Top international wine critics visit Viña Carmen in search of Chile’s finest wines for their 2025 Reports
British Masters of Wine Peter Richards and Susie Barrie, Brazilian wine expert Marcelo Copello, Argentine journalist Joaquín Hidalgo from the American magazine Vinous, and JamesSuckling.com’s senior editor Zekun Shuai were among the distinguished guests.
Over the past few months, Viña Carmen has welcomed several high-profile international wine critics who visited the country to explore the winery’s top and high-end wines. These tastings, led by Chief Winemaker Ana María Cumsille and winemaker Pablo Prieto, offered a deep dive into Carmen’s winemaking philosophy, its origins, and the distinctive elements that define each wine.
As part of their tour of Chile to prepare the “Chile Wines of the Year” guide, renowned British critics Peter Richards MW and Susie Barrie MW visited Viña Carmen in the Maipo Valley on March 5. During their visit, they tasted the winery’s flagship wine Carmen Gold 2022, a top-tier Cabernet Sauvignon, along with two high-end wines from the Delanz range: Carmen Delanz Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 and Carmen Delanz Carmenère 2022, which highlight the distinctive potential of Alto Jahuel and Apalta, respectively.
The tasting also included the four wines from the DO range, which celebrates partnerships with unique and singular winegrowers across Chile: Carmen DO Quijada 2021, Carmen DO Florillón #7, Carmen DO Loma Seca 2022, and Carmen DO Matorral Chileno 2023.
On March 10, acclaimed Brazilian critic Marcelo Copello visited the estate for an in-depth exploration of Carmen Gold, including a vertical tasting of key vintages—1999, 2005, 2018, and 2022—showcasing the wine’s aging potential and consistency. The session also featured wines from the Delanz and DO ranges.
The following month, on April 2, Viña Carmen welcomed Joaquín Hidalgo, the Argentine wine journalist who is currently preparing the Chile 2025 Report for American publication Vinous. During his visit, he explored wines from the Delanz and DO ranges, along with key varieties from the Carmen Gran Reserva line. He also visited a soil pit in Alto Jahuel, where he was able to observe firsthand the quality of the terroir in one of Chile’s most prestigious winegrowing areas.
Most recently, on April 4, Zekun Shuai, senior editor at JamesSuckling.com, visited Chile’s first winery to conduct a mini vertical tasting of its flagship wine, Carmen Gold, from the 2020, 2021, and 2022 vintages. He also explored the winery’s high-end portfolio, including Carmen Delanz Carmenère 2023, Carmen DO Florillón #7, and Carmen DO Quijada Semillón 2022. Like Hidalgo, Shuai visited a soil pit in Alto Jahuel to deepen his understanding of the Maipo Valley terroir and sampled barrel components from upcoming vintages.
These visits not only strengthen Viña Carmen’s position on the international stage, but also reaffirm its commitment to crafting wines of character, origin, and excellence—qualities that are consistently recognized across global markets.