Viña Tarapaca is one of the older wineries in Chile, established in 1874, in Isla de Maipo at the centre of Chile’s traditional Maipo heartland. Owned today by Viña San Pedro, the winery is quite prolific in volume and has over 600 hectares of vines set in their handsome 2,500 hectare Maipo estate. Classic portfolio ranging from simple, everyday wines up to more concentrated Gran Reserva range. Open for tastings and lunch.
AltaĂ¯r wine and winery is the fine wine arm of Viña San Pedro making complex and full-bodied red wines from Cachapoal Andes. AltaĂ¯r is the top wine and Sideral is their second-label, but just as complex and ageworthy. You can visit the winery in Cachapoal for a tasting and even stay for lunch.
Named after one of the brightest stars in the sky, AltaĂ¯r is the top wine of Viña San Pedro and a renowned red blend from Cachapoal Andes. Coming from select plots from their 93-hectare vineyard estate, this Cabernet Sauvignon blend includes Cabernet Franc and Syrah, proportions of which change each vintage. With the cool mountain breeze and deep volcanic soils of Cachapoal Andes, the wine reflects its mountain terroir harnessing both concentration and freshness.
Much more approachable in its youth today is the second-label, Sideral, but just as complex and ageworthy.
The Cachapoal Andes winery was founded in 2002 and it is located in the Cachapoal Andes Valley at the foot of the Andes Mountain Range. This winery is focused on making Viña San Pedro’s fine wines: AltaĂ¯r, Cabo de Hornos, Sideral, Kankana del Elqui and Tierras Moradas.
The soil from the Cachapoal Andes Valley is quite diverse because of its geological and geomorphological origins giving wines a lot of complexity. The grapes for Altäir are sourced from three select plots in the vineyard, characterized by volcanic soils on a slope, alluvial gravel deposits, and volcanic soils decomposed in clay.
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes are planted on volcanic soils containing fractured yellow basalt, with minerals mixed with sand and clay, as they provide minerality and structure to the wine. The deposits of alluvial gravel range from irregular and medium-sized to fine gravel with sand. These soils give wine structure, elegance, volume and are used for Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Finally, the volcanic soils decomposed in clay are used for Syrah vines as they contribute fresh fruit and structure.
This Cabernet Sauvignon blend includes Cabernet Franc and Syrah, proportions of which change each vintage. The wine is increasingly elegant each vintage under the hand of winemaker Gabriel Mustakis, although it remains one of Chile’s most collectable wines that will cellar well.
Sideral is a blend of five grape varieties grown in their Cachapoal Andes vineyard. It is their second-label, but just as complex and ageworthy.
Cabo de Hornos is a Cabernet Sauvignon that grows in volcanic soils. The grapes are planted at the foothills of the Andes in the Cachapoal Andes Valley and are affected by winds that come down from the mountains, allowing for slow ripening, concentration and character.
Gabriel graduated in Agricultural Engineering with a special mention in winemaking from the Pontificia Universidad CatĂ³lica de Chile. He joined Viña San Pedro in 2018 after working as a winemaker both in Chile and abroad.
His passion for wine and his vision for the iconic wines of Viña San Pedro has given him the opportunity of becoming the manager of the Cachapoal Andes winery, where San Pedro’s five icon wines: AltaĂ¯r, Cabo de Hornos, Sideral, Kankana del Elqui and Tierras Moradas are made.
You can taste a vertical of the AltaĂ¯r and Sideral wines while visiting the handsome winery and vineyard, with options for lunch, picnics and biking among the vines.
The restaurant is open from Tuesday through Saturday.
Click here to book your visit to Viña San Pedro or email the winery at [email protected]
Elqui Wines is the boutique wine production of Danish winemaker Steffan Jorgensen and his Chilean wife Pamela Nunez who produce a series of wines from three different Elqui terroirs: Maiten in La Serena, and El Tambo and Peralillo in Vicuña.
With their first vintage in 2012, they have developed a predominantly red wine production using Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon.
