Cousiño Macul is one of Chile’s oldest and most historic wineries, founded in 1856 and still owned by the Cousiño family today.

Located in the Maipo Valley near Santiago, the estate has played a pivotal role in shaping Chile’s fine-wine reputation, particularly through its early adoption of French grape varieties in the 19th century.

In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère, Cousiño Macul grows Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Finis Terrae, meaning “end of the earth”, represents the estate’s flagship blend, first created in the late 1990s to express the power and elegance of Maipo Alto.

Maipo Valley is one of Chile’s oldest and most prestigious wine regions, located just south of Santiago between the Andes mountains and the Pacific coast. The valley benefits from a warm Mediterranean climate tempered by cooling Andean breezes and cold nights, which help preserve acidity and structure in the wines.

Its soils are predominantly alluvial, with gravel, sand and clay deposits that provide excellent drainage and favour red varieties.

Maipo is particularly renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon, producing wines of purity, cassis fruit and firm structure, often compared to classic Bordeaux styles.

Sub-regions such as Maipo Alto, closer to the Andes, are prized for elegance and ageing potential. With a strong heritage, old-vine plantings and a growing focus on precision viticulture, Maipo remains a benchmark region for high-quality Chilean red wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most widely planted and celebrated red grape varieties, known for its deep colour, firm tannins, and remarkable ageing potential. Originating in Bordeaux, France, as a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it has become a global benchmark for structured, full-bodied red wines.

Viticulturally, Cabernet Sauvignon is a hardy, late-ripening grape that thrives in warm, sunny climates. It produces small, thick-skinned berries, contributing to its bold tannic structure and deep colour. The vine is relatively resistant to disease and adapts well to diverse soils, making it suitable for a wide range of terroirs.

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is planted extensively across the world—from its French homeland in Bordeaux’s Left Bank, to California’s Napa Valley, Chile’s Maipo Valley, Australia’s Coonawarra, and South Africa’s Stellenbosch. It often forms the backbone of blends, particularly in Bordeaux-style wines, but also shines as a varietal expression.

Flavour profiles typically include blackcurrant (cassis), blackberry, mint, cedar, and tobacco, often developing notes of leather, earth, and spice with age. Styles range from fruit-forward and plush in warmer climates to structured and herbal in cooler ones. Cabernet Sauvignon’s power, elegance, and longevity make it a cornerstone of fine red winemaking worldwide.

Cabernet Franc is one of the classic black grape varieties, believed to have originated in southwest France, possibly in the Basque region. Genetically, it is a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, making it a cornerstone of many of the world’s great red wines. In the vineyard, Cabernet Franc is known for its early ripening, adaptability to cooler climates, and good disease resistance. It thrives in well-drained, gravelly or sandy soils, producing moderate yields with small, thin-skinned berries.

Traditionally associated with the Loire Valley (notably Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny) and Bordeaux, it is now grown worldwide, including in Italy’s Friuli and Veneto regions, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, the United States (especially California and New York’s Finger Lakes), Canada, Argentina, and New Zealand.

Cabernet Franc’s style varies with climate and winemaking approach. In cooler regions, it produces medium-bodied wines with high acidity, moderate tannins, and distinctive aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, and violets, often with herbal or leafy notes such as green bell pepper. Warmer climates yield riper, fuller expressions with blackberry, plum, and spice. It is frequently used in Bordeaux-style blends for aromatic lift and finesse, but can also shine as a varietal wine, celebrated for its elegance, freshness, and complex, savoury character.

Carmenère (often styled Carmenère) originated in Bordeaux, where it was once a staple of the Médoc and Graves before phylloxera and tricky ripening saw it largely disappear. Its modern renaissance began in Chile, where vines long assumed to be Merlot were identified in the 1990s as Carmenère. Today Chile is the global reference—especially sites such as Peumo in Cachapoal and parts of Colchagua and Maule—with smaller plantings in northern Italy, Argentina, the United States, China and Brazil.

