The wine company Viña Montes, headquartered in Santa Cruz, Chile, was founded in 1988 by four partners under the name "Discover Wine". They were Aurelio Montes (oenologist), Douglas Murray (manager), Pedro Grand (vineyard owner) and Alfredo Vidaurre (entrepreneur). All four already had many years of experience in the production and distribution of top wines. The president and chief oenologist is Aurelio Montes. He was named "Chilean Winemaker of the Year" in 1995 and "Personality of the year 2002" by the SNA (National Agriculture Society). Since the beginning, an angel has adorned all Montes labels, vineyards, cellars, offices and salesrooms. According to many experts, Montes wines are among the best in Chile. The vineyards in several locations (estates) in the Curicó and Colchagua areas cover 200 hectares. They are planted with the red wine varieties Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec (Cot), Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, as well as with the white wine varieties Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Petit Verdot, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
The "simple" varietal wines are marketed under "Montes". The premium line is "Montes Alpha", with the "Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon" the winery became famous worldwide overnight, so to speak. First vinified in 1996, "Montes Alpha M" is the flagship of the house. This Bordeaux-style red wine is blended from Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Merlot (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) and aged for over a year in French oak. The first "Montes Folly Syrah" was vinified in 2000. The original name derives from the fact that many experts (except Montes) were of the opinion that it was a folly (folly) to plant Syrah, which had not been tried and tested in this area (Colchagua) until then, and a "double folly" to do so on such steep slopes (as is the case). The wine is now considered the best Chilean Syrah. A sweet botrytis wine (Vendange Tardive) is also produced from 50% each of Gewürztraminer and Riesling. A total of 3.6 million bottles of wine are produced annually, 98% of which are exported to the USA and Europe.
Picture: Montes
