Concha y Toro Carmín de Peumo, D.O Peumo, Cachapoal Valley 2019

Concha y Toro is the Penfolds of Chile, simultaneously producing some of Chile’s greatest wines in limited quantities (Don Melchor, Carmín de Peumo, Amelia, Maycas del Limarí Quebrada Seca Chardonnay, etc.) as well as large volumes of high-quality brands such as Casillero del Diablo.

Based at Pirque in the Santiago region, it is Chile’s largest vineyard owner, with over 10,000 hectares of vineyards spread throughout the country’s many wine-producing regions. The company also buys in grapes of a similar quantity to that produced in its own vineyards. The diversity of soil types, climates, aspect and altitude has enabled the company to develop an impressive repertoire of grape varieties, each of which is sourced from vineyards best suited to its needs.

Concha y Toro has expanded almost beyond recognition from its humble beginnings in 1883, when liberal politician Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Doña Emiliana cultivated their first vineyards from Bordeaux vine cuttings. After Don Melchor died, his son took over, and the 1930s saw the company’s first exports – to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

In the 1950s, the Guilisasti family came on board, eventually taking over the majority share of the company in 1961. Under its direction, Concha y Toro gradually established its name through value-for-money, well-made varietal wines.

From the end of the 1980s onwards, Concha y Toro led the way in boosting Chile’s export profile. A large part of their success was down to the development of a number of big wine brands, including the joint-venture Almaviva winery in collaboration with Mouton-Rothschild, launched in 1997. More recently, the company purchased vineyards in California in 2011, proving that it certainly hasn’t lost its thirst for new and exciting projects.

Concha y Toro has continued to develop and modernise over the past few decades and, with vineyard holdings from Limarí in the north to Bío Bío in the south, it is well placed to do so. Winemakers Marcelo Papa (responsible for Casillero del Diablo, Marqués de Casa Concha and Maycas del Limarí) and Ignacio Recabarren (responsible for Trio, Terrunyo, Amelia and Carmín de Peumo) have spearheaded an impressive rise in quality. Their winemaking skills and the great vineyard resources of Concha combine to make some of Chile’s best wines.

While Concha y Toro have almost 10,000 hectares of vineyards throughout Chile, they are also arguably one of the world’s leaders in the field when it comes to adopting more sustainable working practices. They closely monitor and reduce their water and energy use, and have created a haven for biodiversity in their 4,200 hectares of protected woodland.

Environmental sustainability
They were the first winery in the world to register its forests under FSC certification and play a leading role in its protection. In order to protect the rich biodiversity of wildlife and fauna on their estates, including 4,200ha of native woodland (home to many threatened species and important carbon sinks), Concha y Toro have mapped and carried out inventories of all their land. They have reduced water usage in their vineyards through a ‘drop by drop’ system and have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Social sustainability
The company believes in building strong relationships with its employees, partners and suppliers and the communities in which it operates, with staff taking part in volunteering programmes, grape growers receiving technical advice, and local communities getting both educational scholarships and investment to improve living standards.