Aconcagua Valley Tour And Its Carmenere Production

With one of the hottest and longest growing seasons in Chile, the Aconcagua Valley is ideal for cultivating the Carménère grape and is a great destination to explore some of the best Carménère wines produced in Chile.

Exploring the Aconcagua Valley and Chile’s Best Carménère

Carménère once praised in ancient Rome and as one of the original six Bordeaux varietals, is now produced almost exclusively in Chile. Arriving in the mid-19th century, the first Carménère vines arrived from France and were mistaken for Merlot. Following the phylloxera louse crisis in France, the Carménère grape was thought to be extinct. Then, in 1994, Carménère vines were discovered (by a Frenchman) to be alive and well in Chile. Today, Carménère is known as the “lost grape of Bordeaux” and is considered Chile’s emblematic varietal.

Our exclusive Carménère tasting tour will take you an hour north of Santiago to the Aconcagua Valley. The valley is named for the stunning peak of Aconcagua which at 22,830 feet (6,959 meters) is the highest point in the Western and Southern hemispheres. The Aconcagua Valley is Chile’s smallest wine valley, but very well known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and award-winning Carménère production.

Moving toward the mountainous eastern edge of the valley we will visit the San Esteban Winery, one of Chile’s first hillside wineries. This land was home to an earlier civilization which has left behind enigmatic remnants of their culture in the form of rock petroglyphs full of symbolism and mystery. We will enjoy a unique three-year vertical tasting of the Winemaker’s Reserve Carménère.

Next, we will visit Errázuriz Winery, one of the largest, oldest, and most beautiful wineries in Chile. Founded in 1870, Errázuriz is a leader in the production of upscale, quality wines. Here we will taste three different Carménère, including single-vineyard and premium Kai (Robert Parker 96 points), followed by lunch.

Continuing our quest to truly “know” Carménère wine, we travel to Von Siebenthal Winery, a small boutique winery which is internationally famous. Founded by Swiss lawyer, Mauro Von Siebenthal, the winery is now producing globally-recognized red wines and, in 2004, its premium Montelig wine won “Best Red Wine in the World” at the Brussels Wine Expo. Von Siebenthal’s wines have continued to flourish since this well-deserved award. we return to Santiago at the end of the day.

Min 2 people