2021 Casa Real Reserva Especial

The cool vintage provided the perfect backdrop for the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real Reserva Especial to highlight its nuances. Aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels, constituting 82% of the aging vessels, this garnet-hued wine offers fruit-forward aromas with notes of currants and herbs, layered atop cedar and cigar undertones. Dry and rich on the palate, the cool growing season contributed to juicy and refined tannins, creating a taut and velvety mouthfeel. An elegant Cabernet, it lingers on the palate with a complex finish. Casa Real undoubtedly stands out amongst the Cabernets that raised the bar in the Chilean wine scene in the 1990s. Planted in 1970 in Alto Jahuel, Maipo Alto, this cuvée has evolved into a much more intricate wine since its inception.

- Joaquín Hidalgo (07/2024)

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.

- Zekun Shuai (03/2021)

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. 2,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.

- A.R.