Dominique Derain
In the Casablanca Valley, Chile, the Dominique Derain winery was founded in 2018 with the goal of showcasing the vocation of this land towards Pinot Noir. After a background as a cooper, Dominique Derain arrived in 1988 in Saint-Aubin, Burgundy, purchasing an estate with attached vineyards and starting to cultivate them according to the principles of biodynamics. After handing over the Domaine to his student Julien Altaber to retire, while still assisting him both in the vineyard and in the winery, he met the Chilean winemaker Julio Donoso, owner of the Montsecano winery, with whom he formed a great friendship culminating in the foundation of the Dominique Derain winery. In fact, while Dominique was consulting for Julio, he decided to vinify a small parcel of Pinot Noir located in the Casablanca area on his own.
The small plot where Dominique Derain cultivates his Pinot Noir is influenced by the cool oceanic climate and the significant temperature variations between day and night that characterize the Casablanca Valley. The vines are located on terraces located about 350 meters above sea level, where the soils are rich in granitic clay and manganese. Here, Dominique firmly follows the principles of biodynamic agriculture, safeguarding the health of the environment and enhancing the purest expression of the terroir. In this perspective, the harvest is carried out entirely by hand and in the winery, the law of minimal intervention prevails, with fermentations entrusted exclusively to indigenous yeasts without any recourse to enological aids and additives, including sulfur. Most of the grapes are vinified as whole clusters, and both fermentation and the subsequent aging period take place in concrete.
All the efforts and attention of the Dominique Derain winery are focused on the only label produced by the estate: the Pinot Noir ‘Las Nubes’, an interpretation of memorable authenticity characterized by a soft and juicy taste development.
In the Casablanca Valley, Chile, the Dominique Derain winery was founded in 2018 with the goal of showcasing the vocation of this land towards Pinot Noir. After a background as a cooper, Dominique Derain arrived in 1988 in Saint-Aubin, Burgundy, purchasing an estate with attached vineyards and starting to cultivate them according to the principles of biodynamics. After handing over the Domaine to his student Julien Altaber to retire, while still assisting him both in the vineyard and in the winery, he met the Chilean winemaker Julio Donoso, owner of the Montsecano winery, with whom he formed a great friendship culminating in the foundation of the Dominique Derain winery. In fact, while Dominique was consulting for Julio, he decided to vinify a small parcel of Pinot Noir located in the Casablanca area on his own.
The small plot where Dominique Derain cultivates his Pinot Noir is influenced by the cool oceanic climate and the significant temperature variations between day and night that characterize the Casablanca Valley. The vines are located on terraces located about 350 meters above sea level, where the soils are rich in granitic clay and manganese. Here, Dominique firmly follows the principles of biodynamic agriculture, safeguarding the health of the environment and enhancing the purest expression of the terroir. In this perspective, the harvest is carried out entirely by hand and in the winery, the law of minimal intervention prevails, with fermentations entrusted exclusively to indigenous yeasts without any recourse to enological aids and additives, including sulfur. Most of the grapes are vinified as whole clusters, and both fermentation and the subsequent aging period take place in concrete.
All the efforts and attention of the Dominique Derain winery are focused on the only label produced by the estate: the Pinot Noir ‘Las Nubes’, an interpretation of memorable authenticity characterized by a soft and juicy taste development.
