MundoVino Portfolio Book

Cousiño-Macul |Coo-Zeen-Yo Mah-Cool| Maipo Valley, Chile

In 1856, Matias Cousiño established the original family estate, located in the Macul district of Santiago, with the sole purpose of producing the ultimate Chilean wine. Home to vinifera vines first planted by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, the Macul Estate offered the family a perfect platform to express its growing passion for winemaking. In 1860, second-generation family member Luis Cousiño traveled to Bordeaux with his wife, Isidora Goyenechea, in an effort to study the world’s best winemaking techniques. They immersed themselves in the regional culture and acquired world-class winemaking expertise. When the couple returned to Santiago, they not only brought with them some of Bordeaux’s best Cabernet plantings, but also several of the region’s top experts to help establish what became a truly unique style of Chilean wine—an exquisite blend of Old World finesse and New World richness. Today the sixth generation of the Cousiño family tends to the descendants of the original vines brought from France and preserved by Massal selection. These truly unique vines, which have never been cross-bred or sold, continue to produce the family’s high-end red wines, which are carefully handcrafted and aged at the original Macul Estate. Widely recognized as the nursery from which all French varieties originated in Chile, Cousiño-Macul is the only nineteenth-century winery in the country that remains in the hands of the original founding family. All Cousiño-Macul reserva wines are estate grown, vinified and bottled. After seven generations and over 150 years of winemaking experience, Cousiño-Macul’s mission rings clear—to produce world-class wines that are unmistakably Chilean and carry the distinctive character of the Maipo Valley. A graduate of the University of Bordeaux in agricultural engineering and oenology, Pascal Marty has held several esteemed positions at renowned wineries around the world. Early in his career he worked in Pauillac, at Baron Philippe de Rothschild in oenological research, viticulture and quality control. While there, he worked on several iconic wines, including the Mouton-Cadet, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau d’Armialhac and Chateau Clerc Milon. His work later took him to several U.S. wineries and eventually his tremendous talents were sought in Chile, where he worked as oenologist for Almaviva and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. In 2003, Pascal joined Cousiño-Macul as their leading oenologist, ensuring adherence to the utmost quality standards established by the family over numerous generations. Classic Chardonnay This unoaked Chardonnay is reminiscent of the classic French style with a rich fruit character achievable only in the New World. Characterized by healthy fruit with excellent flavor and maturity, the harvest for the 2013 Chardonnay began in early March when grapes were hand-selected before being crushed. The must was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 55°F for a period of thirty days. To add complexity, two different varieties of yeast were used that work slowly in cool conditions to bring out different fruit characteristics. To retain the fresh fruit flavors, the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Light gold in color with pale straw edges, this wine is delightfully youthful and bright. Its bouquet reveals distinct floral notes to accompany aromas of pineapple, peach and ripe apple.

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WINES OF CHILE