Cacique Maravilla
Quick facts:
Location: the village of Yumbel, in the Bío-Bío Valley in Southern Chile.
Owner & winemaker: Manuel Moraga Gutierrez
Vineyard area: 16 hectares of vines on volcanic soils — part of Manuel’s sprawling 80 hectare farm, where the climate is excellent for growing fruit and vegetables thanks to hot days and cool, dry nights. The farm is covered in fruit and nut trees: almond, walnut, orange, fig, cherry, apple, apricot, pear, peach, and more; there are abundant vegetable gardens, as well as chickens and cattle on the farm.
Vineyard management: Dry-farmed, minimally pruned, and grown organically — some of his pre-phylloxera vines are over 250 years old!
Soils: Volcanic, extremely fertile
Main varieties: Pais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Moscatel de Alejandria
Winemaking: Hand-harvest only, with red grapes de-stemmed and fermented on indigenous yeasts in open-top vats of Raulí (a native pink Chilean oak) to keep the wines light and fresh. White grapes spend one week to two months macerating on the skins in Raulí. No fining, no filtering, no added SO2.
The United States was founded in 1776 — the same year that Manuel Moraga Gutierrez’ ancestors planted País and a variety of native grapes on fertile volcanic soil in Southern Chile. That their vineyard was the 33rd to be registered in all of Chile should tell you something about how deeply the art of winemaking runs in Manuel’s blood, as the seventh generation steward of his renowned family winery.
Cacique Maravilla is based in the village of Yumbel, a native word meaning “Glory of Light,” in the Bío-Bío Valley. The centuries-old vines are spread across 16 hectares of trumao soil (volcanic sands, formed by redeposited ash) planted over a lava river. These ancient vines add a signature complexity and depth to the wines that caught our eye from the very first sip.
Manuel cultivates País, Moscatel, Torrontel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and more. Tradition is at the root of everything he does, from dry-farming the soils to relying on gravity and free-run juice wherever possible. In his cellar, one might still find 100-year-old iron de-stemmers — “a museum piece,” Manuel describes them. While many of his wines are bottled young to maximize freshness, those he ages spend time in Raulí, a native Chilean pink oak that has been used in local winemaking for centuries.
His vines are on the wild side and all organically farmed, with minimal pruning and no chemical intervention — he even uses horses to lightly tread the volcanic soil. The wines are similarly low-intervention: all unfined, unfiltered, and made without any additional sulfur, allowing them to express the terroir with the utmost purity. “For us, the cellar has it’s own magic and gives us options that sometimes we would not imagine,” says Manuel.
Cacique Maravilla marks the first Chilean winery — in fact, the very first South American winery! — of our portfolio, and we couldn’t be more delighted to represent Manuel’s wines and his passionate philosophy that prizes organic farming and the traditional low-intervention techniques of his ancestors.
Wines
Vino Naranja
Check out this great video featuring Vino Naranja from our pals, the Super Vino Bros!
Grapes: Moscatel de Alejandria
Vineyard: Volcanic soils, organically farmed. Historic vines, some dating back 250 years!
Making of: Grapes are hand-harvested with about 30% of botrytis, then macerate on the skin for 2 months in open-top concrete vats. No punchdowns or pump overs. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur.
Personality: Tropical and aromatic fruits with pops of floral brightness and a slight tannic grip.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard: Volcanic soils, organically farmed. Historic vines, some dating back 250 years!
Making of: Grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in open-top vats of Raulí, a native pink oak of Chile. Aged for 10 months before bottling. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur.
Personality: Smooth and seductive, with a hint of spice adding depth to the black cherry and plump raspberry notes.
Chacoli Negro
Note: Be sure to keep this plenty cold, and to open with caution in order to prevent a wine fountain.
Grapes: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec
Vineyard: Volcanic soils, organically farmed. Historic vines, some dating back 250 years!
Making of: Grapes are harvested by hand, then de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for 4 days, with spontaneous fermentation on indigenous yeasts. Free run juice is transferred by gravity into fiberglass tanks, where it ages for 2 months and then finishes fermentation in bottle. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur. They don’t disgorge any of their pét-nats, as “it takes so long for those small sparkles to form :),” says Manuel.
Personality: Juicy black currant.
Pipeño
Pipeño wines are made of 100% País and fermented and aged in pipas, or barrels, made of Chilean pink oak called raulí.
Once the most prominent grape planted across Chile, País was later ripped out in favor of trendy French varieties, or used in bulk rosé and red wines. This juicy, Gamay-esque grape has undergone a renaissance in recent years, thanks largely to winemakers like Manuel who highlight its rustic beauty with traditional wines like this one — all fresh red fruit, crisp acidity, and slight effervescence.
Grapes: País
Vineyard: Volcanic soils, organically farmed. Historic vines, some dating back 250 years!
Making of: Grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and fermented on indigenous yeasts in open-top vats of cement or raulí, a native pink oak of Chile. The skin from the grapes is used to make Grappa. The free run juice is transferred by gravity into pipas (barrels) of raulí for several months, where the wine is aged on the fine lees. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur.
Personality: Think Gamay — juicy, bright, crunchy red berries with tart acidity and a whiff of smoke. So easy drinking that a liter disappears shockingly fast. Serve slightly chilled.
Cot
Grapes (2024): 50% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Pais
Vineyard: Volcanic soils, organically farmed. Historic vines, some dating back 250 years.
Making of: Grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and fermented on indigenous yeasts in open-top vats of raulí, a native pink oak of Chile. All three varieties are co-fermented in the same vessel. The free run juice is transferred by gravity into pipas (barrels) of raulí for several months, where the wine is aged on the fine lees. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur.
Personality: Fruity with volume: a deep burgundy in the glass with plums and super-ripe fruit on the nose.