Viña Santa Rita 2020 'Casa Real' Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon

Viña Santa Rita 2020 'Casa Real' Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit

Mission Codename (Un)Real!

“Within Viña Santa Rita’s substantial offerings, the lavishly styled Casa Real has remained a benchmark to those following high-end Bordeaux blends worldwide for over three decades.” – Wine Advocate

Any true fan of Cabernet MUST have this wine in their cellar. From the best of Pauillac to Napa, this Chilean masterpiece rivals anything you can throw at it.

Viña Santa Rita ‘Casa Real’ Reserva Especial is an absolute LEGEND!

This one, with a TRIO of 96 POINT scores from the pros, at 40% OFF marks a high point in a decades-long mission to produce a no-compromise Chilean Cabernet of the highest caliber.

Don’t just take our word for it – in 2019 Decanter named their inaugural vintage (the 1989) one of their Wine Legends – a rare honor reserved for the top cellar worthy wines of the world! They explain, “it soon became established as one of Chile’s greatest Cabernets. It is only produced in exceptional years in order to retain the quality level set by the 1989 vintage.”

Along with Seña, Almaviva, and Don Melchor – Casa Real stands as a touchstone for quality Cabernet and made the list of James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of Chile for the last three years in a row (this wine included!). We have been following it closely for decades. So when we a bottle of 2020 arrived at HQ, we began salivating before the cork even popped.

Dripping with ripe red and black fruits, the tannins are supple but grippy, with top-tier complexity of toasty oak spice, wild herbs, floras, and earth. It lingers in a long satisfying arch, buoyed by an underlying freshness. Worth every bit of its normally high price tag, and thanks to our Agent negotiation tactics, it’s yours for 40% off!

That’s right! One of the TOP CABERNETS OF THE WORLD for under $80!!!

“Key to Casa Real’s enduring success are its consistency and classic yet characterful style, both reliant on the particular expression of Cabernet Sauvignon delivered by the terroirs of Alto Jahuel.” continues Decanter. “The heavier soils of the Carneros Viejos block, planted in the 1970s, are responsible for the wine’s more structural components, while the more gravelly Población, a block planted in the 1980s, adds finesse and aromatic nuance. All blocks benefit from the long dry growing season, with cooling night winds from the Andes causing a wide temperature diurnal range. Cool nights help to preserve a fine acidity, keep alcohol levels in check and, says Labbé, shape the distinct aromatic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon that has become synonymous with Alto Jahuel and Casa Real.”

Founded in the 1880’s, Santa Rita was on the forefront of bringing in French varieties and techniques to Chile, helping to define their industry today. The Pompeian style manor and gardens on the label, the original family home about 45 minutes outside Santiago still stands (now one of the top luxury hotels in Chile). Casa Real began in the 1980’s with the mission to bottle truly world-class Cabernet that was uniquely Chilean, driven by the terroir of the Maipo Valley.

Sebastián Labbé has been with Santa Rita since 2005, and the genius force continuing the legacy of Casa Real since 2017. “I found the entire range utterly captivating in its vibrancy and crystal-clear transparency, particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon,” praises Wine Advocate. “As with nearly all of Chile’s “icon” wines, Casa Real has undergone something of a stylistic renaissance in recent vintages… Adjustments to maceration, extraction and maturation have resulted in a wine that retains the creamy, toasty richness that made it famous but has instilled a sense of verve and vibrancy that should aid its development in the cellar.”

We were able to secure a limited amount of this LEGEND. If you love Cabernet (and we know you do!), now it the time to stock up – and you can be a legend too!

96 Points – Decanter “One of the hottest vintages of the decade, 2020 was a challenging year coping with the dry growing conditions yet this remains juicy and succulent with tangy acidity. Green pepper, cooling menthol and blackcurrant aromas on the nose. Round and enveloping on the palate, with spiced strawberry, red cherry and chalky raspberries. I love the mineral tang with tannins that have a grippy, salty stoniness that nicely combines with clearly ripe black berry fruit and a lifted finish. So well made, utterly lovely now with accents of clove, cinnamon, toast and vanilla but with excellent ageing potential. Charming, lively, upfront and complex from talented winemaker Sebastián Labbé. 3.56pH. The wine was aged in barrels for 20 months, 85% new and 15% French oak. Winemaker Sebastiàn Labbé. Drink 2025 – 2040”

96 Points – Vinous “Santa Rita dates back to 1880, when the estate mansion, now the lovely Hotel Casa Real, was built. A member of the Grupo Claro, Santa Rita is one of Chile’s three largest wine exporters. Santa Rita’s headquarters and winery are located in Buin, Maipo, where they tend to 990 hectares of the 3,000 they have under vine across Chile. The focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon, which appears in all their lines: Casa Real, Pewën de Apalta, Bougainville and Triple C are the most prestigious. The Floresta label offers a more modern approach, while Medalla Real, Secret Reserve and 120 take up the bulk of the business. The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real, from Alto Jahuel, spent 20 months in barrels, 82% of them new and the rest second use. A purplish-red with a garnet sheen. The ripe nose presents blackcurrant and blackberry over a layer of cedar, notes of ash from the aging process over a backdrop of graphite, wax and mint. The broad, polished tannins and velvety feel linger at the back of the palate before the rich, complex finish. Keep in the cellar for at least two more years to let it really come together. Drink 2026 – 2040”

96 Points – Descorchados “Casa Real is based on vines from the 1970s in the Carneros Viejo Vineyard (70% of the blend) plus Población, another of Santa Rita’s mature vineyards in Maipo, planted in 1974, all in the Alto Jahuel zone, near the foot of the Andes in Alto Maipo. 2020 was a very hot year, so the harvest had to be moved up to the second half of March, two weeks earlier than in an average year. But that warmth is not evident in a very elegant Casa Real with very soft and juicy tannins, a strong presence of sweet spices and herbal tones, and acidity that seems to illuminate the flavors. The finish is herbal and spicy, the flavors are long, and the memory of the fruit remains on the palate for a long time.”

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What the Winery Says 2020 'Casa Real' Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon

Viña Santa Rita
Viña Santa Rita
Winemaker
Sebastián Labbé
Varietal
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage
2020
Alcohol
13.8%
Appellation
Maipo Valley, Chile
Vineyard
Alto Jahuel Estate
TA
5.32 g/L
pH
3.56
Aging
20 months
Barrels
85% new French oak

About the Winery Viña Santa Rita

Viña Santa Rita Winemaker Sebastián Labbé
Viña Santa Rita Winemaker Sebastián Labbé
Viña Santa Rita 2020 'Casa Real' Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expires Today at 11:59 pm
$78.00
40% off!
$130.00
Elsewhere
Viña Santa Rita 2020 'Casa Real' Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expires Today at 11:59 pm
$78.00
40% off!
$130.00
Elsewhere