Winegrowers from the New Extreme A renewed stylistic horizon comes to life between mountains and volcanoes, where traditional European grape varieties meet the power of the terroir of southern Chile. Southern Wines Freshness and singularity define the wines of the New Extreme, and its winegrowers have recuperated a tradition of viticulture with a distinct identity and sense of origin.
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La Araucanía Wines is a collaborative project born in 2020 that brings together five winegrowers from the southern region of La Araucanía, latitude 38°South, which is internationally recognized as the Mapuche heartland.

The origin of wine industry in this remote area of Chile dates to a period of European immigration at the end of 19th century. After a difficult period that brought neglect to the vines, these emerging winemakers, some descendants of those same immigrants, resurrected old traditions to make meaningful, honest, and human scale wines that incorporate the region’s cultural and geographical resources.

Today, they introduce themselves to the world with wines that exemplify the freshness of their terroir and proudly contribute to the ever-increasing diversity of styles and wines produced in Chile.

Our producers

D.O. Malleco Valley, Cautín Valley: winemakers of the New Extreme

Winery Aynco
Cristián Neira

Founded in 2014 by four partners, Viña Aynco is located in the Cautín Valley. They produce mainly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling in their 6,2 acres plantation.

Winery Capitán Pastene
Juan Pablo Lepín

Started in 2017 under the driving force of Raúl Narváez and Juan Pablo Lepín in Capitán Pastene, an ancient Italian settlement in the Malleco Valley. They produce mainly Moscatel and Pinot Noir.

Winery Cavallieri
Silvana Cavallieri

A family project lead by siblings Silvana and Antonio Cavallieri, located in Los Sauces, in the Malleco Valley. They produce mostly Pinot Noir.

Winery Kofkeche
Jorge Morandé

In search of new challenges in the area, Jorge Andrés Morandé, inspired by the viticulture of Northern California and Oregon.

Winery Kütralkura
Josefina Chahin

Established in 2013 in Angol, in the Malleco Valley, as the commitment of the Chahín family to produce Chardonnay and Viognier. Today, Josefina Chahín, oenologist, leads this family undertaking.

History

Viticulture in this remote area of Chile has its origin in the arrival of European immigration at the end of the 19th century.

European immigration

1880

Arrival of the first European immigrants, mainly French, Swiss and Italian.

First settlements

1890-1900

Growth and consolidation of the first settlements, at which time the first plantations of vine appear.

The decline of wine growing

1930

Through the XX century, both due to climatic bad conditions and lack of technology, vine growing was replaced by traditional crops.

The resurgence

1995

The reappearance of winemaking begins with Alberto Levy and Felipe de Solminihac new Chardonnay plantations.

New Denomination of Origin

2002

D.O. Malleco Valley is established as the southernmost Denomination of Origin in Chile.

The renaissance

2010

At the turn of the XXI century, winemaking moved to a new stage in La Araucanía, seeking to project itself beyond its frontiers.

La Araucanía Association of Winemakers

2018

La Araucanía Association of Winemakers was founded by twelve wineries located in the region.

La Araucanía Wines

2020

La Araucanía Wines is a collaborative project of five emerging winegrowers whose goal is to promote and market their wines in Chile and the world.

The New Extreme

Freshness and singularity describe what can be called “New Extreme” wine. These characteristics show a new stylistic horizon for Chilean and other South American wines.

Located at a latitude of 38° South, this new wine pole moves the frontiers of wine development in Chile. Six hundred-fifty kilometers south of Santiago and 300 km from the most traditional wine-growing area in the country, the region amplifies Chile’s viticultural diversity, bringing together European vines and the distinct terroir of southern Chile.

Mountains, volcanoes, and lakes are signatures of La Araucanía’s landscape. Winters are cold and rainy; summers are dry and short. These valleys are more akin to France’s Burgundy region than to the central zone of Chile. On the other hand, the volcanic origin and high quartz content of the soils offer marked character and strong sense of place to wines of the Malleco and Cautín Valleys. Fresh and fruity wines with excellent acidity and minerals; light, yet highly structured and complex that remain naturally low in alcohol because of climatic conditions, all attributes that are greatly appreciated in global wine trends.

FEATURED WINES

Our wines introduce themselves to the world with the freshness of their terroir and proudly contribute to the ever-increasing diversity of styles and wines produced in Chile.

Yarken

Viña Aynco

Years: 2020 / 2021 / 2022
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 12,5%
Bottles Produced: 2,600
DO Malleco Valley, La Araucanía

Yarken that comes from a 12 year old vineyard planted in the commune of Lumaco in the foothills of the Nahuelbuta range.

