Carmenere is a grape wine variety of great oenological potential; however, it requires delicate handling as plants are more sensitive to soil quality and generally its yields are lower than those of other varieties.  Although it is related to Cabernet Sauvignon,  Carmenere has more velvety and sweeter tannins, its fruit is riper and acidity is lower.

In addition, this variety ripens more slowly than any other wine variety and should be harvested late in the season.  If harvested too early, green and vegetables note can be detected in the wine. If harvested at the correct time, it produces an intense wine and full of fruit.

In autumn, Carmenere leaves have an anthocyanin[1] pigmentation, giving them their distinctive crimson color.

Carmenere wine has a deep red purple color and intense aromas of ripe red fruit.  Its flavor is reminiscent of cherries and wood and tannins are gentle and ripe. It is medium-bodied with a velvety texture.

Representatives of South America, Central America and the Caribbean attended the first Corporate Convention of Southern Zone Distributors, held on Chile between April 30 and May 4.

More than a hundred people belonging to the company’s distributor network in those countries shared with the winery’s executives in knowing the latest plans and coming challenges of the different lines of wines of the whole group.

Gala dinners, special lunches, wine fairs, launches of new products, visits to vineyards and even a mountain trip formed part of this great event.

Wine fair

One of the most-awaited activities of this convention was the wine fair where all the Concha y Toro group wines were represented, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Santiago on the night of May 1.

Cono Sur, Viña Maipo, Palo Alto, Canepa, Maycas del Limarí, Finca La Chamiza, Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos, Fetzer Vineyards and all the Concha y Toro brands came together in one place in order to show our distributors the wide variety of origins and grape varieties that form the wine portfolio.

Recognitions to oldest distributors

Distributors with over 35 years working with the company were recognized during the dinner given in Pirque. These were Agencias y Representaciones Cordovez (Ecuador), Ballester Hermanos (Puerto Rico), Diprisa (El Salvador), Distribuidora Marte (Guatemala), Felipe Motta e Hijo (Panama), G.W. Yichang (Peru), Hi Cuvee (Costa Rica), Marpico (Colombia) and Motta Internacional (Panama).

Alfonso Larraín, chairman of Viña Concha y Toro, presented to each of them a symbolic copy of the first invoices as a souvenir of the start of the solid commercial relations between the companies.

