History
Viña Mayu was established in 2005 as a separate winery from the Elqui Valley’s first fine wine producer that entered the wine business at the end of 1998. Mauro Olivier was one of the pioneer planting vines for fine wine production sourcing the grapes from the different places of the valley. He started working on his family vineyards for table grape production at a young age; years later he began working in Pisco production (the national Chilean spirit, made from white wine).
In 2000, he planted the first Carménère and Syrah vines in the valley. 5 years later, in 2005, he decided it was time to embark on his own wine project, under Mayu label. Mayu is an ancient INCA name for the Milky Way, literally meaning "creek of stars."
Soil and Climate
The unique climate conditions that the Valley owns such as, coastal breezes, temperature extremes, solar radiation, phototermic index, rainfall amount, plus altitude and soils, altogether with vineyards management, are the most important elements that influence the quality of the grapes produced in this valley and help sculpt the character and originality of Mayu wines.
Microclimates and Altitude
There are three distinct microclimates of the Elqui Valley - Coastal, Mid-Valley, and High Mountain Range – with Mayu vineyards planted throughout all three. Not only do these areas vary in daily weather patterns and temperatures (the cooler, foggier coastal climate versus the warmer, drier mid-valley) they also have different altitudes. Mayu vines are planted between 350 m (1150 ft.) all the way up to 1925 m (6320 ft.), where our La Huanta Vineyard stands proudly as one of the highest vineyards in Chile.
Temperature Extremes
There is also a significant fluctuation in temperature in the valley between day and night time. Throughout the summer, days reach up to 30°C (86°F) and drop back down to 10°C (50°F) at night; a difference of 20°C (36°F) in one 24-hour period! The number of days with this notable temperature range, together with solar radiation, have a very significant influence on aromas and ripeness of tannins; the intense heat and solar radiation during the day creates darker colors and thicker skins on the grapes (a protection mechanism from the sun), which are essential for complex aromas and quality of tannins in the wines. Meanwhile at night, the significant drop in temperature slows the fast maturation of the grapes from the heat of the day, keeping the grapes’ freshness and preventing over-ripening. Together these extremes create the prefect balance for the grapes’ growth cycle, and ultimately cause the depth and complexity of the flavor profiles found in our wines.
Luminosity
Sun beam quality takes a primary role as well, having a fundamental influence on leaves photosynthesis process to get the best ripening level. The atmosphere in the Elqui Valley is one of the cleanest and clearest on the planet, luring the world’s best astrologists to the observatories of the area (including the Tololo Observatory, the largest in the southern hemisphere). While perfect for stargazing at night, Elqui’s skies are ideal for viticulture by day. With an immaculate sky and a high UV radiation index from the desert sun, our grapes have a resulting color, flavor and polyphenol content that are incomparable to any other wine region in the country.
