From our winemaker Marcelo Papa
Widely regarded as one of the world’s most talented winemakers, Marcelo Papa joined Concha y Toro in 1998. He quickly took on the role of head winemaker for the company’s flagship brand, Casillero del Diablo. He is also the head winemaker of the famous Marques de Casa Concha range and more recently, has launched a new range from Concha y Toro’s exciting winery in the north of Chile, Maycas del Limari.
Well known for his intuitive flair for winemaking, he also has the reputation of being one of the most likeable winemakers in the industry. Matthew Jukes, journalist for The Daily Mail, calls him ‘a genius and a kind one at that’ (the Wine List 2007). The Chilean Wine Guide distinguished Marcelo as ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in 2005, paying tribute to his outstanding professional career. With all his wines, he gives them his personal style and as such, they have received numerous prestigious awards and accolades all around the world.
Marcelo lives in Santiago with his wife and young son. He is responsible for an enormous number of vineyards stretching across 600km, from the Limari Valley in the North to the Maule Valley in the South. Thanks to his boundless energy and enthusiasm for his job, he makes the journey north, south, east and west to personally check the progress of the grapes and speak with each and every vineyard and winery manager as often as possible. His favourite time of the year is harvest time, when the grapes are coming into the winery thick and fast. His favourite white grape is Chardonnay while Cabernet Sauvignon is his most cherished red grape.
In the years since Marcelo Papa has been in charge of developing the Casillero del Diablo wine range, he has captivated millions of consumers worldwide with a 12-variety line of wines, including the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well as more recent innovations such as Viognier, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Shiraz, Malbec, Gewürztraminer, Shiraz Rosé and, of course, Chile’s own grape, Carmenere.