10/05/2012 Fuente: DIARIO PULSO – STGO-CHILE Pag: 14-15 Art: 2

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

CHILENOS CONSUMEN 40% MÁS DE BEBESTIBLES QUE HACE 10 AÑOS Y HOY TOMAN 0,6 LITROS PROMEDIO AL DÍA

11/05/2012 Fuente: EL MERCURIO CUERPO B – STGO-CHILE Pag: 1 Art: 4

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

CONSUMO DE BEBESTIBLES CRECE 40% EN 10 AÑOS Y CHILENOS ALCANZAN LOS 222 LITROS PER CÁPITA

11/05/2012 Fuente: EL MERCURIO CUERPO B – STGO-CHILE Pag: 5 Art: 2

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

ENVÍOS DE VINO CAYERON 6,63% EN VOLUMEN Y 4,26% EN VALOR EL PRIMER TRIMESTRE

07/05/2012 Fuente: DIARIO FINANCIERO – STGO-CHILE Pag: 16 Art: 2

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

VINOS CHILENOS SE PROMOCIONAN EN LOS TAXIS DE HONG KONG

07/05/2012 Fuente: EL MERCURIO CUERPO B – STGO-CHILE Pag: 4 Art: 9

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

VENDIMIA 2012 SUBE 15% Y LLEGARÍA A 1.000 MILLS. DE LITROS

07/05/2012 Fuente: EL MERCURIO CUERPO B – STGO-CHILE Pag: 10 Art: 2

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

JAQUE AL REY

07/05/2012 Fuente: EL MERCURIO REV. DEL CAMPO – STGO – CHILE Pag: 10-12 Art: 2

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

DESCORCHA EL NUEVO SPARKLING ROSÉ DE CONO SUR

07/05/2012 Fuente: LAS ÚLTIMAS NOTICIAS – STGO-CHILE Pag: 24 Art: 4

Descargas: pdf, jpg.
_

While in Bordeaux Carmenere disappeared as a result of the phylloxera pest which devastated vineyards in the nineteenth century, thanks to Chile’s four natural boundaries – the Andes Mountains, Pacific Ocean, Atacama Desert and Antarctic icefields – this country was the only place on Earth where Carmenere vineyards were safe from this pest.

In addition to these formidable geographic barriers, Chile has an exceptional climate for wine growing and the long dry summers are a natural antidote for typical vineyard diseases.

As a result, the natural virtues of Chile gave Carmenere a new home, with a sunny climate and natural protection.

Chile, Carmenere’s birthplace

In the twentieth century, Carmenere in Chile was mistaken for Merlot.  It was called the “Chilean Merlot”, given its particular fruity, spicy aromas and sweet, gentle and rounded tannins.

In Chile, Carmenere was originally grown in the Rapel and Maule valleys.  In the beginning, thought of as Merlot, this variety was harvested before it reached its ideal ripeness, a fact that hid Carmenere’s real winemaking potential.

In 1994 this situation changed, when French ampelographer Jean Michel Boursiquot, a speaker at the Sixth Latin American Viticulture and Enological Congress, held in Chile, identified this late-ripening Merlot clone as Carmenere.  From then on, under its true name Carmenere burst upon the Chilean and world wine scene.

In the nineteenth century, Carmenere was one of the noble grape wine varieties widely planted in Bordeaux, and responsible for some of the great Bordeaux blends, until the devastating phylloxera[1] pest struck France in 1860 leading to its extinction.

Before that, Carmenere was grown along with other local varieties such as Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, under the concept of Chateaux, where the selection and combination of these varieties gave rise to unique wine blends.

After phylloxera destroyed French vineyards, winemakers there tried to start over by replanting vines grafted with more pest-resistant US rootstocks.

However, Carmenere cultivation did not produce good results.  It did not acclimatize to the Bordeaux region’s growing conditions, as cold springs and early autumn rains produced significant difficulties in production and quality.

Thus, Carmenere became extinct in the resurrected Bordeaux wine industry and also throughout the world.   More than 100 years after it had been forgotten, Carmenere revived again in a distant country – Chile – the variety’s new origin.

Concha y Toro is again the “World’s Most Admired Wine Brand”, according to a survey made by the prestigious British magazine Drinks International.

In anonymous voting in which over 60 experts from the global wine community took part, Concha y Toro obtained the largest number of nominations as the most admired wine brand, beating long-established brands like Torres, Antinori, Penfolds, Jacob’s Creek, Kendall Jackson, Vega Sicilia and Chateau Margaux, to mention a few.

“To receive this important recognition for the second consecutive year is tangible evidence of the great image perception that our company and brand has forged in the wine industry at a local and international level. This nomination fills us with pride and reaffirms our commitment to provide millions of consumers with high-quality wines that reflect the diversity and typicity that Chile offers as a world-class producer,” said Eduardo Guilisasti, CEO of Viña Concha y Toro.

The editor of Drinks International magazine, Graham Holter, said that “the results provide a fascinating perception of how the wine industry sees to its principal players. The list includes brands that can be found both in Shanghai and in the stores of Minnesota, including multiple intermediary points. We congratulate all the brands that managed to position themselves in this unique ranking and project.”

The nomination will be communicated in the edition of the magazine to be distributed next week, in the supplement “50 most admired brands 2012.”

The group of influential persons that comprised the jury was asked to vote on the most admired wine brands, with which they had no associations, on the basis of criteria including:

• Constant improvement in quality of the wine.
• Reflects its region or country of origin..
• Responds to the needs and tastes of its objective public.
• Successful distribution and packaging.
• The wine is very attractive to a widely-spread demographic group.

