Marcelo Papa, acclaimed technical director at Concha y Toro, has spent nearly three decades at the heart of Chile’s wine industry. Now, with an unrelenting focus on terroir-driven production, Papa is at the forefront of a transformation in Chile which produces wines not only consistent and scalable, but lean into the fine details of micro-regions and unique sites. 

Concha y Toro is one of the world’s largest wine companies, producing over 30 million cases a year across Chile, Argentina and California. Yet, within this vast scale, Papa is pushing the boundaries of Chile’s viticultural potential via the company’s premium labels such as Amelia, produced in the Límari Valley, where cloud cover lends pleasing austerity to the wine and a produces style similar to Burgundy’s Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet.

“Chile has always been known for value and volume,” says Papa, “but there are incredible pockets of terroir here that rival the best in the world. Our mission is to understand those places, not just to make good wine, but to make wines of origin.”

Límari: Cool and unexpected

Perhaps nowhere is this vision clearer than in Límari, a semi-arid stretch of land approximately 400km north of Santiago. Papa laid out his vision for the region – which still has only a handful of producers, largely due to issues with water – at an intimate tasting last week, in which the group tasted through the top tier of Concha y Toro’s range.

Though closer to the equator, Límari’s climate is tempered by Pacific Ocean currents and a constant coastal breeze, creating a cool climate ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

“This area receives just around 100mm of rainfall a year,” Papa explains. “It’s a desert, but with drip irrigation and the right viticulture, you get something special. The combination of cool temperatures, filtered light due to morning cloud cover and calcium-rich soils creates wines with freshness, austerity and minerality.”

The Amelia Chardonnay – Concha’s premium flagship white – is grown in the Quebrada Seca vineyard, just 20km from the Pacific. Its red clay soils sit atop limestone – a rare and sought-after combination which lends tension and salinity. The 2023 vintage was recently named Chile’s best white wine by Tim Atkin MW and was a standout favourite among last week’s group. Fermented in Burgundian barrels and aged on fine lees, it offers texture and elegance alongside a linear acidity that mirrors Límari’s cool, fog-draped mornings.

Papa has opted to block malolactic fermentation in this wine – a bold choice which preserves the Chardonnay’s bright acidity – and others in the region are increasingly following suit. “I want it to be vertical, energetic. You don’t need butter and cream here; the vineyard does the talking,” Papa says.

Pinot Noir: Quietly emerging

While Chardonnay takes the spotlight, Amelia Pinot Noir is stepping up with increasing confidence. Originally planted in the clay-dominant Santa Cristina soils, newer plantings in the more limestone-rich plots are now adding complexity, black fruit character and refined structure.

“Pinot Noir takes a bit longer to find its voice,” says Papa. “But we’re now seeing a leap in quality. The wines have that crunchy red cherry character – strawberry is not quite right for Pinot Noir.”

Using 50% whole bunch fermentation, the Amelia Pinot has natural tension and austerity in a way which is light in the way of tannins and is ‘juicy, rather than fruity’.

Carmenère and Cabernet: Rediscovering the classics

Beyond Límari, Papa is also focused on elevating Chile’s signature red varieties. In Peumo, nestled in the Rapel Valley, he is honing what he believes is Chile’s best terroir for Carmenère. The conditions here offer long hang times, rich clay soils and temperate conditions which allow Carmenère’s vegetal notes to soften, while preserving its spice and depth.

Meanwhile, in the Puente Alto DO, Concha y Toro’s Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon continues to set the benchmark for Chilean reds. Amelia and Don Melchor are “two different animals”, says Papa. The former takes its cooling influence from the Pacific; the latter, the Andes.

A global platform for Chile

In a country historically associated with dependable but often generic wines, Papa’s philosophy and his team of 20 winemakers are part of a broader shift in Chile to place increasing emphasis on cooler climates (coastal or southern), reducing oak and extraction, revaluing old vines and traditional varieties like País and Carignan, and commitment to water-conscious farming.

As Papa puts it: “Chile’s diversity is its strength. We have mountains, ocean, desert and a huge range of altitudes and soils, but it’s only in the last 10 or 15 years that we’ve started to unlock what that really means in the glass.”

Climate change – primarily impacting via water scarcity – and shifting consumer expectations are all looming large, but Papa remains optimistic.

Part of this optimism and forward-looking approach is also evident in Concha’s recent sundial project – a viticultural research initiative designed to map and understand the precise impact of solar exposure, slope, soil type and microclimate on grape development across estates. The project is still in the data gathering stage, building a huge data bank of information by measuring the impact of the angle and intensity of sun exposure throughout the day and year.

The approach has proven especially fruitful in cool-climate regions like Límari, where even subtle variations in aspect and airflow can dramatically alter the style of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

The project has already contributed to major quality gains in wines like Amelia and Marqués de Casa Concha, and Concha y Toro plans to expand its sundial planting method and analysis to other regions across Chile.