Viña Montes unveils new sparkling cuvée from Patagonian wildlife reserve
South American icon Viña Montes will launch a new traditional method sparkling in 2025, using fruit grown on the Chiloé group of islands that lie off the west coast of Patagonia.
First planted in 2018, winemaker and entrepreneur Aurelio Montes Jr selected the secluded island of Añihue as the location for his latest project, situated in the heart of the Patagonian Maritime Fiords.
Following extensive research – Montes hired experts from the University of Chile to conduct a temperature and precipitation study – the team planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Albariño, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling.
“After six years from the first plantings, Aurelio and the team have come to the conclusion that, so far, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Gris are the ones showing the most interesting results,” said Eduardo Stark, area manager EU & Asia, Montes & Kaiken Wines.
“Meanwhile, Pinot Noir is getting there slowly. However, Albariño and Gewürztraminer have no chance, unfortunately.”
As a result, the inaugural blend (vintage 2023) will be composed of 40% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris and just 10% Pinot Noir.
According to Stark: “The base wines were subject to full malolactic fermentation – very much needed with the acidity levels – and are now in bottle and resting on their lees. We will age the blend for another year before adding dosage and undertaking disgorgement. The final product will have approximately 10-11 grams per litre of sugar, so a Brut style.”
Due to be released in late 2025, this cool-climate sparkling has the great distinction of being the first wine made in the Chiloé Archipelago.
Celebrated for its incredible biodiversity, Añihue contains a nature reserve located right in the mouth of the River Palena, with 10,000ha of fjords, bays, forests, mountains and fauna including rare birds.
“Our vineyard is located in the heart of Patagonia, one of the most remote and rugged places in the world. To reach it, you first fly from Santiago to Chiloé Island (a two-hour flight),” said Montes Jr.
He continued: “The landscape is like something out of Alaska – cold, rainy and wildly beautiful. It’s been an incredibly challenging project, not only because of the difficulty of growing wine in such an extreme environment, but also because we had to train local people who had never even seen a vine before. On top of that, we’ve had to learn how to coexist with the area’s abundant wildlife.
“But despite the challenges, we are excited to announce that next year we will release our first sparkling wine from Patagonia.”
Production volumes, RRP and branding will be confirmed by Montes at a later date.
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