Viticulturally, Carmenère is late-ripening and needs a long, warm, dry autumn to achieve full flavour maturity. It can suffer coulure and millerandage during a cool, windy flowering, and in humid zones it is vulnerable to mildew. Careful canopy management is essential: moderate yields and good sunlight exposure help reduce green pyrazine notes and build riper fruit characters, while well-drained, warm soils are preferred. Picked too early, it shows overt herbaceousness; harvested ripe, it delivers plush fruit with supple tannins.

Styles range from juicy, early-drinking reds to more structured, ageworthy examples. Typical flavours include dark plum, black cherry and blackberry layered with cocoa, coffee and sweet spice (often a paprika/pepper lift), plus a gentle herbal thread. Acidity is usually medium, tannins rounded and velvety, and sensitive oak use adds chocolate, tobacco and cedar without overwhelming the fruit. At its best, Carmenère combines generous, sable-textured richness with savoury complexity and a distinctive, Bordeaux-meets-Andean personality.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most widely planted and celebrated red grape varieties, known for its deep colour, firm tannins, and remarkable ageing potential. Originating in Bordeaux, France, as a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it has become a global benchmark for structured, full-bodied red wines.

Viticulturally, Cabernet Sauvignon is a hardy, late-ripening grape that thrives in warm, sunny climates. It produces small, thick-skinned berries, contributing to its bold tannic structure and deep colour. The vine is relatively resistant to disease and adapts well to diverse soils, making it suitable for a wide range of terroirs.

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is planted extensively across the world—from its French homeland in Bordeaux’s Left Bank, to California’s Napa Valley, Chile’s Maipo Valley, Australia’s Coonawarra, and South Africa’s Stellenbosch. It often forms the backbone of blends, particularly in Bordeaux-style wines, but also shines as a varietal expression.

Flavour profiles typically include blackcurrant (cassis), blackberry, mint, cedar, and tobacco, often developing notes of leather, earth, and spice with age. Styles range from fruit-forward and plush in warmer climates to structured and herbal in cooler ones. Cabernet Sauvignon’s power, elegance, and longevity make it a cornerstone of fine red winemaking worldwide.

Cabernet Franc is one of the classic black grape varieties, believed to have originated in southwest France, possibly in the Basque region. Genetically, it is a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, making it a cornerstone of many of the world’s great red wines. In the vineyard, Cabernet Franc is known for its early ripening, adaptability to cooler climates, and good disease resistance. It thrives in well-drained, gravelly or sandy soils, producing moderate yields with small, thin-skinned berries.

Traditionally associated with the Loire Valley (notably Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny) and Bordeaux, it is now grown worldwide, including in Italy’s Friuli and Veneto regions, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, the United States (especially California and New York’s Finger Lakes), Canada, Argentina, and New Zealand.

Cabernet Franc’s style varies with climate and winemaking approach. In cooler regions, it produces medium-bodied wines with high acidity, moderate tannins, and distinctive aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, and violets, often with herbal or leafy notes such as green bell pepper. Warmer climates yield riper, fuller expressions with blackberry, plum, and spice. It is frequently used in Bordeaux-style blends for aromatic lift and finesse, but can also shine as a varietal wine, celebrated for its elegance, freshness, and complex, savoury character.

Carmenère (often styled Carmenère) originated in Bordeaux, where it was once a staple of the Médoc and Graves before phylloxera and tricky ripening saw it largely disappear. Its modern renaissance began in Chile, where vines long assumed to be Merlot were identified in the 1990s as Carmenère. Today Chile is the global reference—especially sites such as Peumo in Cachapoal and parts of Colchagua and Maule—with smaller plantings in northern Italy, Argentina, the United States, China and Brazil.

Viticulturally, Carmenère is late-ripening and needs a long, warm, dry autumn to achieve full flavour maturity. It can suffer coulure and millerandage during a cool, windy flowering, and in humid zones it is vulnerable to mildew. Careful canopy management is essential: moderate yields and good sunlight exposure help reduce green pyrazine notes and build riper fruit characters, while well-drained, warm soils are preferred. Picked too early, it shows overt herbaceousness; harvested ripe, it delivers plush fruit with supple tannins.

