Escaleras de Empedrado Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 4–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Escaleras de Empedrado is one of Chile's most daring and groundbreaking viticultural projects, born from Miguel Torres's relentless quest to find slate soils combined with a cool, maritime climate. Located in the rugged hills of Empedrado near the Maule coast, the vineyard is planted on steep, hand-built terraces of fractured black slate (esquisto) that resemble the dramatic steps of Priorat or the Douro Valley. Situated just 26 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, this extreme site faces intense viticultural challenges, from severe spring frosts to devastating forest fires. The low-yielding Pinot Noir vines thrive in this unique soil, producing a wine of extraordinary minerality, tension, and vertical structure. Aged carefully in French oak, it represents a pioneering milestone for South American Pinot Noir, bridging Old World mineral complexity with New World fruit purity.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1870 by Jaime and Miguel Torres Vendrell in Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia, Familia Torres is one of Spain's most historic and influential wine dynasties. Under the pioneering leadership of fourth-generation patriarch Miguel A. Torres, the family revolutionized Spanish winemaking by introducing stainless steel fermentation and international varieties, while also expanding globally to Chile in 1979 with Miguel Torres Chile. Today, the estate is celebrated for its commitment to regenerative viticulture, climate change mitigation, and the recovery of ancestral grape varieties. Their diverse portfolio spans iconic Catalan labels like Gran Coronas to acclaimed Chilean expressions like Manso Velasco and the Santa Digna range, showcasing a masterful blend of traditional heritage and modern innovation.