Cousiño Macul
Brand Description
Founded in 1856, Cousiño Macul is the only winery in Chile established during the 19th century that still belongs entirely to the founding family. At age 37, Isidora Goyenechea single-handedly fulfilled her late husband’s dream of owning and operating a premier Chilean winery. A passion for wine still unites the family after more than 150 years and seven generations, and Isidora’s great-great-granddaughter, Verónica Cousiño, joined the winery in 2008.
Cousiño Macul’s mission is to produce world-class wines that carry the distinctive character of the Maipo Valley. Their vines are ungrafted and come from massal selections from their own nursery. This has allowed for the preservation of valuable genetic material, initially brought to Chile by Luis Cousiño in 1860, including Cabernet and Merlot varieties from Pauillac in Haut-Medoc and Sauvignon Gris from Martillac in Graves.
Location of Vineyard
In 1994, the capital city of Santiago had expanded to the point of completely surrounding the original estate in the southeast of the city, so the family invested in 750 acres of land in Buin about 20 miles southeast of Santiago. Both estates are part of the subregion known as Alto Maipo, named for its high altitude at the foot of the Andes Mountains.
Few wine producers have the opportunity to make a completely new start, incorporating the best of their age-old experience and the most contemporary technology available. As technology continues to advance in the vineyards and wineries around the world, Cousiño Macul has seized this opportunity to innovate while staying true to its long history.
Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy
Cousiño Macul's wines are all estate-grown in the Alto Maipo, named for its high-altitude vineyards at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Melting snow in the spring and summer provides pure, fresh water to the vineyards. The shallow, sandy-silky topsoil with rough stone below is well-suited to the vines, which are all ungrafted and preserved via massal selections in the winery's nurseries. This selection has allowed for the preservation of genetic material originally brought to Chile by Luis Cousiño in 1860, including Cabernet and Merlot varieties from Pauillac in Haut-Medoc and Sauvignon Gris from Martillac in Graves.
After studying agronomy with a specialty in Enology at the Pontifical University of Chile, Winemaker Rosario Corrales first joined the Cousiño Macul team in 2005. After years of learning at Cousiño Macul and other renowned sites in Spain, California, Italy, France, and Germany, she became the Head Winemaker in 2018. Her passion for innovation inspires her to continue to improve the quality of the wines year after year.
Winery Profile
Winemaker: Rosario Palma Corrales
Total acreage under vine: 750
Founded: 1856
Acclaim
