Viña Casa Marín

Gold Medal Sauvignon Blanc Cipreses Vineyard 2014

For the fourth time in a row Casa Marin goes home with a Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2015, this year held this year in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. Over 50 panelists from more than 20 different nationalities tasted hundreds of Sauvignon Blancs! Again, our Cipreses Sauvignon Blanc 2014 one the gold medal.

Casa Marin’s History at Concours Mondial du Sauvignon:

Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2010
Sauvignon Blanc Cipreses Vineyard 2009 - Special Trophy: Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World!

Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2013
Sauvignon Gris Estero Vineyard 2012 – Gold Medal
Vinedos Lo Abarca No. 2 Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – Gold Medal

Can we say we are producing one of Chile’s best Sauvignon Blanc in Chile and maybe one of the best ones in the world?

Casa Marín’s story began with its founder, owner and winemaker, María Luz Marín’s, dream. Nothing better describes this winery than the story of a woman who fought to create a unique winery with fine, exclusive wines. In 2000, against advice from colleagues and experts, she decided to establish her winery in Lo Abarca, a small town in the San Antonio Valley.

Despite warnings about problems with location, the cool-climate and people’s disbelief, she was successful in creating a company whose wines have been awarded throughout the world and have helped position Chile in a distinct light with its high quality, high value wines. - See more at: http://www.casamarin.cl/our-winery/about-us/#sthash.1rMDB28y.dpuf

Viña Casa Marín is located in a privileged and unique terroir but one that can seem adverse. The town of Lo Abarca is just 4 kms. from the Pacific Ocean and is covered by a constant fog during the summer and winter months. It’s also a very windy area with cold temperatures during the grape growth and ripening period. However, these conditions make the vines produced a superior quality fruit than other valleys with higher temperatures and with massive production. The harvests are not abundant, but the plants that grow here are strong with healthy grapes and greater flavor and mineral concentration that add unique qualities and character to the wines.

According to geologists, this area was once part of the ocean which is why there have been high levels of calcium and minerals (each adds to the grapes) found in excavations the winery has done. In fact this is where the new plant name “tierras blancas” (white soil) came from because of its color and the abundant presence of calcium carbonate. Casa Marín’s terroir is made up of 50 hectares of hills and valleys, of which 10 newly planted. The winery has 8 sections divided into 38 blocks, each with distinct geological and geographic characteristics and planted with its respective grape variety.

They are:

Casona Vineyard

This section has a north-south orientation and is located at the edge of the town Lo Abarca. It has thick, dark clay soil that is difficult to remove but very fertile and deep, which gives life to the German-Italian variety Gewürztraminer.

Laurel Vineyard

This block’s variety is Sauvignon Blanc, which grows stronger in a calcareous and clay soil. It has a northeast exposition and faces Lo Abarca. 100% of the vines are located on an hillside, which means the vines use a drip irrigation system. This terroir had never before been used for agriculture and before only had native vegetation.

Cipreses Vineyard

From the beginning, this block has been designated for our delicious Sauvignon Blanc. Regarding its geographic characteristics, this land faces the towns of Lo Zárate and Lo Abarca and its rows run north to south. It is situated on a hillside facing the ocean with red clay soil with gravel, precisely because of its proximity to the ocean.

Miramar Norte Vineyard

This block nurtures the Syrah vines fervently, which are able to withstand the extremely cold climate during the winter as well as winds throughout the year. It is composed of red clay soil of volcanic origin that allows for good drainage.

Miramar Vineyard

This windy block is located at the highest part of the vineyard, 300 meters above sea level, and is planted with Riesling, a variety that thrives in volcanic and clay loam soil.

Estero Vineyard

This block overlooks the stream, facing Cartagena and is where our Sauvignon is planted. The soil is low in fertility because the top half is clay and the bottom, sandy. However, this makes delicious wines. The rows face the town of Lo Zarate on a pronounced slope between 30 and 32 degrees of unevenness.

Lo Abarca Vineyard

Pinot Noir thrives in this block. It has low slopes; calcareous soils with some clay, lime and silt (loose material similar to fine sand and clay faces the ocean and each row is planted on a slope.

Our winemaking facility provides us with the required conditions so the wine displays its best qualities naturally, without correcting their acidity. The process begins with the terroir selection. Currently, the winery has 50 hectares of vineyards divided into 38 different blocks. All of the grapes are harvested by hand, when their perfectly ripe. Because of the great diversity of terroir and grape varieties in a cool climate, the harvest begins later and can last from the beginning of March through the end of May. Then our fruit goes through a strict selection process and next to vinification separately in small, individualized tanks.

These characteristics of the process mean that the wine reflects the natural character of the grapes and the land they come from. Our Pinot Noir is fermented in French oak barrels between 12 and 14 months. Our Syrah is fermented between 16 and 20 months and our Sauvignon Gris, between 4 and 6 months. The barrel cellar stays at a natural 9 degrees Celsius before the wine goes to be bottled. This way Viña Casa Marín achieves incomparable wines thanks to the work here because of the passionate work done from start to finish. - See more at: http://www.casamarin.cl/our-winery/winery/#sthash.wUcHkov8.dpuf

Viña Casa Marín – its workers and family – seek to work with the environment in a natural and harmonious way. This is why the winery is constantly searching for new ways to be more efficient in its use of water and energy in addition to caring for the environment so that it will become more sustainable each day.

Sustainability is not a new topic. In fact, it began together with María Luz Marín’s project of planting vines near the Pacific coast in 2000, in the town of Lo Abarca. This area is known for its agricultural advantages, reflected in the famous lettuce production of the area. From this comes María Luz’s desire to maintain these agricultural properties intact, clean, free of trash and contamination in order to grow her vines in the least invasive way possible.

Felipe Marín, this project’s successor, who aims towards a greater investment in the winery’s sustainable development, divides his time between this and seeking new flavors and blends that please year after year. Together with his mother, María Luz, he wants to take these measures and turn them into an organic winery that is 100% sustainable. Part of this investment is in 10 planted hectares from August 2011. All of the vines are 100% organic with Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Grenache varieties. This will be a pioneer organic project in applying new trends that make it a model to be replicated throughout the winery in the near future.