 The list of the TOP TEN most admired wine brands is:

1. Concha y Toro
2. Torres
3. Antinori
4. Penfolds
5. Jacob’s Creek
6. Kendall Jackson
7. Michel Chapoutier
8. Guigal
9. Vega Sicilia
10. Château Margaux

At the shareholders meeting held on April 23, Concha y Toro announced an investment of US$60 million in 2012, focused mainly on strengthening the production of premium and superior segment wines, by planting and development 540 new hectares of vineyards inChilefor this purpose.

“The investment for this year will be US$60 million, mainly to improve the various areas like winemaking and technical aspects, support for our subsidiaries, and especially to open up new plantations that enable us to increase the volume of our premium and super premium products”, explained Alfonso Larraín, the company’s chairman.

The company produced earnings of Ch$50,482 million in2011, arecord increase of 20.4% over the previous year.

Concha y Toro’s distribution subsidiaries in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Brazil obtained their neutral carbon certification in April. The internal measurement was made in 2011, recording all the greenhousegas emissions generated by the consumption of energy, fuels and office activities.

Following an external verification, the CO2 emissions of 2011 were neutralized through the SCX, the Santiago Climate Exchange. The carbon bonds were acquired from the BEASA renewable energies project in Brazil, state of Bahía. This project is designed to generate sufficient electricity for supplying 30% of the energy demand of the state of Santa Catarina or 20% of the total energy consumed in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

For the winery, it meant bringing down 762 tons of CO2, equivalent to the activity of the commercial offices mentioned during 2011. These carbon bonds have their certification under the VCS standard which guarantees that environmental and social benefits have been generated from the implementation of this project.

The Sunrise line of Concha y Toro has also been a neutral carbon brand since September 2011 in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. The project is of great importance as Sunrise measured the emission of CO2 produced during the production and distribution of its wines sold in the Scandinavian markets, seeking to generate actions for neutralizing those emissions. This was the first transaction on the Santiago Climate Exchange (SCX), of which Viña Concha y Toro was a founder member in 2010 and is the first initiative of its kind in Latin America.

The project will facilitate the start of trading in carbon bonds in Chile, and Concha y Toro will participate by leading the opportunities generated in the neutral carbon products and services market in Chile. “This action has been very well received in markets that are especially sensitive to companies that prepare their products in a friendly way and is a new step in the winery’s sustainable development strategy, which is oriented to producing quality wines in full harmony
with the environment”, said Cristóbal Goycoolea, manager, sustainable development, of Viña Concha y Toro.

Further information:

• For further information, we invite you to see the video in: www.sunrise-wine.com

• http://www.scx.cl/iniciativa/neutralizacion-vino-sunrise-deconcha-y-toro/

• https://vcsprojectdatabase2.apx.com/myModule/Interactive.asp?Tab=Projects&a=2&i=10&lat=-27%2E766667&lon=-51%2E216667&bp=1 (PROYECTO)

With a complete portfolio of its wines, the company took part in the 16th version of the fair ExpoVinis Brasil, held in Sao Paulo at the end of April. This was attended by that country’s important customers and critics, as well as wineries from all over the world.

The activities included tastings of the premium brand Casillero del Diablo, both of its Reserva and Reserva Privada lines, plus the super and ultra premium lines Marques de Casa Concha and Terrunyo. The most important customers and guests also enjoyed the tastings of the iconic wines Don Melchor, Carmín de Peumo and Gravas del Maipo held in the event’s VIP lounges.

This fair was held between April 24 and 26, with over three thousand visitors each day. The company’s subsidiary in that country, VCT Brasil, is today positioned as the largest wine importer in Brazil. On this occasion, it sought to make its products known to a highly-qualified public.

Distance was no impediment to 50 bloggers who enjoyed an on-line tasting in Santiago from the United States, guided by Chilean winemakers. Marcelo Papa was responsible for presenting to the participants all the details about Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2009 and the characteristics of its origin, the valley of Limarí.

