Pewën de Apalta 2024 from Viña Santa Rita scored 97 points in the latest Descorchados guide and was named Best Carmenère in Chile for the fifth time.
Every November 24, Chile celebrates Carmenère Day, commemorating the grape variety once thought extinct in Bordeaux after the phylloxera crisis in the 19th century. In 1994, French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot discovered that vines thought to be Merlot were actually Carmenère, recovering a lost variety and turning it into a symbol of Chilean winemaking.
Peak expression in Chilean terroirs
The Carmenère has developed remarkable expression in Chilean terroirs, especially in Apalta and Colchagua. Pewën de Apalta is made from a small block of vines planted in 1938 and dry-farmed, delivering the elegance, depth, and maturity characteristic of old vines.
The label is inspired by the araucaria, a native and sacred Chilean tree located in Santa Rita’s centennial park — declared a Historic Monument — symbolizing identity and permanence. Pewën embodies the essence of Viña Santa Rita’s Carmenère and aims to elevate this variety among the world’s great red wines.
Awards and international recognition
In addition to Descorchados, Pewën de Apalta has earned multiple accolades: the 2023 vintage received the Master Medal from The Drinks Business; it was twice selected among Wines of the Year by Tim Atkin MW; and the 2022 vintage was again named Best Carmenère in Chile by Alistair Cooper MW.
