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NUMBER 13 / JANUARY 2009
/ M E LI A
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points
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91 points
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AR
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points
points
points
2007
2007
2007
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90 EW
2006
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points
P E C T AT O
EW
90
C O NC H A / W ES
INE A
90 H
2007
SA
IN
points
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CA
R
2005
91
NC H A / T H
A DV O
CO
INE
P E C T AT O
points
A
W
91
C O NC H A / W ES
•
SA
2005
IN
CA
2005
O TAT R •
YO
EC
O TAT R •
points
• T ER R U N
/ W I N E SP
91
YO
EC
• T ER R U N
2005
•
2007
•
points
points
VO C AT E
93
92
AD
H E W INE
VO C AT E
2005 H E W INE /T
/T
AD
•
points
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/ W I NE
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96
H
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93 2006
•D
•
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TE
Highest score ever awarded a Chilean wine.
C AT E •
2005
E A DVO C A
points
Highest score ever for a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.
E W INE A
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97 M
IN
Í N D E PE
Concha y Toro Celebrates 2008 with the Highest Ever Scores for Chilean Wines
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The highest score ever obtained by a Chilean wine
THE WINE ADVOCATE Robert Parker
For the second year in a row wine critic Robert Parker’s prestigious publication The Wine Advocate has awarded the highest score ever given to a Chilean wine, 97 points to the second vintage of Carmin de Peumo. Among several other distinctions Carmin de Peumo 2005 was also awarded 96 points by Wine & Spirits Magazine, who praised the wine’s structure and its powerful concentration of ripe red fruit. This wine is produced by winemaker Ignacio Recabarren and originates in the Peumo Vineyard of the Cachapoal Valley, in Chile’s VIth Region. Carmin de Peumo is a tribute to a terroir, a culture and to the men who have grown Carmenere for over 100 years.
Vintage 2005 The Wine Advocate 2
The highest score awarded to a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
WINE SPECTATOR June 2008 Don Melchor continued to reap success in 2008, as again Wine Spectator Magazine awarded the 2005 vintage a 96point score, the highest score won by a chilean Cabernet Sauvignon to date. Enrique Tirado, Don Melchor winemaker, has stated of this award-winning vintage: “The year 2005 was ideal as harvested grapes exhibited extremely high fruit concentration and went on to reveal ripe, succulent tannins”. This same publication ranked Don Melchor 2005 number 12 among the Top 100 Wines of the Year. The ranking takes into consideration the wine’s quality (its score), price, sales volume and weighs in a “surprise factor”. Don Melchor 2005 won a high 94-point score in Robert Parker Jr.’s publication The Wine Advocate as well as 94 points in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Don Melchor originates in the Puente Alto vineyard, located in the highest and coolest zone of the Maipo Valley in Chile’s Santiago Metropolitan Region.
DON MELCHOR 2005 RANKED N° 12 IN WINE SPECTATOR’S TOP 100 WINES OF THE YEAR 2000
94 points
Wine Spectator Top 100 N° 26
2001
95 points
Wine Spectator Top 100 N° 4
2002
92 points
Wine Spectator
2003
96 points
Wine Spectator Top 100 N° 4
2004
93 points
Wine Spectator
2005
96 points
Wine Spectator Top 100 N° 12 3
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Marques de Casa Concha once again confirms its consistence The Marques de Casa Concha wine range has demonstrated a remarkable consistency across all grape varieties. Year after year it has obtained outstanding scores of 90 points or more in the most prestigious international specialized magazines. Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits and The Wine Advocate are only some of the publications which have permanently awarded high scores to Marques de Casa Concha, distinguishing and recommending all grape varieties of this wine range. Marques de Casa Concha winemaker Marcelo Papa also points out the consistent quality of this line over the years: “Each bottle expresses excellent maturity, which in turn reflects the ideally ripened grapes we have achieved in every vineyard�.
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Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot
2000
90 pts
Cabernet Sauvignon
2001
90 pts
Chardonnay - Merlot
2002
91 pts
Chardonnay
2003
90 pts 91 pts
Chardonnay - Merlot - Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon
2004
90 pts 91 pts
Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
2005
90 pts 91 pts
Merlot - Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon - Chardonnay
2006
90 pts
Cabernet Sauvignon - Chardonnay - Merlot
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90 pts
M ELI A
1999
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93
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Maximum score for a Chilean Chardonnay
•A
WINE SPECTATOR
2006 2007
91 pts
Chardonnay
A surprising 93-point score was awarded to Amelia Chardonnay 2006 in Robert Parker’s famous publication, The Wine Advocate. Amelia won the highest score ever awarded a Chilean Chardonnay.