Styles range from juicy, early-drinking reds to more structured, ageworthy examples. Typical flavours include dark plum, black cherry and blackberry layered with cocoa, coffee and sweet spice (often a paprika/pepper lift), plus a gentle herbal thread. Acidity is usually medium, tannins rounded and velvety, and sensitive oak use adds chocolate, tobacco and cedar without overwhelming the fruit. At its best, Carmenère combines generous, sable-textured richness with savoury complexity and a distinctive, Bordeaux-meets-Andean personality.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most widely planted and celebrated red grape varieties, known for its deep colour, firm tannins, and remarkable ageing potential. Originating in Bordeaux, France, as a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it has become a global benchmark for structured, full-bodied red wines.

Viticulturally, Cabernet Sauvignon is a hardy, late-ripening grape that thrives in warm, sunny climates. It produces small, thick-skinned berries, contributing to its bold tannic structure and deep colour. The vine is relatively resistant to disease and adapts well to diverse soils, making it suitable for a wide range of terroirs.

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is planted extensively across the world—from its French homeland in Bordeaux’s Left Bank, to California’s Napa Valley, Chile’s Maipo Valley, Australia’s Coonawarra, and South Africa’s Stellenbosch. It often forms the backbone of blends, particularly in Bordeaux-style wines, but also shines as a varietal expression.

Flavour profiles typically include blackcurrant (cassis), blackberry, mint, cedar, and tobacco, often developing notes of leather, earth, and spice with age. Styles range from fruit-forward and plush in warmer climates to structured and herbal in cooler ones. Cabernet Sauvignon’s power, elegance, and longevity make it a cornerstone of fine red winemaking worldwide.

Cabernet Franc is one of the classic black grape varieties, believed to have originated in southwest France, possibly in the Basque region. Genetically, it is a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, making it a cornerstone of many of the world’s great red wines. In the vineyard, Cabernet Franc is known for its early ripening, adaptability to cooler climates, and good disease resistance. It thrives in well-drained, gravelly or sandy soils, producing moderate yields with small, thin-skinned berries.

Traditionally associated with the Loire Valley (notably Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny) and Bordeaux, it is now grown worldwide, including in Italy’s Friuli and Veneto regions, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, the United States (especially California and New York’s Finger Lakes), Canada, Argentina, and New Zealand.

Cabernet Franc’s style varies with climate and winemaking approach. In cooler regions, it produces medium-bodied wines with high acidity, moderate tannins, and distinctive aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, and violets, often with herbal or leafy notes such as green bell pepper. Warmer climates yield riper, fuller expressions with blackberry, plum, and spice. It is frequently used in Bordeaux-style blends for aromatic lift and finesse, but can also shine as a varietal wine, celebrated for its elegance, freshness, and complex, savoury character.

Carmenère (often styled Carmenère) originated in Bordeaux, where it was once a staple of the Médoc and Graves before phylloxera and tricky ripening saw it largely disappear. Its modern renaissance began in Chile, where vines long assumed to be Merlot were identified in the 1990s as Carmenère. Today Chile is the global reference—especially sites such as Peumo in Cachapoal and parts of Colchagua and Maule—with smaller plantings in northern Italy, Argentina, the United States, China and Brazil.

Viticulturally, Carmenère is late-ripening and needs a long, warm, dry autumn to achieve full flavour maturity. It can suffer coulure and millerandage during a cool, windy flowering, and in humid zones it is vulnerable to mildew. Careful canopy management is essential: moderate yields and good sunlight exposure help reduce green pyrazine notes and build riper fruit characters, while well-drained, warm soils are preferred. Picked too early, it shows overt herbaceousness; harvested ripe, it delivers plush fruit with supple tannins.

Styles range from juicy, early-drinking reds to more structured, ageworthy examples. Typical flavours include dark plum, black cherry and blackberry layered with cocoa, coffee and sweet spice (often a paprika/pepper lift), plus a gentle herbal thread. Acidity is usually medium, tannins rounded and velvety, and sensitive oak use adds chocolate, tobacco and cedar without overwhelming the fruit. At its best, Carmenère combines generous, sable-textured richness with savoury complexity and a distinctive, Bordeaux-meets-Andean personality.