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VIñA Leyda
“Garuma - El Maitén vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc
Located on the west side of the Chilean Costal Range and less than 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Leyda’s vineyards are the perfect place to make internationally-acclaimed wines and usher in a new era of quality winemaking for South America as a whole.
As part of the VSPT Wine Group, Leyda is at the forefront of a new generation of South American winemaking leaders, embracing the traditions of the local landscape with the buoyancy of modern innovation and expression.
“Our mission is to explore the diversity of our country without boundaries and are present in the main origins across Chile and Argentina. ... including Sustainability as a Strategic Objective and Corporate Value, we are leaders in renewable energy generation, guardians and promoters of Biodiversity, and promoters of Conscious Alcohol Consumption. We nurture responsible design and ecopackaging culture; we are passionate about nature and our planet; and we are committed to being Carbon Neutral across three scopes by 2040”
The Leyda Winery has been pivotal in the development of the Chilean wine industry, so much so that The Leyda Valley D.O. (“denomination of origin”) was named for their efforts. Located west of Santiago and South of Casablanca, very close to the Pacific Ocean, "El Maitén" is an 88 hectare vineyard located just 12 km from the Pacific Ocean, planted to Pinot Noir (49 ha), Sauvignon Blanc (20 ha), Syrah (10 ha), and Chardonnay (9 ha). The climate is strongly influenced by the ocean.
The cool coastal climate influences the vineyards with pronounced marine characteristics and low temperatures of 55ºF on average. This allows the grapes to ripen slowly, enhacing their flavors, aromas, and natural acidity, while adding a saline character to the wines.
Leyda Valley has been proven to be one of the most exciting new wine regions of Chile, producing wines since 2000. The Leyda Winery, however, has been in the region since the 1990s, pioneering the first vineyard plantings in the region in modern times. They originally built an 5-mile aqueduct to bring water from the Maipo River to the valley. Later, in 1998 they registered the brand and launched their first wines under the larger D.O. Aconcagua Valley. However, the style of their wines was quite unique and different. In 2001, they were able to prove this distinctiveness, which lead to the creation of the D.O. Leyda Valley. This D.O. is mainly direct at the preservation of the region’s signature grape, the Sauvignon Blanc. Vineyards of Sauvignon Blanc cover at least 45% of the planted area of the Leyda Valley.
CHILE:
An Untouched Viticultural Oasis
Rich soils. Vast mountain ranges. sweeping valleys. vibrant coastal communities.
endless potential.
The history of Chilean wine dates back to the 16th century and the time of the Spanish conquest. The first vines were planted at that time from stock brought on ships from Spain. As famed and experienced French winemakers began seeking affordable land and labor in the 19th century, they brought deep pockets and a wealth of knowledge to the region.
The winemaking industry has seen great changes over time, however. Noble European grape varieties were introduced in the mid-19th century. Then major technological advances came in the 1980s, followed by a tremendous surge in exports of Chilean wine in the past 30 years. All of this forms the backdrop to the development of what is now a prosperous industry.
Chile’s diverse natural conditions allow for a wide range of wine styles—from deep, complex reds to refreshing cool-climate whites.
Chile is also the only wine-producing country in the world that has never been touched by phylloxera, an insect that devastated much of the vines in Europe at the end of the 19th century.
The Coast of Chile near El Maitén Vineyard
Like most young winemaking countries that abandoned their traditions in favor of globally friendly wines (think bigger, bolder, more oak), they’ve been righting the balance in recent years. — Aldo Sohm
Viviana Navarrete:
Chief winemaker at leyda
Viviana has been Chief Winemaker at Viña Leyda since 2007, working for almost twenty years to produce the best cool climate wines in Chile. She studied Agricultural Sciences in the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, specializing in winemaking, and from the beginning of her career she felt very attracted to the terroir of Leyda Valley, due to its potential and its great qualities that are reflected in the wines.
Viviana ́s mission is to make the best cold climate wines of Chile — wines with character, identity and original senses that releases the full potential of Leyda Valley.
Her winemaking philosophy is to reflect the quality and the unique conditions of the terroir and of the vineyard parcel in every bottle of wine. She focuses on cold climate grape varieties in single vineyard sites that grow well in Leyda Valley, giving rise to expressive and elegant wines with fruity tastes and complexity.
Viviana is an innovative winemaker, and the wine industry the world-over has recognized her for her efforts. A few of her accolades are:
2013 – Named among “Chile’s Top Ten Winemakers”, by Peter Richards.
2013 – Chosen as one of 15 women in their 30s to have had the biggest impact in transforming their respective industries, by El Mercurio’s Ya magazine
2015 – “Young Innovative Winemaker” Award, by Wiken y del Campo Magazine
2017 – Named as one of Chile’s best Pinot Noir makers, by Kim Marcus (Wine Spectator)
2018 – Chosen as one of the top trailblazing women leading the wine industry, by Wine Enthusiast
2020 – Acknowledged as “Winemaker of the Year”, by Tim Atkin
2020 – Selected among the world’s 13 best female winemakers, and the only female winemaker from South America, by Wine Enthusiast
Garuma is the name of a small seagull that can be found right along the Chilean coastline. You can see it running across the sand on our beaches at any time of year.
2023 vintage
100% Sauvignon Blanc
90% Davis 1 clone, which provides structure and creaminess to the mouth and 10% Clone 107, which delivers herbaceous and citrus notes, while bringing length and raciness to the mouth
Soils: Mostly granite, with calcium carbonate deposits
Granite soils are prized for their exceptional ability to drain quickly and prevent excess water retention; this leads to grapes with more layered and intense flavors and aromas as the vine focuses on producing fewer, smaller, and more concentrated grapes
Calcium carbonate in the soil brings cooler soil temperature and provides both good water retention and drainage; the cool temperatures of the soil normally delay ripening in the grape which tends to produce more acidic wines
Winemaking:
Fermented and aged in 80% Stainless Steel, 20% used oak
70% whole-cluster pressed, to enhance the mouthfeel; 30% were destemmed, for freshness
7 months aging before bottling, with lees-contact for complexity
tasting notes:
Nose: It is expressive, revealing maritime cool-climate character with notes of salinity. It has the herbaceous notes that are typical of Leyda, like lemon verbena, along with green chilli pepper, white pepper and citrus fruit notes like limes and grapefruit.
Palate: The mouth is both deep and enveloping with a creamy texture on the mid palate. The granitic soils are revealed in the vibrancy of the palate and the chalky texture and grip. The wine finishes with zesty, juicy acidity.