Why Neyen de Apalta's 130-Year-Old Vines Matter in the Glass

What does age actually contribute to a wine? At Neyen de Apalta in Chile's Apalta Valley, vines planted around 1890 grow beside an adobe cellar from the same era. The oldest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines have spent more than 130 years adapting to this place, while century-old Carménère grows closer to the river.

When we visited in November 2024, our host Sofia walked us through the vineyards where these vines have stood for generations. Standing among them, then entering a winery built at roughly the same time, made the estate's history feel remarkably tangible. What matters, however, is not age as a number. Older vines produce fewer grapes, and at Neyen those grapes can develop the concentration, integrated tannins, and elegant fruit we found in the wines.

That history comes into focus in Neyen Espíritu de Apalta, the estate's flagship blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère. The proportions change with each vintage, allowing the growing season and each variety to determine the final balance. This is not simply a preserved piece of Chilean wine history. It is a living vineyard whose past can still be experienced in the glass.

Our host Sofia guiding us through a 130 year old winery constructed from adobe, a traditional mixture of clay, earth and straw.

How Neyen Preserved 130-Year-Old Vines in Apalta

Nestled between the Andes and Chile's Coastal Mountain Range, Apalta valley enjoys a distinctive setting where warm days, cooling breezes, and varied soils create excellent conditions for growing premium wine grapes. Here, in the late 1880s, some of the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted at what would become Neyen de Apalta.

These vineyards survived because Chile largely escaped the nineteenth-century phylloxera epidemic that devastated much of Europe. While European growers were forced to replant their vines on resistant rootstocks, many Chilean vineyards survived on their original roots.

Sofia explained that Neyen's oldest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines date to around 1890, while its Carménère vines, planted closer to the river, are approximately a century old.

Even more surprising is the history of Malbec. Today, most wine enthusiasts associate this grape with Argentina, where it found its modern identity. But Malbec actually arrived in Chile from France in the 1840s, before being introduced to Argentina in 1853. Neyen's ancient Malbec vineyards are a living reminder of that lesser-known chapter of South American wine history.

A 130 year old Cabernet Sauvignon vine with one of its canes guided to the ground to root in the soil and form a new shoot establishing a new vine ('layering') .

Preserving the Roots for Future Generations

Maintaining vineyards of this age requires extraordinary care. As vines grow older, they generally produce fewer grapes, but those grapes can develop remarkable concentration and complexity. Sofia explained how Neyen's old vines tend to produce wines with more rounded, integrated tannins and elegant fruit characteristics compared with the firmer, sometimes more assertive structure of wines from younger hillside vines.

Yet keeping these ancient plants productive is not simply a matter of pruning. Neyen employs traditional methods of rejuvenation, including guiding shoots from existing vines into the soil, where they develop roots and establish new growth. In other cases, new shoots emerge from old root systems, allowing the plant to continue producing grapes even after its original trunk has deteriorated. According to the vineyard team, their observations showed that carefully managed new growth could retain the desirable characteristics associated with these mature root systems.

Today, the estate belongs to González Byass, the historic Spanish wine family whose own roots reach back to 1835. Its philosophy of caring for the planet across generations fits naturally with Neyen's commitment to preserving its ancient vineyards. That philosophy extends to organic and biodynamic farming practices with the objective to protect the living foundation of wines that future generations can continue to enjoy.

Neyen's herbal garden growing ingredients for the biodynamic preparations used in the vineyard.

Why Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère Work Together

In the native Mapuche language, Neyen means Spirit or Breath, and its flagship wine, Neyen Espíritu de Apalta, seeks to capture the true character of Apalta through a blend of two historic Bordeaux grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère.

Cabernet Sauvignon provides the backbone—structure, depth, and aging potential. Carménère, once nearly lost in its native Bordeaux, brings a softer texture, distinctive spice and herbal nuances, and rounded tannins. Together, they create something neither variety could express quite the same way on its own. And like a successful marriage, the relationship is about balance rather than dominance. The precise proportions change with each vintage, allowing the winemaking team to find the most harmonious expression of that year's growing season.

The 2019 Neyen Espíritu de Apalta, a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Carménère, truly captured our attention. Aged for approximately 24 months in oak, it impressed us with its integration, elegance, and balance.

Neyen also produces a highly limited, single-varietal Malbec sourced from its 130-year-old vineyards. Unfortunately, this wine was not available for us to taste. Critics have rated it every bit as highly as Neyen's flagship blend, describing a rich, broad, and seamless wine with ripe red fruit, savory notes, and distinctive spice. Its character has even been compared to premium Malbecs grown in the warmer conditions of Argentina's Luján de Cuyo region, just across the Andes. Individual bottles are retailing for more than $150.

Standing among 130-year-old vines and tasting wines in a winery building of similar age was a memorable experience. But discovering how this remarkable heritage continues to find expression in beautiful wines is what makes Neyen de Apalta a story we are excited to share.

Planning a Visit to Neyen de Apalta

Neyen de Apalta welcomes visitors for guided experiences that bring together its historic adobe cellar, old-vine vineyards, and wines. Visit formats change over time, so check the current options on the Neyen de Apalta website before planning your trip.