Andes Peaks Carmenere
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, roasted pork loin, or classic beef empanadas.
✨ Technical Specifications
While Andes Peaks is a specialized label from the pioneering Emiliana estate, it embodies the winery's deep connection to Chile's Central Valley and the dramatic geography of the Andes. Carmenere itself carries a legendary history; once a prominent blending grape in Bordeaux, it vanished from Europe during the phylloxera plague of the late 19th century and was presumed extinct. In a dramatic twist of viticultural history, it was rediscovered in Chile in 1994, thriving under the guise of late-ripening Merlot. Emiliana's Central Valley Carmenere style showcases this lost child of Bordeaux in its purest form, utilizing organic practices to coax out the grape's signature dark fruit and herbal complexity. The grapes benefit from the region's warm, sun-drenched days and cool nights influenced by alpine breezes, resulting in a wine that balances rich texture with vibrant acidity.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1986 by Rafael and José Guilisasti, Emiliana underwent a groundbreaking paradigm shift in 1998 under the viticultural counsel of Álvaro Espinoza, evolving into the world's largest certified organic and biodynamic wine estate. Emiliana manages extensive vineyard holdings spanning Chile's top macro-regions, from maritime-cooled Casablanca and San Antonio in Aconcagua to the warm alluvial terraces of the Central Valley and southern terroirs. The viticultural philosophy centers on holistic agroecology: zero synthetic inputs, active cover cropping, animal integration, and strict alignment with Demeter biodynamic rhythms. In the cellar, head winemaker Noelia Orts preserves pure terroir transparency through temperature-controlled stainless steel, gentle oak aging, and native fermentations. For whites and sparkling expressions, maritime fog and decomposed granitic soils impart electric acidity and pronounced salinity, reflected in single-vineyard benchmarks like Signos de Origen La Vinilla, the precision-driven Novas Gran Reserva whites, and vibrant, unadulterated Natura cuvées.