Cousiño-Macul

By this time, Matías Cousiño had established himself as a visionary and pioneering entrepreneur within a country beginning to shape itself following its recent independence from Spain the early 19th century. His endeavors took him through a wide range of industrial projects. In the north of Chile he developed what was to be one of the most successful and richest silver mines of Chile. Later he constructed the first copper smelting plant.

Then he embarked on the ambitious project of building the railroad between Copiapó and Caldera in order to transport minerals to the shipping port on the coast. He later expanded into coal mining in the southern region of the country.

While in the midst of remaking the Macul estate, Matías Cousiño died in 1863, leaving his only son, Luis, accompanied by his wife, Isidora Goyenechea, to follow in his footsteps. In order to carry out his father’s vision, Luis had travelled to Europe in 1860, just prior to the phylloxera devastation, to purchase original French rootstock; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Pauillac and Margaux, Sauvignon from Martillac in Graves, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

Luis Cousiño died unexpectedly at the early age of 38 while travelling overseas. His widow Isidora Goyenechea took the helm of all her husband’s business ventures and consolidated the winemaking activities. In 1885 she hired renowned French oenologist Pierre Godefroy Durand to adapt the French vines to the Macul soil and climate. Pierre’s son, Raúl Durand, followed suit at the Macul estate to continue his father’s work.

It is fair to say that the Cousiño family played a leading role in setting the high standards of Chile’s current wine industry. The Cousiño Macul winery, now in the hands of the sixth generation of Cousiños, will undoubtedly continue to write the history of this nation’s proud winemaking tradition. It is not surprising that the well-known wine expert and writer Hugh Johnson described Cousiño Macul as “The first growth of Chile.”

All Cousiño wines are made only with grapes sourced from its two states, both located in the Maipo Valley: the Macul estate in the south east of Santiago, and the new estate in the south of the Maipo Valley near the town of Buin. Both estates are literally at the foot of the Andes mountains and, because of the altitude above sea level, are part of the sub-region known as “Alto Maipo”. (upper Maipo).

Macul

The capital city of Santiago has expanded to the point of completely surrounding the Macul estate, in the southeast of the city. The vineyards were planted at the foothills of the Andes mountains, where the soil is of a calcareous nature. The soil varies from thin and rocky in the higher parts of the slopes to deeper and more fertile towards the flat valley.

Rows are planted north to south, thereby exposing the vines to the sun as it moves from east to west. As the snow melts in the spring and summer, the Andes mountains provide an ample sourse of pure and fresh water to irrigate the vineyards.

Buin

The Buin estate was purchased after a thorough 3-year search within the Maipo Valley for a property that met ambitious criteria. Soil characteristics, climate and proximity to the Andes mountains were non-negotiable conditions for the site of the new Cousiño Macul winery.

Buin is also in the bub-area called “Alto Maipo”, in the higher areas of this valley. Te soil is specially suited to the productionof high quality grapes; a shallow sandy-silky topsoil of 30-40cms. With 75% rough stone under the 40 cms. level. The slightly lower highs in the “Alto Maipo” versus other parts of this valley help promote a proper maturity of the reds. The greater day – night temperature variance, contributes significantly to the varietal aromas of the white wines.

Inside the Buin winery, brilliant engineering, leading edge technology and innovative solutions are evident everywhere. The vinification plant houses individual isothermal rooms. Each room houses ten stainless steel tanks and has independent temperature control. The complete winery has a capacity for handling 6.5 million litres, plus a climate controlles facility for up to 5,ooo barriques, a bottling plant and a storing room to keep the finished products.

The cellar at Macul was entrusted by Luis Cousiño to a firm of French architects in 1870. Situated in the centre of the property it was built using bricks and lime-stone that were made on site. The underground cellar was dug seven meters deep and constructed with a dual wall with air space in between to create a passive ventilation system. This guarantees an ideal year-round temperature of 14ºC, while maintaining the right humidity and air quality. At completion, it was considered one of the most efficiently designed cellars and continues as one of the most beautiful.

The Cousiño family is committed to the environment and has implemented an integrated sustainable management system into their production processes; their mission is to minimize the impact on the environment as much as possible, while still maintaining the quality that characterizes Cousiño Macul wines.
Based on international standards to limit the environmental impact of winemaking, they are proud to employ:

• Energy Efficiency
• Waste Minimization
• Pesticide and Fertilizer Management
• Certificación ISO140001

The winery is 100% dedicated to maintaining a harmonious, mutually beneficial relationship with its neighbors, the surrounding community and nature. We recycle all of the waste we generate; paper and cardboard are sent to SOREPA, plastics go with the intermediary Luz Valenzuela; through COANIQUEM glasses are sent to Cristalerías Chile, staves are recycled with the company TINTO and all wine lees to Industrias Vinicas.