History

A pioneering adventure
Grapevines were planted in the north of Chile in the 16th century, in the wake of Spanish conquistadors.Production expanded rapidly and the country was soon exporting to Peru, challenging imported wines from Spain. The Echenique family, of Basque origin, planted vineyards in the Peralillo area of the Colchagua province around 1750 and in the 19th century, the same family was part of the rapid expansion that took place in Chilean wines, at the initiative of a handful of pioneers who were inspired by the French model. The first French grapes were planted in the Cañeten Valley of Colchagua in 1850 but when phylloxera ravaged Europe’s vineyards, Chile’s production increased dramatically. Vineyards went from 9,000 hectares in 1870 to 40,000 hectares in 1900. The first exports of wines to Europe took place in 1877.

In 1947, production in the Cañeten Valley of the Peralillo region was reorganised and rationalised. Plots of land were cleared and prepared for planting, water supply and storage systems were put in place and cellars equipped with cement tanks were built. The “Cañetenes” wines gradually built up a good reputation. However, the land reform measures which came into force in the late 60s and early 70s put a stop to any further expansion.

Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite took over the Los Vascos estate (Los Vascos meaning The Basques, in honour of its Basque origins) in 1988. At the time, the property extended to some 2,200 hectares, of which 220 hectares were under vine. The pioneering ambition of DBR in Chile was above all the result of extensive research into the potential of local wines. Many properties were visited and very many wines were tasted before choosing Los Vascos, because of its location near the ocean and its exceptional soil. Along with ideal weather conditions, Los Vascos benefits from intense exposure to the sun, adequate water sources, semi-arid soils and little risk of frost. At an average of 130m above sea level and at just 40 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, the microclimate of Viña Los Vascos has everything to produce fine wines.

The new Los Vascos project included major investment under the direction of the Technical Director at Château Lafite Rothschild from 1983 to 1994. The vineyard was restructured, a replanting programme was put in place and yields were reduced. Drilling provided a plentiful source of water and a weather monitoring station was installed in the vineyards. The bodega itself was enlarged and modernised step by step to cope with the new requirements in winemaking and ageing. The refurbishment included the installation of stainless steel tanks, pneumatic presses and improvement to the barrel cellar. The aim of all the improvements to the winery and the vineyard was to improve quality and, under the supervision of Claudio Naranjo, a new team of local management was recruited.

Los Vascos is now a single plot, 580-ha vineyard in the heart of a 3,600-ha hacienda. Gradually, the improvements to the property have been mirrored in the wines and the vineyard’s increasing maturity has meant that premium wines like Los Vascos Grande Réserve and Le Dix de Los Vascos have been added to the range. In recent vintages, the wines overall have shown increasing concentration and finesse. The finishing touch to the estate has been the construction of a new guesthouse, designed in the traditional Chilean architectural style.

 

酒莊歷史

開拓者的冒險之旅

十六世纪時，西班牙征服者們將葡萄秧苗带入智利北部地區，之后很快在全國範圍内種植開来，由此出產的酒甚至出口到秘鲁與西班牙的酒展競争。
1750年左右，来自華斯歌地區的埃切尼克家族開始在科爾查瓜省的佩拉里奥地區栽種葡萄。

智利葡萄酒業在19世纪迅速發展，包括埃切尼克家族在内的一些先锋人物開始將目光投向法國釀酒業以尋求借鑒。
1850年，埃切尼克·塔格萊父子二人在科爾查瓜山谷中栽種下第一批法國葡萄。當根瘤蚜虫害席卷歐洲葡萄園時，智利的葡萄酒屋量藉此機會一下子猛增，
葡萄栽種面積從1870年的9千公頃撗展到1900年的4萬公顷。1877年開始首次向歐洲出口其生產的葡萄酒。

自1947年起，費爾南多·埃切尼克·齊格斯重组並改良佩拉里奥地區的葡萄酒生產，通過整治土地，鋪設儲水灌溉系统，建造酒窖及水泥釀酒槽等一系列推動工作，
被命名為“科纳特娜”的新品葡萄酒在短時間内即大獲成功。但1970年進行的土地改革没收了這些大酒莊的土地，抑止了葡萄酒的發展。

1988年，當拉菲集團接手酒莊時（為了纪念歷史上曾在這裡開墾耕耘過的先人，果園被命名為華斯歌葡萄園），酒莊已擁有土地面積2,200公頃，葡萄園種植面積220公頃。
通過深入研究智利别具特點的土壤氣候而釀造出具有當地風情的美酒，拉菲集團在智利發展葡萄園正是出自這一心願
。
在决定收購華斯歌之前，集團的技術小组走訪了多處酒莊，品茗多款美酒以比對各處的風土，選定華斯歌的原因是其地理位置與當地小氣候條件優越：
近太平洋，土壤條件好，日照與水資源充足，罕見霜凍。海拔130米的山坡，離太平洋的最近距離僅為40公里，半乾的土質與氣候條件為華斯歌酒莊創製獨具風味的頂级佳釀提供了理想的自然環境。

華斯歌酒莊在加入拉菲集團旗下後，1983至1994年間在時任拉菲古堡技術總監的督導下進行了大規模的投資：重新改造葡萄園，改良葡萄品種，縮减葡萄產量，鋪井獲得充足的水源，在葡萄園中建起氣象站。
同時為適應發酵與陳放的需要，酒莊也一步步擴大規模並引進一系列現代化設備，其中包括配置不锈鋼發酵槽、氣壓式壓榨機及完善酒窖。
葡萄園與酒廠改造的目的是提高產品質量，並在克勞蒂亞·拉瓦霍的監督指導下，在當地组建了一只全新的管理團隊。

華斯歌葡萄園位於占地3,600公頃的酒莊中心位置，這是一處種植面積580公頃的獨立葡萄園。酒莊現有設施的改進成果已在所釀造的酒中得到體現。
日益成熟的葡萄園意味着它已經具備生產優質如華斯歌特级藏釀及華斯歌十年等佳釀的能力。
最近幾個年份的葡萄酒具有出色的醇度與細膩口感。最後一項酒莊新建項目是設計並建造一座傳统智利建築風格的接待酒店。

(Sources: http://www.lafite.com/eng/Other-Estates/Vina-Los-Vascos/History