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Wine Information
This single vineyard wine is called Casa Real in honor of the noble title granted three centuries ago by the King of Spain to the founding family of Santa Rita. Casa Real is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine that seeks to obtain the maximum expression of the Alto Jahuel terroir.
Location
40 km to the south of Santiago in the piedmont of the Andes.
Surface
1,282 ha
Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.
Climate:
The climate is sub humid Mediterranean. The rains are mainly concentrated in winter with an annual average of 500 mm. Spring is cool and dry, while summers are hot with temperatures reaching over 30C. The influence of the Andes Mountains causes a thermal oscillation of over 15°C between day and night. Temperatures gradually begin to decrease towards the end of summer, thus permitting a gradual ripening of the grapes, and allowing them to maintain the fruit concentration and the proper tannin ripening.
Climate in nutshell:
Semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Cold winter with moderate rains, warm and dry summer. Thermal oscillation which can exceed 20 ºC (68 º F).
Average annual temperature
13,9 ºC (57 ºF).
Average annual rainfall
400 mm.
Soil:
Alluvial soil/ Colluvial soil.
Alluvial type soils with a franc upper layer 80 -100 cm. in depth. A loamy lower layer ensures proper drainage of rain water while allowing deep radicular system growth.
Vinification:
The grapes were hand picked in our Carneros Viejo vineyard, which has spectacular terroir at the foot of the Andes Mountains in the Maipo Alto Valley. The grapes were selected first on the vine and then again on a selection belt in the winery. The grapes underwent a classic fermentation 82o–84oF for 12 days followed by a short, 10-day extended maceration, which allowed the new wine to develop silky, elegant tannins with very high fruit expression. As always, malolactic fermentation took place in new French oak barrels. Aged 15 months in medium-toast French oak barrels (95% new).