Wine tours - Chile - Casablanca

Visit to Indomita winery

Casablanca , the first cool-climate region with primarily granite-clay soils, focuses on white wines (70%), along with some Pinot Noir and Merlot. Concha y Torro began growing wine here in the 1980s in this wine region of approximately 6,000 hectares.

Here we visit Indomita , a white winery from 2001, perched high on a hill. The estate is located 30-35 km from the coast and, with an annual production of 0.5 million liters (60% from Casablanca), is the largest winery in Casablanca.

It's a relatively cold region, even in summer with morning fog and large variations between day and night temperatures. They also suffer from frost, requiring sprinkler systems and wind turbines to circulate the air. Because there are no rivers here, sufficient water availability poses a challenge. They rely on rain and irrigation canals. The focus here is on white grapes. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir are harvested in March, Cabernet Sauvignon in April, and Carmenère in mid-May.

They have three grades: Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Duette; the latter is the highest quality. They also extract juice (50%) from the lees sediment. The filter reduces the quality somewhat, but requires less energy and time. A very expensive lees sediment filter, costing €100,000, is used to obtain higher-quality juice (70%). They also have stainless steel tanks of 5,000-100,000 L outside, primarily for sparkling wine and fermentation. They use commercial yeasts.

Tasting: The wines of Indomita

In addition to a taste straight from the tanks, we discussed six special bottled wines:

1. Agustinos Grand Cuvée Brut 2024: A sparkling wine (Chardonnay/Pinot Noir) from the Bio Valley. Very fresh and fruity with lively acidity; an ideal aperitif wine.

2. Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva 2024: From Casablanca. A true UK-style wine: clean, fresh, and dominated by citrus fruit.

3. Chardonnay Duette 2023: Planted in 1997 and aged in large wooden barrels. Without malolactic fermentation, this wine retains its freshness, yet has a wonderfully round, fruity structure.

4. Pinot Noir Duette 2022: The grapes grow on sunny northern slopes. Maturation in barrels, some of which are French oak, produces a supple wine full of light cherries and soft fruit.

5. Cabernet Sauvignon Zardoz 2022: A powerful wine from very old vines (1945) from Maipo Alto. Complex and ripe with firm tannins and notes of chocolate after 1.5 years of oak aging.

6. Santa Alicia Red Blend Millantu 2021: A harmonious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenère. "Millantu" means golden sun, which is reflected in the ripe blackcurrant flavor, spicy notes, and supple tannins.