I read that Louis-Antoine Luyt, who produces “Pipeno” wines from Chile’s ancient vineyards, is collaborating with the Téllez family to make wine from the Tecate region of Mexico for Bichi:
“Bichi: Naked Wine in Baja”
"…Tecate, very close to the U.S. border. The soils in these regions are mainly sandy loam over granite, excellent for winegrowing, and some of the most distinctive vineyards are planted as high as 2,500 ft in elevation. The nearby Pacific Ocean brings a lovely spine of salinity into the wines and helps moderate temperatures, providing more moisture here than to other regions of Mexico.
"…Louis-Antoine convinced Noel and Jair to seek out heirloom plantings of Misión, as he had done in Chile, and produce “vinos sin maquillaje” (wines without makeup) from them. The Téllez brothers saw connections between Louis-Antoine’s approach to wine and Jair’s approach to cooking, and like a bolt of lightning, Bichi Wines was born. Noel has left his career as an attorney in Tijuana and now oversees the running of the winery. From finding these almost forgotten heritage vineyards, to day-to-day relationships with local farmers and fabrication of the concrete tinajas…
The Wines:
• "Pet Mex comes from a single, dry-farmed, and own-rooted 69-year-old vineyard comprised of a mysterious grape variety that remains unidentified. The vines are planted close to the Pacific Ocean at 1,066 ft above sea level on sandy loam and granite soils in the area of San Antonio de las Minas in Ensenada, Baja…The result is a fresh and vibrant sparkling rosado, a perfect vin de soif to knock down on a hot day. No filtration or added SO2.
• "Listan is produced from 100-year-old pie franco Misión (Listan Prieto) vines grown at 2,400 ft elevation on sandy loam and granite soils in the mountains of Tecate, Mexico…A light ruby in the glass and at 12.5% abv, this is a supremely drinkable expression of the Mission grape with notes of floral, peppery red fruits, and refreshing briny acidity. To pair with peppered beef and dishes rich in umami.
• "La Santa comes from centenarian, own-rooted Rosa del Peru (Moscatel Negro) vines grown at 2,400 ft elevation on sandy loam and granite soils in Tecate…A lively and vertical vin de soif, La Santa is almost rosé colored in the glass, delicately floral, with red and dark fruits and juicy acidity.
• "No Sapiens comes from a single, dry-farmed, 69-year-old vineyard comprised of a mysterious grape variety that remains unidentified. The farmer says it could be Dolcetto, Luyt thinks maybe Cariñena due to it’s sharp acidity, no one is quite sure…This is the most linear of the Bichi wines, with crunchy dark fruit, ample vibrancy and structure. A wine that will get better with time in the bottle.
• “Mistico is comprised of a field blend of grapes from the various parcels and terruños that Bichi works with in both Tecate and Valle de Guadalupe…It is a fresh, broad, and complex vino tinto with notes of red fruits, spice, and mineral…”
