Winemaker Notes
Pedro and Alberto Benegas continued with the family enterprise, following Tiburcio´s steps. Pedro, who had studied oenology in Bordeaux, gave the rising industry a new boost at the beginning of the century. He stayed on his father´s and in Mendoza in charge of the vineyards and the winery, while Alberto, his brother, organized the administration and marketing of the wines throughout the country, from Buenos Aires. Thus, Benegas Hnos. was founded in 1908, starting a lineage that would last up to the present. After a trip to France, Pedro Benegas came back with a more comprehensive and modern view regarding the management of vineyards and quality wine making. Until then, the Trapiche wines were made with some sophistication but fell short of the expectations aimed at by the Benegas. Pedro and Alberto decided to incorporate new brands for more demanding consumers, so they began to produce Fond de Cave, Broquel, Puente Viejo and Vezelay. Pedro Benegas incorporated the typical features of the Bordeaux wines and the blends were definitely inspired by French tradition
Pedro Benegas died in 1943 and his nephew, Federico A. Benegas Lynch (1916-1997), who had joined the company in 1938, settled in "El Trapiche", Mendoza, to work in the winery. At the beginning of the 70's, the family company dissolved and the assets were sold. The Trapiche winery was demolished, and the vineyards were divided and sold. Pulenta bought the wine brands and Seagrams, the champagne brands. The only one that remained in the family was BENEGAS, owned at present by Federico J. Benegas Lynch.
Federico J. Benegas Lynch was born in the winery in 1951. He grew up by his father's side, sampling wines and working in the vineyard. This atmosphere awakened in him a deep love for his land and its wine. He had always been close to his father and eventually, he joined the enterprise, doing what he loved most with a solid conviction. In 1997, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Peñaflor and Trapiche wineries, which were then under the control of Luis A. Pulenta and DLJ. He resigned to his position in March 2001.
It was in 1998 that Federico J. resumed his activity as winemaker when he settled on the 40 hectares of Finca Libertad, part of the old Benegas' family property, where the vineyards are 20 to 80 years old. He started the production of quality wines, fully convinced that he would achieve the level of excellence of his ancestors. This restoration period is the landmark of the beginning of a new era in the Benegas family, who had always devoted to the art of vines from the very roots
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”