When Will Evelyn first visited the mountains of Colchagua, he thought he’d found a secret paradise. “It was better than Patagonia, and nobody knew about it!” Will enthuses as we hike up to a vantage point on the hillside that reveals mountains and native forests that stretch as far as the eye can see. A bird of prey swoops overhead and smaller birds gossip behind us.

We’re in the Andes mountains in the region of Colchagua in central Chile. Colchagua is better known as a wine region; however, there’s also an abundance of wildlife in the little-explored mountain range of Colchagua. “There are waterfalls, beautiful swimming lakes, great fishing, massive volcanoes, glaciers and even dinosaur footprints! I just couldn’t believe no one was talking about it.”

An adventurous spirit, Will set up camp in Alto Colchagua and bought a 17-hectare property to open a mountain lodge and offer escapes into the mountains in 2008. From Tumuñan Lodge you can do fly-fishing, heli-skiing, horse riding and hiking. However, most of his first visitors just came here to relax in the peaceful countryside and listen to the babbling brook in the garden with a glass of wine.

“I soon realised that, even though I was in awe of nature here, most people wanted to come to Colchagua for wine and gastronomy,” he says on reflection. “So Tumuñan Lodge became a wine and gastronomy destination with some nature on the side!”

Colchagua valley and mountain wines

Only 30 minutes away from Ruta 5 and the gateway to the main wine valley of Colchagua, Tumuñan Lodge proved to be a great resting place for wine tourists and Will soon found himself organising wine tours and tastings for guests too. Wine took an even more prominent place at Tumuñan when he planted a vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon on his property in 2011.

“My friend, who is a winemaker, suggested it and it just seemed like a great idea… I mean, who doesn’t want a vineyard?” Will explains to me over a glass of wine by the fireplace back at the lodge. “I honestly didn’t realise that high altitude viticulture would be such a challenge… albeit a rewarding one.”

The challenge is a marginal climate (frost and slow ripening being among the main concerns) and abundant wildlife with a taste for delicious grapes (rabbits, birds and wasps are particularly fond of his Cabernet)., However, the payoff is that this corner of the mountains is sunny and dry with deliciously cool nights and wonderfully warm days.

After a couple years, Will’s Cabernet vines started producing wines of extraordinary colour with freshness and complexity. His alliance with biodynamic wine producer Koyle is great testimony of the potential of this unique site.

Guests at the lodge get a chance to taste his boutique production of wines, and wine tasting with Will has become a popular pastime for visitors. The other popular pastime, much to Will’s pleasure, is exploring the mountains.

Exploring the heights of Colchagua Andes

While the focus of Tumuñan Lodge has switched from nature with wine on the side, to wine with nature on the side, it turns out most guests today like both in equal measure. “Our most popular outdoors experience here is this horse trek,” Will tells me the next day as I sit on a white horse called ‘snowflake’ who is valiantly lugging me up a 40-degree mountain incline as we climb some 1200 metres above sea level. I thought the view from our hike was impressive, but here we had a 360-degree panorama on one of the highest hills in the region. I could see the entire Colchagua valley extend below me to the west, and the snowy Andes mountains (and Argentina) extend in front of me to the east. The view was awe-inspiring.

I’ve done many a horseride in the Andes, but this one has to be one of the most memorable – dizzying in its heights and breathtaking in its views. We’ve passed waterfalls and swimming holes, we saw rushing rivers (where Will ensures me there’s some pretty great fishing), and now we’re on top of an extinct volcano looking out to the snow-covered Andes, which whisper of the glaciers and ice cathedrals inside. The only thing I’m missing is the dinosaur footprint…

“You have to come back to discover that one!” laughs Will. “They’re in the hot springs about 20km from here as the crow flies!”

After a couple days exploring the hillsides of Colchagua Andes, I can see why Will chose to open a mountain lodge here. On my last evening, as I enjoy a cheeky glass of Cabernet in the hot tub looking at the starlit sky above, I think to myself, I might just come back. For the wine, but also for nature.

 

Wine tasting notes from Tumuñan Lodge

2018 Tumuñan Rose

This Cabernet Sauvignon rosé has really fresh acidity with light red fruit aromas and a slightly herbaceous note on the finish. Ideal for summertime afternoons when you want something refreshing and mouthwatering. 

2018 Tumuñan

I had a sneak peek of a barrel sample of 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a great year for Chile and perfect timing as Tumuñan’s vines come of age. Notes of fresh blackcurrant, pepper and spice come through and the wine has a bright, mountain-fresh finish. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this vintage and future vintages now that the vineyard is working with biodynamic practices.

2017 Tumuñan 

The second vintage, 2017, marks a change because this is the first year the blend included a greater quantity of their own Cabernet fruit from the vineyard (55%) with Syrah from the foothills of Cachapoal. It has a dark fruit profile with notes of black cherry and forest berries which are lifted with wild forest herb aromas. There’s a spiciness and freshness in the finish.

2016 Tumuñan

The first vintage of Tumuñan’s wine is this blend of fruit-forward Syrah from Marchigue (approx 90%) and their own spicy Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lodge vineyard. The nose is bright with notes of blue berries and forest fruit and the finish is spicy and full.

 

 

Enjoy some of the views from our horseride on these Facebook videos:

https://www.facebook.com/SouthAmericaWineGuide/videos/282453785741827/

https://www.facebook.com/SouthAmericaWineGuide/videos/326623444790315/

 

Find out more about Tumuñan Lodge on their website.