Clos de Luz 

Chile – Almahue

Planted in 1945, their vineyards are ungrafted and massal selection.

Clos de Luz is a family winery located in Almahue Valley, known as the birthplace of Carménère in Chile. Planted in 1945, their vineyards are ungrafted and massal selection.

Winemaker Gabriel Edwards currently runs his family domaine, after obtaining a Master in Wine Business in Burgundy and working for Undurraga, and Moët & Chandon.

The estate, bought by his great grandfather in 1892, now spreads over 33 hectares of vineyards, planted in 1945 by Gabriel’s grandmother, Luz. They are some of the oldest Carmenere vineyards in Chile, and probably in the world. The grapes were being sold for more than 20 years to Casa Lapostolle, until Gabriel decided to return to Chile and make his own wine.

Once thought to be Merlot, the Chileans eventually figured out they had the long lost Bordeaux grape Carmenère planted in myriad vineyards. Attempts to make it the flagship grape, like Malbec to Argentina, have come and gone. Perhaps because there’s too much variability in the styles produced. In this case, appealing bramble fruit, plums, and cherries get a lift of freshness from herbal blackberry leaf and tempered spice. It’s an elegant style of Carmenère I wish more producers would pursue.

Lauren Mowrey

Forbes, "Travel the world with wine"