Curicó Wine Region Guide

Geography and terroir

Just to the south of the Colchagua valley are the vineyards of Curicó – the Central Valley’s most complex and enigmatic region. Boasting some very fertile soils and favorable growing conditions, Curicó has traditionally been associated with straightforward and fruity wine, which is pleasant to drink and freely available.

Yet it is increasingly difficult to give an incisive overview of this Chilean behemoth as ambitious winemakers, motivated by rising global competition, set their sights on breaking the glass ceiling. No longer is this a destination where mediocrity rules the roost. Today, supermarket labels exist alongside award-winning icon wines.

The area under vine (22,000 hectares) is extensive, stretching from the southern border of Colchagua to beyond Molina. It is home to the San Pedro winery and its 1200 ha of vineyards—the largest single parcel in South America.

According to Wines of Chile,

“With a winemaking tradition dating back to the 19th century, the Curicó (Kou-ree-KOH )Valley is home to some very old vine stock. Farmers were attracted to the area’s Mediterranean climate of hot sunny days followed by cold nights. Spaniard Miguel Torres revitalized the industry here in the 1980s, and today, it is home to some of the country’s largest producers.”

However, depending on the vines’ location, one will encounter significant differences in macroclimate. There are two central winegrowing areas in the Curicó Valley: a large subregion on the western flank of the Andes and a smaller area further west towards the Pacific.

At first glance, it would appear that the latter has a decisive advantage in terms of climate: many of Chile’s premier viticultural zones benefit from cool marine air and coastal fogs that drift into the vines. Unfortunately, the Coastal Range  (a series of mountains) extends far enough east in Curicó to block any maritime influence, so this section of the Valle Central does not share the good fortune of Casablanca and Aconcagua in the north.

However, average rainfall in the valley is about 10 times higher than in the cooler-climate vineyards of Coquimbo. At the same time, spring carries a very real risk of frost attacks in September and October. Meanwhile, growers in the eastern part of Curicó – closer to the Andes – benefit from cool air that travels down from the mountain slopes, helping to moderate summer heat.

For that reason, the region’s leading climats (vineyard sites) are often found near the cooler eastern towns of Curicó and Molino, where ripeness occurs at a slower and more even rate. Nevertheless, irrigation is usually required in the Central Valley, particularly in the Teno zone that occupies the northern half of Curicó. Indeed, without the Andean meltwater that feeds the Lontue and Teno Rivers, viticulture would be extremely challenging here.

The vineyards of Lontue, meanwhile, are located in the southern half of the Curicó Valley DO. Irrigated by the Lontue and Mataquito Rivers, the zone’s limestone soils ( relatively uncommon in the wider region) can produce some exceptional dry whites and berry-scented Cabernet and Merlot. As elsewhere, diurnal temperature variation and cool mountain air deliver vibrant acidity levels and aromatic, well-structured wines.

In addition to Riesling and Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc does very well here. But there are also significant outcrops of alluvial – and colluvial – soils, containing a fertile mixture of clay, silt, and sand. These loamy terroirs, fairly ubiquitous in the Central Valley, can deliver excessive yields unless a plant’s vigor is strictly controlled. Of course, bulk winegrowers have little interest in curtailing a potentially very large crop.

Winemaking and regional classifications

Curicó is one of South America’s most versatile wine regions, juggling diverse styles and stakeholders; boutique wineries, family-run vineyards, and influential multinationals make their home in the valley. Therefore, it is very difficult to generalize the quality of wine made here, which ranges from prosaic supermarket Cab to old vine Syrah, carefully and sensitively matured in oak barrels for 18 months. There are wines that will dazzle you and bottles of plonk that will leave you cold.

Yet, despite having achieved success with a number of different varietals, Bordeaux blends (and single-varietal Cabernet) continue to win the most awards – and attract the highest prices. Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco,  Aresti Codigo de Familia 380, and Vina Alto Roble’ Patagon’ Family Reserve are three standout wines, with a noticeably softer fruit profile and brighter acidity than is often detected in Maipo reds.

Indeed, as long ago as 1985, the Torres family, Spain’s leading innovators and climate change activists, proved that Curico would be a standout terroir for the grape, provided the vineyards were cultivated on infertile soils. Today, Manso de Velasco has a (deserved) reputation for being one of Chile’s top Cabernets: elegant and restrained, with supple tannins and beautiful aromatics. It was the first red to properly challenge Maipo’s hegemony based on fruit sourced from centenarian vines – now protected as a national monument.

The winemaking, too, is exemplary. Only the finest bunches are used, grown on alluvial soils with a sandy clay loam texture and a large volume of different-sized gravel fragments. Sophisticated sorting tables are invaluable here, helping the staff to discard green or shriveled berries. Effective selection reduces the need for a lengthy extraction as the fruit is of top-notch quality.

Like many Chilean producers, Torres prefers to perform precise fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks, keeping the temperature under 78°F. The wine will be pumped over two or three times a day for nine days as the sugar turns into alcohol. As the vinification begins to subside, the young wine will be allowed to macerate for 19 days, extracting tannin and flavor.

Malolactic fermentation will then take place in 100% French oak barrels, converting malic to lactic acid. The wines are then aged in a mixture of French oak barrels and German oak foudres for 18 months—13% new wood, 28% second-use barrel, and 59% German oak foudre.

The 2019 vintage was awarded 95 points by leading critic Tim Atkin MW, described the wine as having an

“intense dark ruby color and exquisite aroma with the classic notes of small black and red fruits. Herbal nuances such as lemon verbena and bay leaf. Palate of great elegance, with enveloping and soft tannins, long fruity and spicy accords that are complemented towards the end with fine notes of wood.“

Thirty-five years ago, few buyers or sommeliers took Curicó seriously as a producer of fine wine.

Today, the best Cabernets are widely accepted as some of the finest in South America, thanks to the pioneering work of Miguel Torres and his contemporaries. Even Maipo’s greatest celebrities admire the gentleness and poise that define the best Curicó wines, offering a different (but equally valid) interpretation of this seminal grape.

Curicó gastronomy

Like many of Chile’s smaller urban areas, Curicó has many excellent restaurants and bars, covering cheap-and-cheerful parrillas (grill restaurants), sophisticated fine dining amidst the vines, and everything in between. Some good Italian eateries can be found in the center. Miguel Torres’ signature restaurant is one of the best in the Central Valley; European classics such as Osobuco and mushroom risotto provide a nice counterpart to more hearty Chilean fare. A diverse selection of wine by the glass, featuring a standout old vine Carignan, adds a touch of elegance to complete the experience.