91
pts Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Wine Spectator
91
pts Chardonnay 2007 The Wine Advocate
90
The Wine Advocate wine critic Jay Miller ranked this Chardonnay as Concha y Toro’s best, praising its light straw-yellow color, a floral and mineral bouquet with white peach, pear and tropical fruit notes in the back. Amelia’s origin is the El Triangulo estate in the Casablanca Valley, where the climate is influenced by coastal weather such as sea mists which help slow down grape maturation.
pts Merlot 2006 Wine Spectator
91
pts Syrah 2005 Wine & Spirits 5
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Terrunyo, Concha y Toro’s ultra premium brand Carmenere and Sauvignon Blanc are the leaders of this range with high scores in 2008
All wine varieties of the Terrunyo line won substantial scores in 2008. Particularly noteworthy are the 94-point score for Terrunyo Carmenere 2005 and the 92 points for Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc 2007 awarded by Wine & Spirits Magazine. The Terrunyo wine range has been winning solid scores in the past years and this has helped position it as Concha y Toro’s ultra premium wine brand.
94
pts.
Wine & Spirits
6
93
pts.
Wine & Spirits
92
pts.
The Wine Advocate Robert Parker
91
pts.
Wine Spectator
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TRIO ends an auspicious 2008 with outstanding distinctions points TRIO
TRIO Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 TRIO Chardonnay 2007 TRIO Sauvignon Blanc 2007
TRIO Merlot Gold Medal Japan Wine Challenge 2008
TRIO, Concha y Toro’s line of blended wines, won several awards in 2008. In the Japan Wine Challenge 2008 the Merlot 2007 blend was a awarded a Gold Medal. Additionally, The Wine Advocate, specialized publication of renowned wine critic Robert Parker Jr., awarded an “outstanding” score – 90 points – to three of the TRIO blends: TRIO Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, TRIO Chardonnay 2007 and TRIO Sauvignon Blanc 2007.
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FOCUS ON
High scores endorse quality of Casillero del Diablo wines Casillero del Diablo’s excellent quality was reflected in the many distinctions awarded this wine range in 2008 by the most prestigious wine magazines. An example is the 89-point score for Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada 2006 given by Wine Spectator Magazine. Another Casillero del Diablo variety that has been praised is Carmenere 2007. This grape variety is practically only grown in Chile, and the wine won the Gold Medal award in the Carmenere to the World 2008 competition. An outstanding price/quality ratio led Casillero del Diablo Reserva Syrah 2007 to win a Best Value distinction by US Wine Spectator Magazine. Wine critic Robert Parker awarded 89 points to the exotic Casillero del Diablo Gewürtztraminer 2007 variety, noting its great intensity and expressive bouquet with notes of rose petals, lychees and spices.
89
pts Reserva Privada 2006 Wine Spectator
gold medal Carmenere 2007 Carmenere al Mundo 2008
best value Reserva Shiraz 2007 Wine Spectator
89
pts Gewürztraminer 2007 The Wine Advocate robert parker
Don Melchor Tour closes with presentations in 10 countries
JAPAN - SOUTH KOREA - HONG KONG - TAIWAN - SINGAPORE UNITED STATES - BRAZIL - PANAMA - COSTA RICA - PUERTO RICO
THE DON MELCHOR TOUR was considered a resounding success by all participants. The Don Melchor presentations included countries as diverse as Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Costa Rica and the United States. Enrique Tirado, Don Melchor winemaker, participated in the Tour and met with both the general and specialized press in the ten countries where the new Don Melchor vintage was presented. The majority of interviews included just Tirado and the wine writer for a more direct and personalized interview. In all countries there were vertical tastings of Don Melchor 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages. The presentations for local press included Don Melchor’s history, Enrique Tirado’s career as winemaker and a summary of the various awards and distinctions Don Melchor has won over the years. For 2009 there are plans to continue with the Don Melchor Tour in other markets to increase positioning across the world of Chile’s award-winning icon wine.
