April 2012.-

The subject of the tasting was the pairing of wine with fish and seafood and, in this occasion, wines of the Castillo de Molina line were tasted, in their Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley-  varieties; then, 1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and, as a perfect finale, the emblematic Cabo de Hornos, 2006 vintage.

Some of the experts’ comments:

-          Castillo de Molina Chardonnay: “An outstanding sample, because it expresses what Chile wants to show with this variety.  Dominated by exotic fruit and dried pineapple. An excellent and well-balanced wine”.

-          Castillo de Molina Riesling: “it displays dominant freshness. The aroma is slightly mineral and herbaceous. A balanced wine”.

-          Cabo de Hornos: “a very interesting wine. It has great potential due to its acidity. Displays its fruit combined with a little vanilla. Ready to be enjoyed now, but easily holds 10 years’ potential”.

The panel conducted a magnificent evaluation of our wines, crowning the day with the following conclusion: “we understand why Viña San Pedro was chosen New World Winery of the Year”.

April 2012.-

In total, 120 samples were tasted, of which only 11 obtained 4 stars, which means these wines classify in the “Highly Recommended” category, acording to the tasting panel.

During the tasting, the judges noticed important improvements in Chilean Syrah and highlighted those that are produced in colder zones like Elqui Valley, where the two wines by Viña San Pedro that reached 4 stars precisely come from; these were: Kankana del Elqui 2007 and 1865 Limited Edition Syrah 2008.

Kankana del Elqui 2007 was described by the panel as “a mature wine, with aromas of black berries, spices, oak, herbs and mint. Rich and intense with crisp notes of cassis and delicious olives. In the mouth, well-balanced and powerful notes of pepper”.

On its part, 1865 Limited Edition Syrah vintage 2008 was distinguished for its “aromas of eucalyptus, herbs and oak; deep, with black fruit and herbaceous notes. In the mouth, good tannins and lots of fruit with good weight. Notes of tar, intense and flashy. Very good”.

Two examples that attest to the quality of our wines.

March 2012.-

The ranking was devised by expert Jay Miller, who is part of the magazine’s staff, with 608 samples of national wines.

The most outstanding was our emblematic Cabo de Hornos, 2007 vintage, which obtained 91+ points. According to the expert: “aromas of toasted bread, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense and a variety of black fruit stand out. Well-structured, dense and velvety body that reveals enough structure as to age gracefully for another 3 or 4 years. It is recommended to drink this classic from years 2015 to 2022”.

Also, three of our wines reached 90 points: 2008 Kankana del Elqui, 2008 vintage 1865 Limited Edition Syrah and 2009 vintage 1865 single Vineyard Carménère.

Undoubtedly, an outstanding result!

March 2012.-

Wines 35 South B.O., Castillo de Molina, Tierras Moradas and Cabo de Hornos from Viña San Pedro, had a prominent participation in its pages, since they were included as part of the pairing suggestions associated with the recipes.

The awarding gala ceremony of this traditional competition was celebrated on the 6th of March at Theatre Les Folies Bergere in Paris, where Chile received this award for the first time in the history of this contest.

“Gourmet Patagonia” was given as a gift to San Pedro wine importers of the world, as a way to publicize our country’s gastronomic culture.

Marzo 2012.-

Thurlow was received by Marco Puyo, Chief winemaker of the Reserva and Premium lines and responsible for Kankana del Elqui and 1865 Limited Edition wines, together with Gonzalo Castro, Chief winemaker of the Castillo de Molina line, who leads the so called Elqui Project.

Together with them, he toured the different Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling vineyards. Thurlow had the chance of participating in the first day of the Sauvignon Blanc harvest, and also of observing a soil test pit in the lot of Pinot Noir, which is a variety that is being developed for the first time in this valley.

Finally, and to close the day, there was an exceptional tasting that included vertical tastings of three emblematic wines of this region: Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc Elqui (2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages); 1865 Limited Edition (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages); and Kankana del Elqui (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages).

Steve Thurlow is the editor of wine and food specialized magazine “Wine Access” and critic of www.winealign.com web site, which are both considered benchmarks in Canada. He also created Wine for Life company, which is devoted to training for employees of hotels, restaurants and companies related to the wine industry.

February 2012.-

Various national media have emphasized this recognition in their pages and websites, placing this Chilean winery in the wine industry world map once again, granting it a privileged position.

El Mercurio, La Tercera, Las Últimas Noticias and La Segunda newspapers; Qué Pasa, Caras, Cosas and Capital magazines; and specialized portals like www.lacav.cl, www.mostosydestilados.cl and www.portalpremiumchile.cl, among others, have covered this important event.

The award was received by Guillermo Luksic –President of the Board- and Javier Bitar –VSPT Group General Manager-, during the Wine Star Awards award ceremony which took place in the New York Public Library.

February 2012.-

Section Wine Enthusiast Score Chasers includes rankings by area: France, Italy, New Zealand / Australia and the United States.

“Score Chasers: South America” was prepared for the first time this year for South American wines as a way to advise consumers by showing them the very best in wines produced in this part of the continent.

You may see the complete listing and read the review of our Viña San Pedro highlighted wine at the following link: http://buyingguide.winemag.com/toplists/2011/southamerica

February 2012.-

The results of these pairings and their comments may be watched at the following link:

http://www.nirvino.cl/2012/01/09/foodmotion-7-nicolas-brown/

January 2012-

In the ninth edition of the competition, the jury was made up of experts from different countries; Peter Richards, Master of Wine from the United Kingdom; Lisa Perrott—Brown, Master of Wine from Singapore; Mai Tjemsland, Master of Wine from Norway; Debra Meiburg, Master of Wine from Hong Kong; Marcelo Copello from Brazil; Bill St. John from the United States; Bengt-Göran Kronstam from Sweden; Patricio Tapia from Chile and Anthony Gismondi from Canada.

Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the best vineyards Viña San Pedro currently owns in Elqui Valley, which present sandy silt loam soils with the presence of angular stones in all of their profile. The vineyard receives a strong marine influence, since it is located approximately 20 kilometers from the ocean in a straight line.