Rio del Mar Merlot is made at Bodegas Arlequin which is owned and run by Casa Silva. It is an intense and fruity wine with notes of coffee, plums and spices. Rounded on the palate with excellent body, firm and soft tannins along with beautiful notes of black cherries and dried plums. Juicy and delicious, perfect for everyday drinking.
In 1997, Mario Pablo Silva, pictured to the left disguised as a Scottish sheep farmer, made a proposal to his father: he wanted to transform his bulk wine business which had been owned by the Silva family since 1892 into a prestige bottling company for export, bearing the family's own name. Mario Silva accepted his son's challenge and Casa Silva was created. In a short space of time, Casa Silva has become one of the most prestigious and awarded producers of premium Chilean wine. They have a pioneering spirit and own enviable vineyard sites throughout the Colchagua region which allows them to produce some of Chile’s best terroir driven wines at all price points.
The winery has become one of Chile’s finest producers of Carmenere over recent years. The Microterroir and Los Lingues have won numerous awards and are widely regarded as two of the finest examples of Carmenere from Chile. Never one to stand still, they now produce sparkling wine, Riesling, Sauvignon Gris, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cesar Noir. We are going to need a bigger warehouse if they carry on like this!