The central point of this on-line event organized by Wines of Chile was an analysis of the wines Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay produced on the Chilean coast. “The geography, type of soil and varied climate create ideal conditions for preparing high-quality wines”, explained Marcelo Papa.

These are some of the comments made by the bloggers during the on-line tasting:

The vice chairman of Viña Concha y Toro and chairman of Viñedos Emiliana S.A., Rafael Guilisasti, was elected as Businessman of the Year in a joint event organized by El Mercurio newspaper and the consultancy firm Ernst & Young in Santiago, Chile, at the end of March.

Among the reasons for this award is his having been the artifice of the expansion of Viña Concha y Toro S.A. in recent years.

Thanks to his work, the group has today an enormous global presence, reaching over 130 countries and transforming exports into its principal area of business.

The history of a wine businessman

The jury emphasized not only his business record but also his high public profile, which has developed in various participations and positions in companies and business associations.

Notable was his presidency of the Chilean Confederación de la Producción y del Comercio (the industry and commerce confederation) from December 2008 to December 2010, and being vice-president of the Sociedad de Fomento Fabril (industrialists association) from April 2005.

He began to develop Emiliana in 1986 as a division specialized in varietal wines, and he then transformed it into Viñedos Emiliana S.A. with a focus on the production of high-quality organic wines, a task he began in 1998.

The senior partner of Ernst & Young, Cristián Lefevre, explained that “these prizes seek to recognize those who make the difference in the business world, contributing to the country’s development and inspiring others”.

Rafael Guilisasti has a wide experience of the Chilean wine industry. He began by joining Viña Concha y Toro in 1978 as export director (1985 to 1998).

Between 1986 and 2003 he was president of the Chilean Winery Association, where he worked to promote the Chilean wine industry in international markets and in analyzing commercial, regulatory and legal matters affecting the business.

He is today, in addition to the above-mentioned positions, a director of Viña Almaviva, the Chilean Wines Association and Vinnova S.A., a company oriented to the development of research and innovation programs for the sector.

The place was the exclusive center of events, Trasloma, where more than 100 people gathered, including customers, restaurant owners, journalists and Mexican leaders of opinion.

Following a welcoming cocktail in the open air, the guests tasted the four varieties brought by this Chilean wine to Mexico: Chardonnay 2010, and Malbec, Merlot and Syrah, all of 2009.

Vines grown on river banks in central Chile

The Gran Reserva Serie Riberas wines owe their name to the fact that they originate from the banks and surrounding areas of various rivers in the central part of Chile:

• the Chardonnay comes from the Ucúquer vineyard on the banks of the river Rapel;
• the Malbec from the Palo Santo vineyard beside the river Tinguiririca;
• the Merlot from the Mariposas vineyard on the banks of the river Maule;
• and the Syrah from the Villa Alegre vineyard on the banks of the river Loncomilla.

What is the reason for growing vines close to rivers?

Concha y Toro’s vineyards planted on the slopes and terraces of the river banks benefit from the action of the course of the waters which mold the soils and moderate the temperatures.

The grapes ripen slowly, giving the wines a great concentration and a broad and complex aromatic profile.

Video: Vines grown on river banks in central Chile

Of the nearly 600 Chilean wines tasted, Carmenere showed extraordinarily well and was led by Concha y Toro’s icon Carmenere Carmín de Peumo 2007, which earned 96 points, the highest score of all Chilean wines, and likewise positioned it as the country’s best Carmenere.

This is the third time that Carmín de Peumo has obtained the highest score in the publication. Its 2003 and 2005 vintages both received a historic 97 points, the maximum score ever earned by a Chilean wine.

Earned scores

• Carmín de Peumo 2008 earned 95 points, which places it among the most outstanding Carmeneres as well.
• In the ultra and super premium category, Concha y Toro’s Terrunyo Carmenere 2007 and 2008 each earned 93 points, making it the third highest ranking Carmenere.
• Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere 2009 earned 91 points, and Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2009 earned 90.

