Why it matters
The producer
Cono Sur makes Pinot Noir from the Colchagua Valley and sells it in more than eighty countries. It is large by any measure, a subsidiary of Concha y Toro and the third largest exporter of bottled wine in Chile. What is less obvious from the volume is the pattern underneath it: a 1993 estate that has moved first on synthetic corks, screwcaps for aromatic whites, Viognier, and the Bío-Bío Valley designation for Riesling, and that brought a Burgundian winemaker to Colchagua in 1999 to rethink what Chilean Pinot Noir could look like.
The Organic range is where that logic is most visible. Both the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère/Syrah blend are hand-harvested, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel, and partially aged in French oak. The Bicicleta range is the entry tier, built for volume and accessibility, with the Gewürztraminer the most aromatic of the lineup.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The winery sits at Chimbarongo in the Colchagua Valley, a designated origin within the Rapel Valley sub-region of Chile's Central Valley wine zone. Colchagua runs inland from the Pacific at roughly 34 degrees south, and its warm, dry summers and cool nights give red varieties the ripeness they need without losing colour or fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Syrah are the valley's reliable workhorses; Pinot Noir is less common here than in the coastal or cooler southern zones, which is partly why the Burgundian winemaking framework mattered.
Bío-Bío Valley appears in the range for Riesling. It is a separate, cooler southern DO more than 400 kilometres from Colchagua, where lower temperatures allow aromatic white varieties to keep their acidity and perfume. Cono Sur labelled a Riesling with that designation before it had significant commercial recognition.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The Organic range is hand-harvested, which limits sorting and selection to what can be done by hand rather than machine. Fermentation for both the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet/Carmenère/Syrah blend takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, preserving fruit character and managing extraction without additional heat. The Pinot Noir then goes approximately 80% into 225-litre French oak barrels for ten months, with the remaining 20% staying in stainless steel. The oak portion adds the spice, toast, and cinnamon notes that sit behind the fruit on the palate; the steel portion keeps freshness in the final blend.
The Cabernet/Carmenère/Syrah blend follows a similar protocol with skin maceration in steel before 70% of the wine moves to French oak for ten months. It is also certified vegan-friendly, meaning no animal-derived fining agents are used in production.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range divides into two tiers with different purposes. Bicicleta is the volume entry: accessible, fruit-forward, and built around varieties that communicate clearly without complexity. The Gewürztraminer is the standout here, showing brilliant green-yellow colour, a complex nose of fresh fruit, rose petals, lychee, and spice. Pinot Noir and other varietals fill out the tier.
Organic sits above Bicicleta. The two wines in this tier are built around certified fruit, hand harvesting, and a cellar program that uses French oak for partial ageing.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
The Organic Pinot Noir is the right first bottle. It is hand-harvested Pinot Noir from Colchagua Valley, fermented in stainless steel and then split: 80% into 225-litre French oak barrels for ten months, 20% staying in steel. It is a dark purple Pinot Noir that opens on forest fruit and cherry, moves through cinnamon and white pepper on the palate, and finishes with the spiced, savoury edge that the barrel time adds without overwhelming the fruit. It shows both what the Burgundian cellar logic contributes and what the Colchagua Valley fruit provides. Tim Atkin gave it 90 points and named it Best Value Red of the Year.