Chilean winery MontGras undertakes ‘strategic redefinition’

Chilean winery MontGras is undertaking a “strategic redefinition” of its business, a process that will see it launch new wines, experiment with winemaking processes and further its commitment to sustainability.

Speaking to the drinks business, marketing manager Laura Leiva said the winery was seeking to redefine its “product ranges, grape varieties, origins, winemaking systems, modes of communication and corporate image”.

The aim is to transform the business into an “attractive, relevant and sustainable winery” focused on the production of premium wines.

MontGras will be releasing several new wines in the months ahead. Among them will be the De Vine range, which Leiva said is inspired by ampelography. Each wine will feature illustrations of the leaf of the grape variety used to make it on the label.

The range will consist of eleven single varietal wines, made from grapes including Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Cinsault, and sourced from the length and breadth of Chile.

Another recent release is the Day One range, inspired by the day where the winemaker makes the decision to harvest the grapes. Each wine has a pair of secateurs on the label in reference to the concept.

Leiva explained: “In this new range we focus on the origin of each variety that comes from very different and attractive valleys, such as Maipo for Cabernet Sauvignon, Leyda for Sauvignon Blanc, Colchagua for Merlot, etc., where they express their best quality, as distinct from our De Vine range which focuses on varieties, their ampelographic characteristics and the great diversity of grapes that can be grown in Chile.”

MontGras is also looking to work with new grape varieties sourced from different areas. It will be adding two wines from Bío Bío – a Cinsault grown in Guarilihue and a Riesling from Mulchén – to its portfolio in future new ranges. It is also experimenting with different winemaking techniques such as carbonic maceration, which it used to produce a Cabernet Franc made from old vines grown in Buin in Maipo. The wine will be launching later this year.

Sustainability

This year MontGras has released a new organic range packaged in “ultra-light bottles”. The wines bear the the Ecocert certification and the Wines of Chile Sustainability seal and have also achieved BRC and BSCI accreditation.

Its organic range comprises a Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir from Bío Bío as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant red blend from Maipo.

From the 2020 vintage, MontGras’ entire wine range is certified vegan.

Leiva added: “All these certifications that we incorporate in new MontGras wines are focused on a sustainable production to last over time, which involves a series of measures and programmes in the agricultural, oenological and production areas, which we implement in order to use our resources efficiently, with a cleaner production. This considers the management of our waste, the efficient use of water, and the reduction of our carbon footprint by using lighter bottles and optimising the use of energy, as well as a greener production free from the use of chemicals and respectful of the environment, our workers and community.”

Among MontGras’ gold-medal winning wines at the recent Spring Tasting, held by the drinks business, was its Amaral Syrah from the Leyda Valley and Day One Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo.

The relatively cool climate of the Leyda Valley gives MontGras’ Syrah “very particular aromas, textures and flavours,” according to Leiva, who said planting the grape variety in the area was a “risk” as it on the limit of where it can reliably ripen. The Cabernet Suavignon, meanwhile, reflects a more traditional approach to winemaking in Chile and is made from vines aged between 35 and 40 years old.

Leiva added: “These two great recognitions make us very happy and proud, because this represents, in the first case [Syrah], innovation and risk and, on the other hand, the tradition and the classic [Cabernet Sauvignon], both extremes that we want to reflect with this new attractive and relevant 2.0 MontGras.”