The winemakers responsible for these award-winning wines are Ignacio Recabarren for Carmín de Peumo and Terrunyo Carmenere, Marcelo Papa for Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere, and Marcio Ramírez for Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere.

Related information

• What exactly Robert Parker said on Concha y Toro wines in 2012 The Wine Advocate ranking
• Concha y Toro earns the greatest number of scores above 90 points of the Chilean wine industry

Don Melchor, Chile’s first ultra-premium wine, managed by the winemaker Enrique Tirado, is the only one with a total of 22 vintages, all prize-winning and recognized by the world’s critics. The 2007 vintage is composed of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% of Cabernet Franc, from Puente Alto.

This recognition confirms Don Melchor as one of the maximum exponents of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, and the terroir of Puente Alto as one of the best for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The website eRobertParker.com is an independent on-line wines guide addressed to the world’s most influential consumers. It is directed by Robert M. Parker Jr., who has positioned himself as the most widelyread and globally-prestigious American wine critic.

The report on Chile is published annually to evaluate the principal Chilean wineries.

The Wine Advocate’s review

DON MELCHOR 2007, 94+ POINTS

“Don Melchor 2007 (98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc) is a selection from the Puente Alto, Maipo vineyard, located 640 meters above sea level.

“The wine is kept for 15 months in French oak casks, of which 78% were new. It offers an incipient and complex bouquet of toasted wood, pencil lead, exotic spices, incense, violets, black sarsaparilla and blackberries.

“With a style and structure similar to that of the Médoc Grandes Cru, it has the balance to be kept for at least 6 to 8 years. It will need patience as this wine, of a compressed texture, has much more to reveal.

It should be even more memorable when reaching its full maturity.”

Why Don Melchor has the quality that it has?

This is the third time that Carmín de Peumo has come out on top in the publication; the 2003 and 2005 vintages scored 97 points —the highest score ever for the national wine industry.

Carmín de Peumo, guided by the hand of winemaker Ignacio Recabarren, comes from Block 32 of the Peumo Vineyard, the birthplace of Carmenere in Chile, in the Cachapoal Valley.

The 2008 vintage of Carmín de Peumo came in a close second with 95 points, and Terrunyo Carmenere’s 2007 and 2008 vintages—also from Peumo—placed third with 93 points.

These latest achievements attest to our enological team’s hard work to obtain wines that express their origin, the terroir of Peumo, and strengthen Concha y Toro’s position as the industry leader in Carmenere.

Comments from The Wine Advocate

“Some of the finest wines produced in Chile, particularly from the Carmenere grape… are under the direction of veteran winemaker Ignacio Recabarren”.

The Wine Advocate’s reviews

CARMÍN DE PEUMO 2007, 96 POINTS

The 2007 Carmín de Peumo Carmenere contains 6.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.5% Cabernet Franc in its blend and spent 18 months in 100% new French oak.

A glass-coating opaque purple color, it surrenders a brooding personality marked by notions of sandalwood, smoke, earthy minerals, dried herbs, black plum, and blackberry.

Sweetly-fruit, dense, and opulent, this full-bodied, pleasure-bent offering deftly conceals enough fi ne grained tannin to evolve for 5-6 years and should easily see its 20th birthday in fi ne form. Both wines are benchmarks for what can be achieved with the Carmenere grape.

CARMÍN DE PEUMO 2008, 95 POINTS

The 2008 Carmín de Peumo Carmenere contains 7.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5% Cabernet Franc in its blend while receiving the same elevage as the 2007 cuvee.

As deeply colored as the 2007 with a similar density and richness, it does not quite possess that wine-s body and power but that is a minor quibble. It too will evolve for 5-6 years and will offer prime drinking from 2017 to 2028.

Both wines are benchmarks for what can be achieved with the Carmenere grape.