Viña Montes

Owners: Aurelio Montes
Chief Winemaker: Aurelio Montes
Website: monteswines.com
Commercial Contact: montes@monteswines.com


History
Viña Montes, located in Colchagua, is the vision of four friends who, in the late 1980s, dreamed of elevating Chilean wines to a superior level. Founded in 1988 by winemaker Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, the winery has grown enormously from its humble beginnings, becoming an icon of Chilean wine.

Montes stood out by leading the first wave of Chilean producers making "premium" quality wines for export around the world. Despite starting without significant capital or infrastructure, Viña Montes has become one of the great modern success stories, improving the perception of Chile as a wine-producing country.

Montes is known for its innovations, including an efficient water-use system and a constant search for new terroirs and winemaking techniques, resulting in wines from unique terroirs like Zapallar and the island of Mechuque in Chiloé. This pioneering spirit is led by Aurelio Montes Sr. and his son, winemaker Aurelio Montes Jr., whose portfolio continues to expand beyond the red wines of Apalta that first made the winery famous.

Today, Montes wines are sold in more than 100 countries and are recognized as pioneers of Chilean wine. The presence of angels adorning the winery and wine labels adds a mystical touch, representing the inspiration in the ongoing pursuit of excellence, reinforcing the vision of one of its founders.

Vineyards
Montes has three main vineyards: Zapallar, Apalta, and Marchigüe, and has long-term agreements with producers in Casablanca, Leyda, Itata, and Chiloé, covering a wide range of terroirs and grape varieties that reflect the diversity and quality of Chilean wine.

Apalta
The vineyards in the D.O. Apalta are located at 240 m.a.s.l. and 64 km from the coast. Apalta is situated in the northeastern part of the Colchagua Valley and oriented to the south, making it a cooler area due to the south-north breeze. The vineyards planted on the hillside not only face south but are also enclosed in a horseshoe shape, causing the sun to shine on them later in the day and earlier. Due to this reduced daily exposure to the sun, the grapes ripen more slowly, resulting in a later harvest and a longer ripening period. This leads to wines with more complex and elegant aromas. The vineyard in Apalta covers a total of 140 hectares. The soil consists of clay, red clay, and granite.

Zapallar
The Zapallar vineyard is located in the northern part of the Aconcagua coast, 11 km from the Pacific Ocean, with 47 hectares planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay. Montes Winery is the only one with vines planted in this new D.O., characterized by summers with cool, foggy mornings, midday sun, and then returning to clouds and lower temperatures in the afternoons. These conditions favor the slow ripening of the grapes, contributing to complexity and powerful aromas. The soil contains granite and clay, with moderate drainage.

Marchigüe
The Marchigüe vineyard is located in the Colchagua Valley, 28 km from the Pacific Ocean, with 521 hectares planted on a gentle slope. The vineyard has granitic soils, and the main grape varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Carménère, Syrah, and Tempranillo, among others.

Casablanca
The Casablanca vineyard has 114 hectares planted on flat terrain, located in Aconcagua Costa, 23 km from the Pacific Ocean. It produces fresh white wines with good acidity levels. The aromas are very distinctive in the Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir is fruity and fresh, with less tannin and persistence on the palate. The soil type is red clay combined with sediment on the surface; sand can be found at deeper levels. Present varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

Leyda
Leyda has 35 hectares planted in the Aconcagua Costa wine region, 15 km from the Pacific Ocean. It has a soil with a lot of clay and a subsoil with sand. With gentle slopes greater than 20°, it is a very good terroir for Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes develop distinctive aromas and a great mouthfeel, with spectacular acidity and a long finish. Present varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.

Itata
Located in the province of Itata, 28 km from the Pacific Ocean and 470 km south of Santiago, it has only 1 hectare planted with a high density of 5,000 vines/hectare in the "bush" system, ensuring good light exposure and proper ventilation, both key to obtaining healthy grapes. In terms of quality, the red grapes show very good aromatic complexity, freshness on the palate, and low tannin content. The soil has red clay and quartz granite with high water retention and low organic material. Present variety: Cinsault.

Chiloé
In magical lands and at latitudes similar to the southernmost islands of New Zealand and Tasmania, these vineyards with the most extreme terroir are found on the island of Mechuque in the Chiloé archipelago, 1,200 km south of Santiago, Chile. The humidity, with 1,300 mm of rainfall per year, means that in summer, the temperature varies between 10°C and 23°C, while in winter, it ranges between 4°C and 12°C. The well-drained red soil of these lands is characterized by its fertility and good organic material, being special for varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Albariño. These vines enjoy a marine landscape with islands of gentle hills that turn into meadows, wetlands, and scrubland with lush vegetation.

Wines from Viña Montes