Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real Reserva Especial comes from Alto Jahuel, Maipo. It was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (85% new, 15% second use) and bottled without filtration or clarification. It is more compact and layered, with a rather homogeneous aromatic profile. Red fruit notes of cassis and raspberry combine with balsamic hints and soft boldo. There are subtle layers where the aging contributes complexity. On the palate, it feels tighter and juicy, with an almost silky flow. The grip adds texture without compromising flavor. Delicate and energetic, it offers a slightly more restrained expression than the 2022.
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James Suckling
Ripe currants, pencil shavings, sweet tobacco leaves, cocoa powder and dusty spices. Creamy and almost full-bodied with polished, powdery tannins. Very long, even and complex. Plush and pretty hedonistic. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This red is tightly wound for now but should reward patience, as there's plenty of finesse to match its structure. Opens with subtle floral cassis, sandalwood and cigar box notes that join an elegant core of wild strawberry and Santa Rosa plum, while fresh acidity unlocks additional layers of licorice and dark chocolate. The tannin structure is precise and well-integrated, and this carries on with great length and presence. Best from 2026 through 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon combines the lavish, polished decadence that defines many of Chile's "icon" wines with a fresh, contemporary energy. It opens with a classic bouquet of dark fruits, sweet tobacco, leather and toasty oak. The palate echoes this richness with a velvety, plush texture that retains a taut, structured core, finishing with focused tannins and fresh acidity. Between the effortless nature of the vintage and the recent stylistic refinements shown in this wine, this should develop beautifully past its 10th birthday.
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Wine Enthusiast
Coming from Alto Jahuel in Maipo Valley, this Cabernet offers delicate notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and tobacco. Excellent acidity provides vibrancy to the palate, where dark fruit, herbs and smoky notes mingle with patisserie spices. Delicious now, it has good aging potential. Drink now through 2035.
Cellar Selection -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real is the winery's flagship wine from its flagship variety, considered the grand vin of Santa Rita, and is sourced from a specific section of the vineyard. Entirely varietal, from massal selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is fermented in stainless steel and concrete. Founded on a beautiful tannin structure, it is elegant and supple, with classic elements of cassis, thyme, and cedar, with just a touch of oak baking spice on the finish. Drink now through 2041.
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.