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90 Point Organic Wines [2020 Update]
The History
Viña Koyle was born from the tradition that the family Undurraga carry in their blood; a family dedicated to winemaking for more than 6 generations, started by Francisco Undurraga Vicuña in 1885.
In 2006, Alfonso Undurraga Mackenna bought the Los Lingues estate and immediately began with his son, Cristobal, to plant the mountains with red grape varieties, starting the story of Koyle Family Vineyards.
The Family
“We have put all our efforts in the creation of wines with their own identity, with vineyards planted on rock slopes in Los Lingues, Alto Colchagua, at the foot of the Andes Mountain range. Our philosophy based on respect for the origin, guides us to the practice of Biodynamic farming. In our winery we elaborate wines that highlight the excellence of our terroir, taking as tools the family experience and innovative oenological techniques.
Our commitment is to develop a unique wine project, which places Koyle as a benchmark in Biodynamic agriculture, as we consider it the best way to obtain healthy grapes that squeeze the best of the origin.”
The Philosophy
Koyle places their greatest effort on the expression and understanding of the vineyard. It is based on 3 pillars: man, place and environment. It is through a Biodynamic approach that they have found the best way to get intimately close to the expression of nature. Through achieving balance, unique wines are obtained that express the harmony found in unifying the cosmic and terrestrial world. The deep respect of the ecosystem, natural cycles and the dedication of human work are used to achieve these wines of excellence.
The Vineyard
After a thorough study carried out by soil experts Pedro Parra and later by Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, they identified 5 macro units of terroir, characterized by 5 types of soils, essentially of volcanic origin, where the variables of slope, exposure and altitude determined the 87 different units of micro-terroir that make up each batch to be harvested and vinified separately for their wines.
Los Lingues has a Mediterranean microclimate on the Andean foothills. Koyle vineyards are influenced by the constant and fresh breezes that come down from the mountains and well-drained soils have a clay texture with volcanic rocks and colluvial stones that deliver unique minerals giving the right balance to the vines. Both are key factors of optimal terroir for the production of high-quality red wines.
The fertilizers used are the manure of the animals that live on the property. Homeopathic preparations are made to help the vineyard and transform the compost with flowers that grow in the same vineyard; the water is used from their own streams to irrigate and the solar energy to power the irrigation channels.
Wines
All Koyle estate-grown grapes are harvested by hand and vinified with a low-intervention philosophy to preserve their natural expression, freshness and finesse. They are “wild fermented” with indigenous yeast, then aged in French oak for 14 months and bottled at the ideal moment.
The wines are characterized by good structure, elegance, freshness and balance. They are concentrated wines with good acidity, that show their own notes of the distinct terroir of their origin.
