The Story: Chilean Winemaking Excellence

Since 1934 and for four generations, the De Martino family has specialised in producing wines that stand out for their sense of place, purity and balance. They are committed to practising sustainable agriculture and traditional winemaking, in order to produce wines that represent a true reflection of the vineyards from which they come.

De Martino was the first Chilean winery to label a wine as a single varietal Carménère (28 years ago), and also the first winery to export Carménère from Chile. Having won the “Winery of the Year” accolade on three separate occasions, De Martino very much sets the tone worldwide for the quality that Chilean wine can achieve.

Trend alert: moderation

Since 2011, De Martino have led the return to a more moderate winemaking style away from the big “Parker” wines of the 90’s and early millennium. They were the first to instigate the holy trinity of earlier picking, avoiding new oak and favouring spontaneous fermentation without the use of oenological products. This results in wines that whilst more understated, are more complex, refined and enjoyable over 2 or 3 bottles, not just 1 or 2 glasses.

It is an approach that is working well, with Tim Atkin MW’s recent Chile 2024 Special Report once again naming De Martino as a "First Growth" Chilean winery in his own 1855 Classification style system. Tim Atkin also rated their wines highly across the board, especially highlighting the Old Vine Series and Single Vineyard ranges.

La Blanca Sémillon 2022, from the Single Vineyard range and part of De Martino’s Fine Wine Portfolio, was awarded 96 points and included in the White Wines of the Year ranking in the Sémillon category, whilst Legado Carménère 2022 and Legado Chardonnay 2023 both scored 92 points.

Celebrating 90 Years of Viticulture

In 2024, De Martino are celebrating 90 Years of Viticulture. The winery now combines the experience of the third generation of the family - represented by Pietro, Marco and Remo De Martino - with the dynamism and vision of the fourth generation, made up of Marco Antonio and Sebastián De Martino who, together with oenologist Nicolás Pérez, lead the projects of the cellar.

To celebrate their 90th year of viticulture, brothers Marco Antonio and Sebastián took over the Sussex Cellars at Berry Brothers for a day tasting through their Fine Wine Portfolio of wines, including Viejas Tinajas Blanco 2022 and Viejas Tinajas Tinto 2022 from Guarilihue, Itata Valley – the oldest vine growing region in the new world! We also tasted their wines from Isla de Maipo, which is the area the De Martino family have been based since 1934.

To find out more about the De Martino Fine Wine Portfolio, and how to secure an allocation of any of the wines available, please contact your account manager.

De Martino’s wines

J432 | Legado Chardonnay 2023, De Martino | £13.19 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price

J430 | Legado Carménère 2022, De Martino | £13.19 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price

J439 | Viejas Tinajas Muscat 2020, De Martino | £21.63 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price

J438 | Viejas Tinajas Cinsault 2020, De Martino | £21.63 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price

J427 | Old Vine Field Blend Las Cruces 2018, De Martino | £28.10 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price

J428 | Old Vine VIGNO Carignan Field Blend La Aguada 2019, De Martino | £28.10 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price