Our first Chilean production in the late nineties – a Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot – soon became the mainstay of house wine lists around the globe.
Due to its latitude, everything is possible in the realm of winemaking in Chile. The depth of its climate – from desert in the north to Antarctic in the south and from coastal in the west to mountains in the east – brings masses of grape-growing potential and an unrivalled diversity.
The Central Valley, which benefits from the influences of both the Andes and the coast, is a haven for growing fruit. Very fertile soils and a lack of climate extremes results in reliable wines of a consistent quality that deliver excellent value for money. Leyda and Casablanca are prime areas for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, giving great personality to such wines as Las Cruces and El Infiernillo.
Our winemakers are involved in our Chilean wine projects right from the outset. They are amongst the vineyards in Chile, consulting on what we want to grow. We have built long-standing relationships with our growers and work very closely with them to ensure that the fruit and, ultimately, the blend is exactly right for the style of wines we want to create.
The Pinot Noir addition to our Sierra Grande range was born out of such a relationship when, during dinner with one of our grower partners, our Head Winemaker, Eric Monnin, observed that if they could grow such amazing tasting strawberries, their Pinot Noir must be of an incredible quality! As a very popular and unique compliment to the range, most would agree that it would be a tough act to match a Pinot Noir of such quality and price.