López Pangue

The winery

López Pangue is in El Pangue, a small, hidden valley in the hills of the Coastal Range, between Curacaví and Casablanca, with a past of gold panning, wheat and grazing. The farm was bought by Félix López, founder of Lápiz López, after he saw a 1984 advertisement offering 600 ha; the earthquake of March 1985 brought down houses, barns and the reservoir, and everything had to be rebuilt. The estate also breeds Arabian endurance horses, and in 2005 it planted 20 ha of late-ripening orange trees. The winery came later: studies of soil, water and climate began between late 2009 and 2010, led by viticulturist Pedro Izquierdo, and at first the idea was only to grow grapes.

In 2011 Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Malbec were planted; among the Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc turned up by surprise and was later propagated, and a second stage added Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc to reach 20 ha in small blocks, on soils that differ greatly from one another. The winery describes a cool climate, at 700 m above sea level and 40 km from the sea; its labels say D.O. Valle del Maipo and the Descorchados guide places it in Maipo Costa. The harvests from 2013 on were experimental and were kept as “historic” wines; the 2019 and 2020 were the ones released to market. With winemaker Paula Cárdenas, the grapes are picked by hand and the wine is aged in French and American oak barrels, steel, clay amphorae and concrete eggs. Malbec, the most planted grape, is the base of the Rosado and the Mezcla; the Verdejo, the Gran Mezcla and the Gran Carmenere, whose 2024 vintage yielded 1,400 bottles, round out the line. Descorchados 2026 includes the Rosado Malbec 2025 among the best rosés of the year, with 93 points, and the winery reports 96 points from Tim Atkin for the Gran Mezcla 2023 and the Gran Carmenere 2024.

The winery is about an hour from Santiago and from Valparaíso, with paved road all the way to the gate. Visits are private and by booking, by WhatsApp at +56 9 3865 1017 or at turismo@lopezpangue.cl; tours and lunches require a minimum of four people and transport is quoted separately. The Tour El Pangue goes through the winery, designed by architect Harken Jensen: partly buried, with walls of mud and quincha (wattle and daub) made from the excavated earth and a second skin of eucalyptus poles; it ends with four wines and a board of cheeses and local products. Aventura Dos Valles adds a buggy ride up to the summit that separates the Maipo and Casablanca valleys, with a toast at the lookout. Private lunches and events for 2 to 250 people can also be booked. In early 2026 there was a free Open Day, a Valentine's Sunset and a variety workshop during harvest, but no new dates are currently published. The wines are sold at the winery's wine shop, in the online store and, since June 2026, at the Tienda de Vinos La Reina (Monseñor Edwards 1393, La Reina).