Winemaker Notes
It was without a doubt a year of climatic contrasts that did not predict quality, but a deep knowledge of this little piece of terroir that is home to this old-vine Cabernet gave rise to an extraordinary wine with tannic force but great elegance and balance at the same time. It is bright, expressive, and fresh, with a backdrop of the ripe fruits and spices characteristic of the location. Its concentration and balance ensure tremendous aging potential.
Savor as glass on its own or with favorite grilled meat entrees.
#1 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2018
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Explosively fruity and rich-tasting, with concentrated flavors of blackberry, raspberry and dark plum that are nicely framed. Shows notes of hot stone midpalate, offering a pure, minerally finish. Critics Choice
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I was really looking forward to the cool vintage of the 2013 Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon, the icon from Santa Rita portfolio. It's a classical 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Alto Jahuel in Maipo Alto from over 60-year-old vines, first bottled with the 1989 vintage. It has all the classical features but always based around elegance and balance, with power and concentration, yes, but always keeping its poise. This has to be one of the finest and most elegant vintages of Casa Real along with the 2010. As classical Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo as it gets.
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Wine Enthusiast
Spicy, briary cassis and wild berry aromas come with notes of mountain herbs. As per usual, Casa Real 2013 is in great shape; the palate is lush and cushioned but stern and balanced. Spicy cassis, plum and oaky flavors finish with a mix of wood spice and dried-fruit notes. Drink through 2026.
Cellar Selection
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James Suckling
A fresh and fruity wine with hints of sweet herb and berry character. Medium to full body. Soft tannins.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.