictured left) dedicated to the Indiana Jones-style, Pi reached the Drink 2018-2020 Alc 11% terroir’. Drink 2018-2024 Alc 15.5% in 1883, Trapiche came with a long history as centenarian grower Felipe Villafañe. This new overgrown, abandoned winery and ‘fell in love a large producer of table wine for a domestic series was a runaway success and has become market. Pi’s goal was to switch the balance, the company’s icon line. and in less than 15 years, Trapiche’s fine wine Left: Marcelo Belmonte (left) with Daniel Pi; the production grew from 5% to 65%, with exports Building a legacy duo planted the cool Costa & Pampa vineyard growing from 3% to 25%. Pi’s most maverick move however, is found on Despite Trapiche’s size, Pi has always taken the other side of the country – on the coast in immediately’. He spent two years convincing a meticulous approach. His first task when he Buenos Aires. ‘Nobody imagined we could Peñaflor to buy it, and then two more years started was to visit each and every grower – all make a coastal wine in Argentina,’ confides Pi planning the complete restoration. The 1912 80 of them. One such visit was an inspiration: about the Costa & Pampa vineyard he and Florentine building was re-inaugurated in ‘I met two brothers in their vineyard, one was viticulturist Marcelo Belmonte planted in 2008. ‘For me it is a piece of art and shows 78 and the other was 80 years old. I asked to 2009. The experimental vineyard succeeded something in the blood of the Argentinian continue buying their grapes, and they told me and in 2019 will total 40ha. wine industry for more than 100 years – the that their dad always had the last word. I How did they calculate the ideal spot for beautiful blend of architecture and laughed and asked if they were pulling my leg. Argentina’s first coastal vineyard? ‘It wasn’t winemaking,’ he explains. They took me into the house to meet their scientific at all!’ laughs Pi. The story goes, ‘We As a winemaker, Pi too has that blend of father, Felipe. He was 103 and still running were drinking a lot of wine…’ – Pi and artistry, architectural design and technical the vineyard! I realised there are lots of stories Belmonte were near Mar del Plata beach resort precision in his blood. It is both his studious behind the growers.’ one evening, merrily reminiscing. ‘We each approach and his affable appreciation of the Pi set Felipe’s fruit aside, and isolated the spent our childhood holidays there and consumer’s pleasure that has established him other unique grower lots into micro- remembered how everyone wore sweaters in as one of the most respected winemakers of

Photograph: Gustavo Sabez Mico, WineBid 2017 vinifications. He had decided to make a summer. We realised it was cool climate with his generation. D

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