When Pablo Morandé founded Viña Morandé in 1996, he did it with a great vision for the future and with the same audacity that drove him, years earlier, to be the first person to plant vines in the Casablanca Valley. They also aimed at using less renowned varieties that have been traditionally grown there. It may be worth remembering that, since the very beginning of Viña Morandé, the old vineyards grown in the Secano have had a special meaning for the winery. On one hand, Maule, and particularly the area of Cauquenes, is the place of birth of their founder. And on the other, the winery has developed an important viticultural work throughout the years in its different terroirs, crafting wines that have been present since the first day in their portfolio.
Today Casablanca is one of the most internationally recognized wine regions for the quality of its wines. Its primary geographic condition is its maritime influence, which enters from the Pacific Ocean and produces morning fog that moderates the temperatures. This characteristic encourages optimal vineyard development, which demands special care to reach the desired ripeness. The varieties that grow best in Casablanca are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir.
The Belen property is located in the Lo Ovalle sector of the Casablanca Valley. The 130 hectares of vineyards were planted in two stages, the first in 2004 and the second in 205. The vineyard density is 10,101 plants/hectare with a distance of 1.5 meters between rows and 0.00 meters between plants.
Pablo Morandé in the vineyards
TEMPERATURE
Cold winters with an average maximum temperature of 15ºC and a minimum of 2ºC. Daily temperature oscillation is very broad during the summer, with an average low of 9ºC and a high of 30ºC. Temperatures also vary significantly between the hillsides and the flat sector, which is more prone to frost.
SOILS AND ALTITUDES
The soils are generally deep with a medium to coarse texture. The soils on the hillsides are clay-loam and range from 274 meters above sea level in the lower sector and 385 meters in the upper sector.
HIGH DENSITY PLANTING
This concept establishes the close relationship between the plantation density and the quality of the grapes. Therefore they focus on developing high-density plantations that are unique in Chile with the goal of making exceptionally high-quality wines in every segment. High density planting allows them to explore greater soil volumes and take better advantage of available moisture and capture more solar energy.
"I tasted a very good collection of wines from Morandé, nicely crafted by winemaker Ricardo Baettig. They have vineyards in different valleys—Limarí, Casablanca, Maipo, Maule, Malleco and Itata—and produce 1.9 million bottles. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2023)
"Morandé was established by enologist Pablo Morandé in 1996. With a restless spirit, he has turned the house into a group of wineries that explore different styles, markets, terroirs and winemaking methods, encompassing as many possibilities Chile offers. They have vineyards in Casablanca, Cachapoal, Maipo and Maule. For the 2022 harvest, they opened a winery for flagship wines in Pelequén right next to the historic winery, which contains all the winemaking toys a creative enologist could ask for. Ricardo Baettig oversees the winemaking team and produces wines such as Aventura and Descomplicados. In recent years, Morandé has regained much of its pioneering spirit and embarked on exploring a series of styles that, for wine connoisseurs, provide a breath of fresh air amidst the formality of the Chilean wine aisle. The results may not always meet expectations, but I’m sure they will gain consistency in the future.- Joaquin Hidalgo"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (Chile: Thinking Outside The Box, March 2023)
