Squeezed for 2,700 miles between the towering Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Chile is a viticultural paradise in its mid-section that has flourished since the 16th century. Spaniards planted the first grapevines in the midst of their exploration, conquering and religious conversions. It was the arrival of French immigrant wine zealots in the latter years of the 19th century that established vineyard estates with premium European varietals, nourished by marine breezes and mountain-bred waters. Yet it was not until political and economic stability was created in the late 1980’s that Chile began to realize the export potential of its wine output. Today, ideal grape growing conditions and the relatively low cost of both land and labor have combined to create an extremely high ratio of value to price that has lifted Chilean wines into international consumption and attendant production investment.

The lush agricultural lands just south of the Santiago metropolis are the center of an expanding vinous investment, with both French and American winery investors joining Chileans. Mitchell Wines currently offers bottlings from the Maipo and Rapel valley regions that give testament as to why these areas are reknowned, particularly for their reds, led by Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, the latter reaching its full bodied potential after emigrating from Bordeaux.
 

ALTA JAHUEL
Antiyal & Kuyen
Álvaro Espinoza is one of the finest winemakers in South America today, as well as one of the foremost biodynamic winemakers in the world. His celebrated wine Antiyal is often referred to as Chile’s first “garage wine.” Antiyal produces fewer than 400 cases of wine a year in the sleepy Maipo Valley town of Alta Jahuel. Antiyal—a Mapuche word that means “sons of the sun”— is a homegrown project of Álvaro Espinoza, one of Chile’s leading winemakers. It’s so homegrown that the one-acre vineyard around Espinoza’s house supplies some of the wine's biodynamic grapes. That site contributes the Cabernet Sauvignon to the plummy, smoky, herb-accented Antiyal blend; the Syrah and Carmenère come from two other Maipo vineyards.

The talented Espinoza also produces Kuyen, which he refers to as his “baby Antiyal.” Kuyen, which means “moon” in the Chilean native language Mapuche, is made by Espinoza and his wife Marina on their small estate in the Maipo Valley. It is a wine made to honor “the ancient traditions and cosmic vision of the people of the earth.”
 

APALTA, COLCHAGUA VALLEY
Apaltagua
Apaltagua Winery, located in the prestigious Apalta region in Chile's Colchagua Valley, specializes in one distinguished, but lesser known, grape varietal: Carmenère. It is considered the "lost Bordeaux" variety, as it was originally planted in Bordeaux, but was abandoned there because it was too late ripening for the Bordeaux climate. Thankfully, the Carmenère variety was imported to Chile where it not only survives (because of a longer growing season), but makes exceptionally good wines.

The resulting wines exhibit a chocolately richness and a peppery edge, combining the best of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in one grape. All of Apaltagua's wines are made under the watchful eye of one of Chile’s leading winemakers, Alvaro Espinoza.

Calcu
In the local Mapuche language, Calcu means “magician.” And indeed, winemakers Alejandro Jofre and Ricardo Rivadeniera have created a magical “Super Chilean” blend from the distinctive flavors of Chile’s Colchagua Valley.

Like the bull on the label and the talented young artist who painted him, Calcu is an exuberant wine with unrestrained possibility. Rather than being tied to a particular terroir, each vintage of Calcu is free to reveal a different aspect of the Colchagua Valley’s dynamic character.
 

MAIPO VALLEY
Domus Aurea
Located in the foothills of the Andes Mountain Range, Clos Quebrada de Macul is recognized as one of the finest vineyards in the Maipo Valley. It is here, on the gravelly slopes of a 45-acre single-vineyard, that owners Ricardo and Isabel Pena produce their award-winning Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon. The Peña family is committed to extremely low yields. The family’s vineyards are divided into five blocks that follow the depth and stoniness of the soil, which are further divided into upper, middle and lower rows. The harvest is not determined by block or row but vine by vine. The winery also utilizes open-top fermentation and personalized oak aging cycles, selecting lots with the most character to be the first wines into French barrels.

Viña Pargua
Pargua winemaker Jean Pascal Lacaze believes that wine is only as good as the grapes from which it is made. At his Maipo Valley vineyard, Lacaze grows grapes sustainably and organically, uses the best fruit, ages the wine in individually selected barrels, and blends the juice at just the right time.

The label artwork was created by renowned Chilean artist Benjamin Lira, who took his inspiration from the word Pargua, meaning “full moon” in the Mapuche language. Like the artwork, which will change with every vintage, Pargua’s wines are vibrant, expressive, and harmonious.
 

RAPEL & MAIPO VALLEY
Viña Maquis
The Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that the family decided to make their own wine out of the terrific grapes in their own backyard. They built a gorgeous, state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and set out to make a “Super Chilean” blend using the vineyard’s best red grapes.

Located in Valle de Colchagua, the vineyard's terroir is deeply influenced by its geographic position, as it is surrounded by the Tinguiririca River and the Chimbarongo Creek—two large waterways that once brought alluvial sediments from the Andes. Today, they act as pathways for cool coastal breezes that help moderate the warm Colchagua summers, contributing to the intensity and fruitness of the wines.

Viña Peñalolén
Peñalolén winery was founded by vineyard owner Ricardo Peña and his wife Isabel with the objective to produce unique Chilean wines, full of personality and verve. The wines are made by winemaker Jean-Pascal Lacaze, well respected for his deft hand in producing memorable wines. All grapes are grown and hand harvested with meticulous care to guarantee the integrity of the fruit, and picked early in the morning when the weather is coolest. Peñalolén is truly a family-owned, boutique winery committed to making wines of distinction.