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Casillero del Diablo:
Successful close to “Historic Vintage 2007 Tour” PERU - ECUADOR - MEXICO - BRAZIL
SEVERAL EVENTS held in the principal cities of Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador marked the Casillero del Diablo “Historic Vintage 2007 Tour”, in which winemaker Marcio Ramírez presented the wines of this special vintage. Ramirez led the presentations of the Casillero del Diablo reserve red wines – Merlot, Malbec, Carmenere, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon – for distributors and other important guests in Latin America’s major cities. The tour began in Ecuador and went on to Mexico. In both countries there were various interviews with the most important communications media, visits to some supermarkets and training courses for wine shop executives and salesmen. In addition, the Historic Vintage was presented to both on-trade and off-trade clients, opinion leaders and executives of specialized media, amongst others. The Historic Vintage 2007 Tour’s final destination was Brazil. Here, several
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launchings were held in the most important cities, in addition to tastings and training courses. The hosts of these events were Giancarlo Bianchetti, Concha y Toro Global Brands Marketing Director together with representatives of Concha y Toro Brazil. Casillero del Diablo present in Europe too Not only did Latin America enjoy the captivating Historic Vintage of Casillero del Diablo. Slovenia and Lithuania were also favored with several events designed to promote the Historic Vintage in these markets. Casillero del Diablo winemaker, Marcelo Papa, participated in both countries with presentations for the specialized press and clients of the Historic Vintage 2007’s success. In Slovenia a spectacular event was held in a setting specially decorated with Casillero del Diablo colors, red and black. The event was also hosted by distributor Pernod Ricard. Lithuania was no exception and an intense and thorough press conference by winemaker Marcelo Papa and Concha y Toro Export Manager Matías Lustig, was followed by a Gala Dinner in which guests were able to enjoy a luxurious meal paired with captivating Concha y Toro wines.
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TRIO - Sumito dazzles in Latin America
COSTA RICA, PANAMA, PUERTO RICO, BRAZIL, ECUADOR, MEXICO AND COLOMBIA
SUCCESSFUL, captivating and absolutely innovative was the TRIO blended wines tour, headed by renowned Venezuelan Chef Sumito EstĂŠvez in several Latin American countries. Held in 2008 and with the participation of the Concha y Toro distributor in each country, the goal of the TRIO Tour was to promote the brand in different Latin American countries. Chef Sumito Estevez was the official TRIO representative and in charge of delivering gastronomic proposals adapted to the particular characteristics of each country as well as to the different TRIO wines. Using ingredients specific to each country, Estevez captivated the attention and his efforts were widely praised by all those who had the privilege of tasting his food & wine pairings with the various TRIO varieties. The Chef himself went to the local markets to learn of the different foods eaten in each country and the ingredients used in local dishes, in order to better combine these with the TRIO blends. Since its creation, one of the principal characteristics of TRIO wines has been the wide range of possible food & wine pairings. As the line consists of blends of different wine varieties, this enriches the range of food & wine combinations for each particular cuisine. This very quality of TRIO wines made it the ideal wine to seal the agreement with Venezuelan Chef Sumito, who thanks to his great charisma and prestige in Latin American cuisine was a true ambassador of TRIO wines in all the countries visited. The tour helped promote TRIO as the leader in Latin America of a new category: Premium blended wines from the New World.
FOCUS ON Successful Frontera Tour in Mexico PROMOTION OF CONCHA Y TORO FRONTERA brand was the main goal of the tour of Mexico’s principal cities in August 2008. Winemaker Marcelo Gangas and Frontera Marketing Assistant Manager Felipe Rossel led this activity, in which they presented Frontera’s qualities, held interviews with local and international specialized press and media, such as newspapers Reforma, El Mural, Excélsior, Oz magazine and CNN Expansión portal. Sales executives and personnel were present at all the events to learn of the Frontera brand spirit and be able to transmit this information to the final consumer. The main activity at each event was to present Frontera as a brand. Next Marcelo Gangas presented the more technical aspects of the wine. In each city the event ended with a tasting of the five different grape varieties this wine ranges offers in Mexico: Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Sauvignon Blanc. The locations chosen for the tour were Mexico City, Guadalajara, Querétaro, León, San Miguel de Allende, Mérida, Cancún and Playa del Carmen. The tour was deemed positive as it was able to communicate the brand concept and attractive best value of Frontera wines to the media, distributors and final consumers. Frontera is Concha y Toro’s most widely sold wine in the world, with global sales of 4.3 million cases and presence in 105 countries.
Sunrise launches innovative graphics campaign TO COMMUNICATE the brand’s warmth and at the same time present it as the perfect companion for special moments, a new graphics campaign was developed for Sunrise. In line with its youthful style, the images used in the campaign show relaxing moments and a particular language for this category of wine, which help consumers distinguish Sunrise from other brands and contribute to an effective brand positioning. The campaign is currently underway in Germany and its global launching, focusing on Sunrise’s major markets, is planned for early 2009.
Concha y Toro present at James Bond Premiere in London CONCHA Y TORO was present at the premiere of the latest James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace” with Daniel Craig in the lead role. The Premiere, held at the Odeon Leicester Square, London, was attended by over 1,600 guests including Princes William and Harry, who had the opportunity of tasting Casillero del Diablo Historic Vintage 2007. The north of Chile was one of the locations chosen for the film. Released on October 29, 2008 in the United Kingdom, the film is the 22nd part of the James Bond series.
