Viu Manent Winery Guide
EXPLORE ALL OUR RECOMMENDED CHILEAN WINERIES
Last updated: April 10, 2024
Winery Overview
Established by a Catalan family over 75 years ago, this has been a consistently impressive producer of excellent, often outstanding cool climate reds and whites. Their Carmenère is one of the best in Chile, with its intense, gorgeous red berry fruit, spice, and velvety texture. Considering the wide variety of wines this sizeable property makes, the quality across the range is astonishing! While Viu Manent is quite a large producer, it has always been and always will be a family run estate. The winemaking philosophy of Viu Manent focuses on creating quality driven wines that reflect their terroir, attention to detail is paramount for this family!
Vui Manent’s story begins with the immigration of the Viu family from Spain to Chile in 1935. Miguel Viu Garcia and his two sons, Agustin and Miguel Viu Manent embarked on a better life in Santiago and founded Bodegas Viu outside the capital. Initially, the winery purchased wines made from local growers, aged them and marketed the wines under their own flag. This provided the foundation for the company to grow, biding them time until they could one-day realize their dream of producing wines themselves. After more than thirty years of waiting, Miguel Garcia’s son, Miguel Manent finally achieved what they had set out to do from the beginning, producing the highest quality wines from their own vineyards. They purchased a plot of vineyards and winery in the Colchagua region of Chile. The rest, as they say, is history.
The estate remains in family control, managed today by third generation José Miguel Viu Bottini. José is a true wine lover, a man who cares deeply for his vineyards and the quality of wines they produce. Their journey is an intensely personal one; the family have quietly increased their vineyard holdings and are constantly striving to push the boundaries of what they can achieve. From a small outfit based in Santiago, they have grown to a large and prosperous winery, exporting their wines across five continents. All the wines shine, but the Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular, is world class and offers more famous regions like Bordeaux some serious competition. But what impresses the most is the family spirit and friendliness of the estate, José is never too busy to welcome our visitors and will be delighted to share his wines with you on our private tours. And then there is the majestic beauty of the Colchagua Valley. Make no mistake, this property may have had a humble start, but Viu Manent is now firmly placed on the fine wine map!
Wines produced
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Viu 1
100% Malbec. From 90 year old vines in a prized single vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel tanks for 29 days. Aged in new French and American oak for 20 months. -
El Incidente
87% Carmenère, 2% Petit Verdot,11% Malbec. Fermented in stainless steel tanks for 29 days. Aged in new French and American oak for 23 months. -
ViBo
100% Malbec. Produced from Malbec Vineyards in the Uco Valley. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. -
Single Vineyard
100% Malbec. Produced from Malbec Vineyards in the Uco Valley. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. -
Noble Semillon
100% Semillon. The flagship sweet wine of the property, made using the Sauternes Botrytis method. Aged for 6 months in French Oak. -
Gran Reserva
Super-premium wines produced from a range of grape varieties – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Malbec. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18 months in new French oak. -
Estate Collection
A range of single estate wines produced from different grape varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Carmenère. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18 months in new French oak. -
Secret de Viu Manent
A range of varietal wines that contain a portion of 'secret' grape varieties used in the blend. Produced from Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Carmenère. -
Rayuela Reserva
The flagship wines of the property. Produced from Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère. Aged for different periods in new French oak (100%.) -
Rayuela Gran Reserva
The most prestigious wines of the property, only produced in excellent vintages. Produced from Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. Aged for different periods in new French oak (100%.)
Winery Contact Details
Viu Manent
Antonio Varas, 2740Nunoa
Chile
Email: [email protected]
Tel + 56 (0) 2 379 0020
Fax + 56 (0) 2 379 0439 Find out more
Facts & Figures
Appellation
Colchagua Valley
Founded
1935
Area under Vine
254 hectares
Age of vines
30 years+
Oak barrel origin
French
Winemaker
José Miguel Viu Bottini
Owner
Viu family
Production
240,000 cases per annum
Grape varietals
Malbec, Carmenère, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier
Grape Varieties Used by the Winery
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Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape varietal native to the Burgundy wine region in France and one of the most popular varieties worldwide.
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Sauvignon Blanc
The sauvignon blanc grape varietal, originally from the Bordeaux region of France, is now one of the world's most loved white varieties.
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Semillon
Explore the allure of the Semillon grape & its legendary connection to Sauternes. Unveil the history & flavors of this captivating varietal. Cheers!
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Viognier
Viognier comes from the northern Rhône valley AOC of Condrieu and is where its most famous white wines are produced.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Discover the irresistible allure of Cabernet Sauvignon—a worldwide favorite with robust, dark-bodied flavor. Unleash your wine journey today!
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Carménère
Carménère is a red wine grape from Bordeaux, France, once used for blending but is now mostly grown in Chile. Named for its crimson leaves in autumn, it's part of the Cabernet family and was one of Bordeaux's original six red grapes. Although rare in France today, Chile leads with the largest Carménère vineyards, exploring its blending potential, notably with Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape is also cultivated in Italy, Argentina, and parts of the United States
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Malbec
Delve into Malbec, a dark, small grape native to France, cherished for its thick skin and exceptional flavors. 🍇🍷
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Merlot
Merlot is the most cultivated grape in Bordeaux and closely related to Cabernet Franc
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Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a full-bodied red wine grape varietal used in classic Bordeaux blends and originates in southwestern France
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Syrah
Syrah is dark-skinned and perhaps the most underrated of the 'noble' red grape varieties.
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More information
If you would like us to customize an exclusive luxury tour, contact us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of a mininium two guests. In addition, all of our private, chauffeured tours are available year-round upon request.
