Undurraga Candelabro Reserva Chardonnay Leyda Valley 2022

In 1879, Francisca Undurraga Vicuña started bringing European grape cuttings back to his native Chile. He brought pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon from France and gewürztraminer and riesling from Germany, transported in lead capsules to stop them wilting in the extreme heat.

Viña Undurraga was officially founded in 1885 and had its first harvest in 1891. It was the first Chilean winery to export to the US, in 1903, and Undurraga wine won its first international award as early as 1910. By the 1940s the company was already producing 30,000 bottles a year, rising to almost half a million bottles by the 1960s, a portion of which they exported to around 60 countries. During this time, they enjoyed visits from royalty, as well as first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong!

Throughout the final decades of the 20th century, the company continued to grow. However, when millionaire José Yuraszeck took ownership in 2006, Undurraga underwent significant modernisation. One of the results was the introduction of the TH or 'Terroir Hunter' range – which seeks out wines which combine the best match of climate, soil and grape variety.

Undurraga’s vineyard area now stands at 1,800ha, which is managed by Agricultural Manager Francisco Valdivieso. The vineyards occupy various popular vine-growing sites across Chile, each of which is chosen for its suitability to particular grape varieties.

Winemaking is managed by Rafael Urrejola, one of Chile's brightest young winemakers, who is also responsible for the TH range. Undurraga has two state-of-the-art winemaking cellars with a 20 million-litre capacity, so Rafael is also assisted by talented winemakers Carlos Concha and Patricio Lucero. In addition, Undurraga receives support from renowned oenologist Alvaro Espinoza, and Frenchman Philippe Coulon advises them on the production of their sparkling wine.

The cool underground cellars, dating back to Undurraga’s beginnings in the nineteenth century, provide the ideal environment for ageing their Reserva wines. Unsurprisingly, Undurraga wines continue to win a host of prestigious awards each year, with its premium wines achieving consistently high scores amongst critics.

Environmental sustainability
Undurraga is a silver member of International Wineries for Climate Action, and since 2016 has been a certified signatory of the Wines of Chile Sustainability Code. Unsurprisingly, therefore, this producer has impressive performance across a range of sustainability issues. They have solar panels installed at three of their four wineries, each producing around a third of the total power requirements. A fourth is scheduled to be operational from 2025. Their waste management programme meant that in 2021, Undurraga recycled 420 tonnes of waste. 

In the vineyard, Undurraga practises environmentally friendly viticulture, and interferes with nature as little as possible. They minimise, as far as possible, the use of chemical inputs, and they use drip irrigation to reduce water use.

Social sustainability
Undurraga has a highly detailed code of ethics ranging from clear statements against abuses such as child and forced labour to freedom of association for its workers and clear stipulations on health and safety. They have also joined a programme organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Santiago’s RM Poniente Labour Bureau called the Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) project. This supports businesses in developing practices and policies that enable them to establish a labour management system for their entire supply chain.