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Ukraine – Poland – Lithuania: Concha y Toro’s Day CONCHA Y TORO’S DAY, an activity with the sales personnel of Concha y Toro distributors in Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania during September 2008, was a huge success. The event consisted in tastings and seminars for distributors in each of the three countries, including a presentation of Concha y Toro winery and its products and analyses of sales results in the respective market. There were also presentations on wine production, beginning with the grapes’ origin, harvest, fermentation process and final bottling. The new products launched in 2008 by Concha y Toro were also presented in each country. Attendees received training on Concha y Toro premium wines and Casillero del Diablo Historic Vintage 2007 was promoted. “People were very happy, as this type of activity gives them more information about our products and helps them in their sales activities”, stated Concha y Toro Sommelier Gabriel Salas. “We thought it was the right moment to celebrate with them, to thank them for the strong sales growth we have had in these countries and to motivate them to keep on doing just as well in the future”, concluded Sommelier Salas.
Chilean Embassy in Denmark distinguishes Hans Christensen’s career IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2008 Hans Christensen, a Concha y Toro agent in Denmark since 1988 who successfully introduced our wines in that country, was distinguished by the Embassy of Chile in Copenhague for his extensive career and work for Chile as Honorary Consul. The ceremony was presided by Chilean Ambassador in Denmark, Ricardo Concha, who praised the pioneering and constant work of Hans Christensen. At the Honor Ceremony Hans Christensen was awarded the grade of “Gran Oficial” of the Bernardo O’Higgins Order, the maximum honor given by the Government of Chile to foreign citizens who have served our country. Marques de Casa Concha wine was chosen for this occasion.
Tasting in Cyprus IN NOVEMBER 2008 Concha y Toro participated in the Presentation Wine Tasting Cocktail Reception carried out in Cyprus, where thanks to its distributor Othon Ghalanos Group, hundreds of people had the opportunity of tasting various Concha y Toro wines. The tastings were held in the cities of Limassol and Paphos and were attended by wine writers, sommeliers, executives from the on- and off-trade and other well-known personalities. Don Melchor, Terrunyo, Marques de Casa Concha, TRIO, Casillero del Diablo and Sunrise were tasted. It is interesting to note that Concha y Toro is the leading wine company among Chilean imported wines in Cyprus.
Concha y Toro shines in international wine show in Greece THE WINE TASTING EVENT 2008, held for the first time in Athens, Greece, turned out to be a huge success. Concha y Toro participated in the show together with many famous wineries from across the world. Concha y Toro had the privilege of being the only winery from Chile present at the show. Together with its distributor in Greece, Demeter S.A., Concha y Toro was very well organized and its wines had an enthusiastic reception from the Greek public. Over 2,000 persons attended the show and were able to taste Concha y Toro wines such as Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon; Casillero del Diablo Sparkling; Frontera Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. 15
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Limelight for Concha y Toro in Wine & Spirits Hall of Fame Concha y Toro chosen Winery of the Year 14 times
For the 14th time Concha y Toro was named Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine, thanks to the excellent performance of the winery’s different wine ranges and of its winemakers. As Concha y Toro has been distinguished with the Winery of the Year award on so many occasions, it has now become a prominent member of the Hall of Fame, which includes wineries who have been consistently honored over the years. Concha y Toro has been selected in this ranking 14 times in the 18 years since it was created. Only four wineries in the world have won the award this many times: Penfold’s (Australia), Antinori (Italy), Chateau Ste. Michelle (United States) and Concha y Toro (Chile). The 2008 ranking is based on the winery’s performance over time and on total reviews and scores obtained by its wines throughout the year. Thousands of wines from across the world were tasted by the magazine, and Concha y Toro was awarded one of the highest scores and had among the highest percentage of recommended wines out of total tasted wines. The magazine published very complimentary reviews for some wine ranges, awarding a 96-point score to Carmin de Peumo 2005, 94 points to Terrunyo Carmenere 2005 and 93 points to Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.
WINERIES WITH MOST AWARDS IN WINE & SPIRITS HALL OF FAME WINERY
WINERY OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Penfolds
18 Honors
Antinori
15 Honors
Concha y Toro
14 Honors
Chateau Ste. Michelle
14 Honors
Shafer
13 Honors
Focus On Concha y Toro is published by the Communications Department of Viña Concha y Toro. Use may be made of the material, as long as the source is cited. Avda. Nueva Tajamar 481, Torre Norte piso 15, Santiago, Chile. Telephone (56 2) 476 5000. Fax: 203 6740. webmaster@conchaytoro.cl