De Martino

De Martino was founded in 1934 by Pietro De Martino Pascualone, an Italian immigrant who arrived in Chile seeking the ideal site for his winemaking ambitions. He found it in Isla de Maipo, a bend in the Maipo River valley roughly 50 km south of Santiago, where alluvial soils and a Mediterranean climate offered ideal conditions for Bordeaux varieties. The Alto de Piedras vineyard in Isla de Maipo became the winery's first acquisition and remains central to its identity today. Four generations of the De Martino family have built upon that foundation, expanding across Chile while maintaining family ownership and a clear sense of purpose.

• Founded 1934 in Isla de Maipo by Pietro De Martino Pascualone; the town's name reflects its history as an island formed by branches of the Maipo River
• Third generation represented by Pietro, Marco, and Remo De Martino; fourth generation by Marco Antonio and Sebastián De Martino, now leading the winery
• Nicolás Pérez became winemaker in 2021, succeeding Marcelo Retamal, who was instrumental in building De Martino's identity as a low-intervention producer

De Martino has played a defining role in shaping Chilean wine's identity at multiple inflection points. In 1996, it became the first producer to label and export a wine as Carmenère, helping establish Chile's signature grape at a time when the variety had only just been officially rediscovered. From 2011, the winery radically reformed its winemaking approach, eliminating all new oak and committing to native yeast fermentation across its range. Its parallel revival of Itata Valley old-vine vineyards and tinaja fermentation traditions helped redirect the Chilean industry's attention toward its southern, heritage-rich regions.

• First to label and export Carmenère in 1996; the grape had been misidentified as Merlot until French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot identified it in Chilean vineyards in 1994
• Organic producer since 1998; first carbon-neutral winery in Latin America (2009), becoming also the first winery in the world to generate carbon bonds through its Water Treatment Plant project
• The 2011 Viejas Tinajas Cinsault put De Martino and Itata Valley on the international wine map, inspiring broader industry focus on Chile's historic southern region and its ancient winemaking practices

De Martino's 300-hectare estate and network of over 347 sourcing vineyards span a remarkable range of Chilean terroirs. The two main family estates are in Isla de Maipo, where gravel-rich alluvial soils drain well and suit Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère, and in Guarilihue in the Itata Valley coast, where old Cinsault and Muscat vines grow on granite soils just 22 km from the Pacific. Coastal Limarí and Casablanca provide limestone, clay, and granite soils for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, while Cachapoal and Maule yield old-vine field blends on decomposed granite. The southernmost region, Malleco, provides clay soils for Chardonnay.

• Isla de Maipo (Maipo Valley): alluvial soils rich in gravel and clay; Mediterranean climate moderated by Pacific breezes; home to Alto de Piedras vineyard (planted 1992) for Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon
• Guarilihue (Itata Valley): coastal granite soils, 400 km south of Santiago, 22 km from the Pacific; old ungrafted Cinsault and Muscat bush vines (planted 1975), dry-farmed with horses
• Limarí: limestone and clay soils with strong Pacific maritime influence; Casablanca: granite soils and cool coastal climate; both focus on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc

From 2011, De Martino made a decisive shift away from commercial-yeast, heavily oaked winemaking toward a minimal-intervention philosophy centered on native yeast fermentation, old vessels, and early harvesting to preserve natural acidity and moderate alcohol. Premium reds are aged in older French barriques and 2,500 to 5,000-liter foudres rather than new oak. The Legado Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, is aged for about 12 to 16 months in older French oak. The Viejas Tinajas range takes this further: whole berries undergo natural semi-carbonic fermentation in century-old clay amphorae, are aged on skins through winter, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered after malolactic fermentation completes the following spring.

• Native yeast fermentation exclusively across the range since 2011; no new oak; wines aged in older French barriques and large foudres (2,500 to 5,000 liters)
• Viejas Tinajas wines fermented as whole berries in century-old clay tinajas with no added yeasts or sulfur; bottled unfined and unfiltered after malolactic fermentation completes in spring
• Early harvest philosophy targeting moderate alcohol levels; extended lees contact in some whites; minimal sulfur additions; the tinaja's porosity encourages gentle oxygen exchange without oak flavor

De Martino's portfolio is organized across several distinct lines. The flagship De Martino Series includes the Estate, 347 Vineyards, and Legado Reserva ranges, covering Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The Single Vineyard line represents the winery's ultimate terroir expressions, including the Alto de Piedras Carmenère from Isla de Maipo. The Itata Series encompasses the Gallardía everyday wines and the Viejas Tinajas ageworthy range fermented in ancient clay amphorae. The Old Vines series showcases field blends and single-variety wines from Cachapoal, Maule, and Itata, including the VIGNO Carignan from Maule, which scored 97 points from Robert Parker for the 2019 vintage.

• Alto de Piedras Carmenère (Single Vineyard): from the 1.5-hectare, 1992-planted vineyard in Isla de Maipo that produced Chile's first labeled Carmenère; 85% Carmenère and 15% Cabernet Franc co-fermented; native yeast; aged in 2,500-liter foudre for 24 months
• Viejas Tinajas Cinsault and Muscat (Itata Series): old-vine fruit from Guarilihue, Itata; fermented and aged in century-old clay amphorae without additives; bottled unfined and unfiltered; first released in 2011
• VIGNO Old Vines Carignan (Old Vines): from ungrafted, old-vine Carignan in the Maule Valley; 97 points (Robert Parker, 2019 vintage); part of the VIGNO association of producers dedicated to Maule Carignan

Sustainability has been central to De Martino's identity for nearly three decades. The winery began converting to organic viticulture in 1998 and received certification from German certifier BCS Oko-Garantie. In 2009, it became the first carbon-neutral winery in Latin America and was the first winery in the world to generate carbon bonds through its Water Treatment Plant project. The Viejas Tinajas project, launched in 2011, involves sourcing and restoring abandoned clay tinajas from around Chile; the winery now cares for approximately 150 of these vessels, averaging around 150 years old each. Dry farming with horses in Itata and continued exploration of underutilized regions like Malleco reflect an ongoing commitment to both ecological and vinous innovation.

• Organic producer since 1998 (certified by BCS Oko-Garantie); first carbon-neutral winery in Latin America (2009); first winery in the world to generate carbon bonds
• Approximately 150 century-old clay tinajas in active use; rescued from abandoned vineyards across Chile; each tinaja provides natural oxygen exchange and kinetic lees movement without bâtonnage
• Dry farming with horses in Itata's Guarilihue estate; exploration of new frontiers including Malleco in southern Chile where volcanic clay soils grow Chardonnay