Carmen DO Florillón #6 recognized by Decanter as the best Chilean white wine
In its September issue focused on South America, the prestigious British magazine named Viña Carmen’s wine the best white from Chile and the second overall in the region.
Santiago, September 2025. Viña Carmen celebrates another international accolade. In the latest Decanter issue dedicated to South America, a wide tasting of regional white wines was carried out, where Carmen DO Florillón #6 was ranked as the best from Chile and second overall, after receiving 96 points and being rated as “outstanding.”
The article “South American Premium White” highlighted the innovative character of the Carmen DO range, led by winemaker Ana María Cumsille, noting that despite being one of Chile’s oldest wineries, it is today among the most forward-thinking in the country thanks to its focus on unique vineyard sites, lesser-known grape varieties, and a cutting-edge approach to winemaking.
“One of the standout wines in the range is the DO Florillón, a biologically aged Semillon. From vines approaching 70 years of age in the heart of Apalta, this non-vintage wine matures under a thick veil of flor (yeasts) that gives it one of the most distinctive personalities in Chilean wine today,” the publication noted.
Wine critic Amanda Barnes MW, Decanter contributor and chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) for Chile, described it as: “Pungent flor, sea salt and camomile. Racy and bone-dry with a long, marcona almond finish. One for anchovies.”
Meanwhile, Florencia Gómez, winemaker and DWWA judge for South America, commented: “Nutty flor aroma, appealing saline, dry palate. Layers of dried apricot, almonds and grippy texture. Long and inviting, moreish.”
Likewise, Benjamín Gubbins, head of WSET education programs in London, added: “Umami, wax, flor; really savoury nose and palate. Grass and citrus, with that umami undertone. Very gourmand.”
This recognition cements Carmen DO Florillón as one of the most distinctive white wines in South America and reinforces Viña Carmen’s commitment to exploring new styles in Chilean viticulture.