Created by Alexander and Carrie Vik, VIK estate produces one of the finest wines in Chile and South America in a valley named by the indigenous Mapuche people "Lugar de oro" or "Golden Place", revealing a new expression of Cabernet.
Location and size of the VIK vineyard
VIK, located in the Millahue Valley, on the foothills of the Andes mountains in Chile, oversees a vineyard of more than 300 hectares.
What is the history of VIK?
A pharaonic project
The project to acquire a wine estate between Argentina, Uruguay and Chile was born in 2004 in the mind of businessman Alexander Vik. He entrusted this project to the French-Chilean oenologist Patrick Valette. Drawing on his Chilean and European experience, notably at Château Pavie in Saint-Émilion, he visited more than 50 properties and carried out countless soil analyses. In 2006, Patrick Valette finally found the terroir he had been searching for. It is a group of about ten valleys at the foot of the Andes mountains totalling 4,300 hectares, known locally as "Lugar de oro" (the Golden Place), situated at the far end of the Colchagua Valley, in Millahue.
A holistic vision
VIK's approach and philosophy are characterised as holistic. This perfect union of man and nature into a harmonious whole is reflected in every stage of the development of this vast wine project. Respect for the terroir in winemaking and viticultural techniques and practices, the protection of biodiversity, human and social fulfilment, and a deep interest in art and architecture are all synergies that illustrate these principles. Indeed, the estate reveals striking buildings, works by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke, recently awarded the Pritzker Prize 2026 for architecture.
VIK, voted "World's Best Vineyard 2025"
The Chilean benchmark was crowned with the World's Best Vineyards 2025 award by the prestigious 50 Best brand, an international reference in the field of gastronomy.
Everything you need to know about the terroir of Domaine VIK
Location and geology: valleys with varied characteristics
The vineyard currently covers more than 300 hectares. Domaine VIK watches over a terroir whose singularity lies in its mosaic of unique terroirs, exposures and soils, as well as in the cool wind blowing from the Pacific Ocean. This complexity forges the signature of these great Chilean wines.
An ideal microclimate
The wine-growing area of Central Valley enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate with a marine influence that moderates maximum temperatures.
Demanding cultivation practices
VIK has invested heavily in the search for an ideal water balance through a rigorous selection of rootstocks according to different terroirs and grape varieties. Ultimately, 160 plots were planted with grape varieties displaying homogeneous properties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (2%), Carménère (30%), Syrah (12%) and Cabernet Franc (6%).
A tailor-made approach in the cellar
The cellar master of the VIK estate, Cristian Vallejo, inspired by the purity of the terroir, has developed innovative and avant-garde concepts such as the Barroir and the Amphoir. He calls Barroir (from the words barrique and terroir) the French oak barrels (new or used) toasted with wood from trees that have fallen within the estate. Thanks to these barrels custom-made in the estate's cooperage, each wine is thus imbued with the characteristics of the property's terroir.
Cristian Vallejo also calls Amphoir (from the words amphora and terroir) the amphorae made from the earth of the VIK vineyard. Thanks to the work of the most talented potters in the region, 20 amphorae have been crafted, each measuring 1.9 metres high and with a capacity of 675 litres. They are made from a combination of clay and kaolinite from Millahue, offering mineral notes and allowing the micro-oxygenation of the wines.
The style of Domaine VIK wines
The wine range is organised around a first wine, single-varietal wines and a second wine.
Exceptional wines
The estate's wines shine through their exceptional quality. The estate had already won over the international scene when the prestigious American critic James Suckling awarded the perfect score of 100 points to the house's flagship, VIK 2021. The latest vintage unveiled, the 2022, was awarded 99 points by the same critic: exceptional bottles that captivate with their silky texture, beautiful acidity and remarkable structure.
VIK, a great Chilean wine combining elegance and structure
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the VIK cuvée reveals a dark and brilliant colour, preceding a rich and precise nose as well as a palate whose fruity framework blends harmoniously with silky and elegant tannins.
