WINES OF CHILE
30
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.