Soils are clay loam, deep, of volcanic origin, formed in part by metamorphic rocks, reddish-brown in color. Gravel, or quartz-gravel are present throughout. Elevation is 300 meters (1000 feet) above sea level. The climate is oceanic-Mediterranean, with cold, wet winters and nearly rainless summers. Annual precipitation surpasses 900 millimeters (35 inches). These climatic conditions are more reminiscent of cool Burgundy rather than the hot Central Valley of Chile, allowing for acidity and freshness to shine from the wines.

The vineyard is farmed conventionally, with trellised vines and drip irrigation.

Nahuelbuta

Viña Capitán Pastene

Years: 2020 / 2021 / 2022
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13%
Bottles Produced: 2,000
DO Malleco Valley, La Araucanía

Nahuelbuta comes from the Nahuelve vineyard, planted 20 years ago in the commune of Los Sauces, in the Nahuelbuta range foothills. The vineyard sits at an altitude of 200 meters (660 feet), and its soils are composed of reddish-brown, deep clay loam of volcanic origin, formed in part by metamorphic rocks. Gravel, some of it containing quartz, is found throughout.

The climate is oceanic-Mediterranean, with cold, rainy winters and dry summers. Annual precipitation is over 900 mm (35 inches). These climatic conditions recall the cool temperatures of Burgundy more than the heat of Chile’s Central Valley, and they allow freshness and acidity to shine from the wines.

The vineyard is farmed conventionally, though with minimal treatments. Vines are trained in two ways: lyre and double cordon, and drip irrigation is applied.

T3RZO

Viña Cavallieri

Years: 2018 / 2019 / 2022
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13%
Bottles Produced: 6,000
DO Malleco Valley, La Araucanía

T3RZO comes from a 2-hectare (5 acre) vineyard located in Los Sauces, in the Malleco Valley at an altitude of 148 meters (490 feet) above sea level. The vineyard is planted on the red clay soils, foothill slopes of the Nahuelbuta mountain range. The climate is Mediterranean, and a bit warmer than one finds farther inland. Vines are vertically trellised with regulated irrigation; planting density is 5,000 vines per hectare. There is no use of fertilizers or chemical treatments except for sulfur.

Wines are produced in the cellars of winemaker Alejandro Jofré. It is impossible, however, to separate the wine from its vineyard, since soil, climate, and the manner of viticulture play leading roles. Coming from a hillside vineyard that is warmer than others in the area, grapes ripen and are harvested early. Jofré manages the day-to-day work of the vineyard with the viticulturist Renán Cancino, who collaborates with him in other projects. After a few vintages of experience, Jofré has come into tune with the distinct character of the vineyard, steering it toward early harvests with even ripening of the fruit. The result is a Pinot Noir of particular quality, with a structure closer to that of Pommard rather than the Pinot typical of other parts of Burgundy.

Kofkeche

Viña Kofkeche

Years: 2018 / 2019 / 2022
100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14%
Bottles Produced: 3,106
DO Malleco Valley, La Araucanía

Kofkeche originates in a young vineyard in the small valley of Pajal, located in Traiguén, at an elevation of 190 meters (625 feet). Volcanic ashes gives birth to an acidic and well-drained soil called “trumao” from the Collipulli series. Its loamy sandy clay profile contains quartz and finds slate underneath. The climate is warm, with a short dry season. Vines are trained in Trellis.

Grapes are hand-picked in 10 to 12-kilogram (22 to 25 pound) bins and taken to press directly. Winemaker François Massoc handles them in an artisanal fashion. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in both French oak barrels (225 liter) and in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to ensure a slow, clean fermentation. The wine then rests over the winter, waiting for the start of malolactic fermentation in the spring. Throughout the process, the wine ages on the lees in barrels and in tanks for about 12 months, during which the wine gains complexity through the slow polymerization of its components until the point of bottling. The wines of Kofkeche are more about observation, hope, and reflection, rather than action.

Kütralkura Chardonnay

Viña Kütralkura

Years: 2019 / 2020 / 2021
100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14%
Bottles Produced: 2,000
DO Malleco Valley, La Araucanía

Kütralkura Chardonnay originates from the seven-year old vineyard at Angol, located in the Cutipay sector (37°82’62” – 72°62’48”) in the Malleco Valley at an altitude of 200 meters (600 feet). Its clay soils are calcareous, offering a real expression of minerality. Angol has a very particular climate, Mediterranean, in which it suffers, compared to other parts of the region, no springtime frosts that might damage the vines. The vineyard itself is located in a hilly area with strong winds. No herbicides are used during the period of the vine growth.

Vines are vertically trellised, with a gravity flow, furrow irrigation system in place that is used infrequently, only three times per season. The goal is to encourage the vines’ roots to find an optimal amount of water in the soil to establish a rainfed farming system that is most sustainable with the environment. The vineyard is maintained in sustainable manner, with applications of sulfur and copper only for prevention purposes.

The winery has central air conditioning and heating, and is equipped with a destemmer, stainless steel tanks with refrigeration jackets, French oak barrels, and a pneumatic press. Annual production is 5,000 liters.