Bodegas Cauzon Pi Noir

About Bodegas Cauzon Pi Noir

Bodegas Cauzon Pi Noir is a very rare Pinot Noir from Spain, planted in Granada at over 1000 meters of elevation. All grapes on this tiny 7-hectare vineyard are grown organically and are around 20 years old over alluvial soils. The Pinot Noir planting makes an incredibly small percentage of this. Hand harvesting, followed by spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. There is no fining, filtration, or sulfur use of any kind on these wines and the production is very limited.

About Bodegas Cauzon

Ramón Saavedra of Bodega Cauzón learned late he has wine in his veins. Ramon’s family has always owned a small vineyard but would only make wine for consumption. It was a subsistence crop just like any other. He never imagined he could make a living out of viticulture so he pursued a career as a chef. He spent 15 years working in kitchens up and down the Costa Brava until he decided to return to his native Cortes y Graena in the Granada province of Andalucía, a small little town located in the middle of the desert…red rocks and sand as far as the eye can see. It’s actually quite an amazing sight. He took over his family’s small vineyard and planted another 4 hectares on alluvial soil deposited at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, all of which are above 1000m of altitude. He even planted some ungrafted vines on the sandier parts free of phylloxera. The sun exposure combined with the altitude gives his wines the best of both worlds, ripe fruit and structure kept in check by a nice backbone of acidity.

Since planting in 1999, there’s been no need for chemicals in the vineyard. That said, he hasn’t really needed them in the cellar either. Ramón’s terruño speaks for itself so there’s not much “winemaking” on his part. Native yeast fermentation, no filtering or fining at any time, and no additives of any kind, not even sulfur.