Viña Carmen is Chile’s first winery, founded in 1850, but also one of the most forward-thinking and contemporary in its wine style. The name comes from the original founder’s wife but it is perhaps serendipitous that almost 150 years later Carmenére was first discovered in their vineyards, becoming an emblematic variety not only for Carmen but Chile ever since. Carmen winery produces a huge range of varieties today though, including top Cabernet Sauvignon (Gold is an emerging icon), fantastic old vine Semillon, juicy Cinsault, racy Sauvignon Blanc and, of course, spicy Carmenere. Young winemaker Emily Faulconer is one of the most exciting of her generation, and oversees all the ranges from their easy-to-drink everyday lines up to top level premium wines from all over Chile’s main valleys.
About Viña Carmen
Viña Carmen is considered Chile’s first winery, established in 1850 by Christian Lanz. Ever since then it has been ahead of its time in many ways, and most notably was the first winery to create and sell a Carmenère wine, back in 1996, blending it with Cabernet Sauvignon and labelling it Carmen Gran Reserva Grande Vidure (a synonym for Carmenère).
In 1994 on 24th November, French ampelographer Jean Michel Boursiquot was visiting the vineyards of Viña Carmen when he spotted that the vines of Merlot looked remarkably like Carmenère, which was then considered almost extinct after disappearing from France following phylloxera. It was this discovery in Carmen’s vineyard that led to the emergence of Carmenère as one of the most important grape varieties in Chile.
Today, Carmen winery is a very modern building with state of the art technology and is owned by Santa Rita after becoming part of the Grupo Claro in 1987 (which also owns Doña Paula in Argentina). Viña Carmen has a broad portfolio of wines overseen by talented young winemaker Emily Faulconer. Emily isn’t the first notable woman in Carmen’s history, as this winery was in fact named after a woman – the wife of the founder, in the 19th century.
About Viña Carmen wines
CARMEN INSIGNE
Carmen Insigne is Carmen’s line of light, fruity wines for everyday drinking.
CARMEN PREMIER
Carmen Premier is the winery’s Reserva line, and like the Gran Reserva line, features classics, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, all made in classic, fruity style.
GOLD RESERVE
The premium wines in the Carmen portfolio are reds based on Bordeaux varieties. Gold Reserve is a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Andean foothills in the Maipo Valley.
CARMEN WINEMAKER’S RED & CARMEN WINEMAKER’S BLACK
There is also a duo of red blends: Carmen Winemaker’s Red is a Maipo blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmen Winemaker’s Black is an Apalta blend based on Carmenère.
CARMEN VINTAGE
Carmen Vintages combine the best vintages of Carmen Cabernet Sauvignons from Maipo in a single wine
THE CARMEN DO
The Carmen DO wines are made using grapes from specific small-scale producers with the idea of expressing their terroir.
MATORRAL CHILENO
For instance the grapes for Matorral Chileno, a Carignan-Grenache-País blend from Maule and Loma Seca (Cinsault from Itata) come from dry-farmed, bush-trained, old family-owned vineyards and are made with native yeasts and no oak. Florillón is 100% old-vine Semillon from Apalta which is fermented with native yeasts in neutral oak and is aged first over its lees and then under a veil of flor, Sherry-style.
About the vineyards
Viña Carmen sources fruit from many of Chile’s different valleys although its main vineyards are from the following valleys:
Alto Maipo Valley
Where Viña Carmen is based, in the heart of Alto Jahuel. This high-altitude region of Maipo has a Mediterranean climate with cool nights and warm days which is ideal for red wines in particular. The notable variety from Alto Maipo is Cabernet Sauvignon which develops an elegant style with ripe tannins and aromas of cherries and blackcurrants.
Apalta Valley, Colchagua
This highly sought-after sub-region of Colchagua offers warm days and cooler nights, enabling the grapes to ripen well while maintaining proper acidity. The star grape of Apalta is Carmenère which develops velvety tannins and low acidity with fruity aromas predominated by plums, cherries, and blackberries that accentuate its spicy character.
Leyda, San Antonio
Towards the coast, in Leyda in San Antonio, Viña Carmen grows cool climate varieties. In particular, the Sauvignon Blanc stands out for its refreshing and fruity with mineral aspects and good natural acidity. Leyda Pinot Noir also offers aromas of strawberries, blackberries, and spices with earthy notes and minerals that lend elegance.
Casablanca
Next to San Antonio, this other coastal region has a cool climate which allows the grapes to ripen slowly and achieve the best expression of aromas and concentration of flavours. Notably the Sauvignon Blanc produced in this zone is very fruity with a pronounced citrus character, excellent acidity, and tremendous persistence. The Chardonnay is characterized by its aromas of fruits such as apricots and peaches with a mineral edge.
About the winemaker, Emily Faulconer
Emily Faulconer is one of the top young winemakers of South America and her hand is clear in the contemporary style of the wines being produced, but most especially in the unique wines in the Carmen DO series.
Emily arrived at Viña Carmen in 2017 armed with a degree in Agriculture from the Universidad Católica de Chile and experience gained in a range of wineries around the world, including Viñedos Alcohuaz in the Elqui Valley, Cakebread Cellars in Napa, Trinity Hill Winery in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand and Château Canon in Bordeaux.
“As winemakers, we interpret the character of places. I believe in a respectful management of the vineyard and low-intervention winemaking. In terms of styles, I always try to think about who is going to actually drink the wine,” Emily explains.
Three years into the job, she claims to be very comfortable at Carmen, having had plenty of opportunity to develop her vision and grow professionally. “It’s an honour to be part of a winery named after a woman and that has over 160 years of trajectory,” she details, adding “it also has a unique style, contemporary and universal, which keeps captivating new generations”.
Emily has been concentrated mainly in the range of wines Gran Reserva, Carmen DO, Winemakers and Gold among others, that have given Carmen such prestige, focusing on making wines with their own identity and rescuing the value of the terroir they come from. “We’ve been studying and selecting the grapes of the different terroirs looking for the best expression of each of the varieties. This includes the selection of terroirs, soils and the best fruit at harvest time,” Emily comments.
Watch our video interview with Emily tasting through some of Carmen’s wines in our Terroir Talk about Maipo.
Visiting Viña Carmen
Carmen winery is not open for visits or tours. You can, however, visit Santa Rita winery which is a sister winery of Carmen and located in the same vineyard estate in Maipo.
You can also taste Carmen wines at the Doña Paula restaurant at Santa Rita winery.
