Viña Santa Rita

About Viña Santa Rita

Viña Santa Rita is one of the oldest wineries with the longest winemaking tradition in Chile. Founded in 1880 and located 45 minutes away from Santiago de Chile, in the heart of the Maipo Valley, an area recognized worldwide by its Cabernet Sauvignon quality. The winery has more than 3,000 hectares in Buin and a characteristic landscape of our country’s central zone. The exclusive and private environment that surrounds the hotel highlights a 40-hectare park declared historic monument with hundred-year-old trees, lagoons, black-necked swans, Roman baths, boxwood labyrinths and sculptures.
The winery offers eight kinds of tours to suit different tastes, from the most classical one to tours that include a walk through the park, a carriage ride or even the experience of being a winemaker for a day.
Santa Rita has been linked to the history of Chile from different events; especially in the Independence process for the battle of Cancha Rayada, when 120 patriots sought refuge in the house of Paula Jaraquemada, where the Doña Paula restaurant is located today. It was in honor of those 120 patriots that the well-known 120 brand was made. Another important event occurred 70 years later, when the founder’s daughter, María Luisa Fernández Concha Bascuñán, married Vicente García Huidobro in the Chapel by our Hotel Casa Real.
The company has a comprehensive sustainability program that addresses the entire winemaking chain, from the vineyards to the consumer, with a special focus on the social aspect, considering initiatives for its collaborators along with their families and communities. Santa Rita received the "Ethical Company of the Year" award at the Drinks Business Green Awards 2015, and obtained the Honorable Mention in the same category in 2019.
Among the most outstanding awards are: “Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits, and “Wine Legend” for the icon wine Casa Real Reserva Especial 1989 –handed by Decanter- positioning our winery as the first in South America to receive this award.
Limarí Valley
The Limarí Valley is located 300 kilometers north of Santiago. It is characterized by a dry climate, coastal breeze, abundant sunlight and rich soil, which combine to create the ideal conditions for the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah

Representative Biography

Sebastián Labbé, Winemaker

Representing Viña Santa Rita at i4C23 is José Thomas Cancino
José Tomas´ journey in the wine industry began at an early age, when wine was part of each family gathering in Santa Cruz, Colchagua Valley. After all, his grandfather and now his uncles have been growing grapes since the 1950´s. Although he didn’t have the age to drink, his family always made sure that everyone were able to taste and get involved with wines and farming.
His first jobs didn’t take José into the wine industry; however, in 2014 an opportunity came that allowed him to start his path. In early 2015, Jose had the chance to move to Asia to promote Chilean wine sales in South East Asia and the Middle East, where he was able to immerse himself in different cultures and diverse wine origins.
In 2018, José visited the vineyards of Limari and got amazed by the contrast of the terroir and the expression of the wines “a unique place where you have the dessert on one hand, and the Pacific on the other very close to each other, where Chardonnays stand out due its mineral and citrus profile”.
José always wanted to get more knowledge about the Canadian market that is why after 5+ years traveling the diverse countries in Asia, he is now promoting Santa Rita Estate´s wine portfolio in Canada.




Sebastián Labbé, Winemaker
Sebastián was born in Chile. Since his youth, he has been in love with oenology and sports, mainly surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding and cycling. His great desire to explore the world led him to live in New Zealand, where he studied Viticulture and Enology at Lincoln University. After graduation he worked as an assistant winemaker at Tyrrell’s Wines in Australia and at Margrain Vineyard, a boutique winery in
Martinborough, New Zealand, focused on the production of white wines and Pinot Noir.
Sebastián joined Viña Carmen in 2005 as Chief Winemaker, where he continued to perfect the company’s Premium wines, focused on producing wines with their own identity and capturing the essence of their terroir. Among the lines led by Sebastián at Carmen were Wave Series, IIII Lustros —created to commemorate 20 years since the rediscovery of Carmenere in Carmen’s vineyards— and Carmen DO, currently one of the most emblematic lines of the winery and the result of an intensive quest to return to the origins of winemaking. During this time, Viña Carmen was named “2016 Revelation Winery” by the
Descorchados guide published by Chilean wine journalist, Patricio Tapia, and named “Winery of the Year” several times by Wine & Spirits.

In early 2017, Sebastián took on a new role, Winemaker for the Ultra-Premium Segment of Viña Santa Rita, where he has done an outstanding job with different lines of wine, in charge of Medalla Real, Floresta, Triple C, Pewën de Apalta and Santa Rita’s icon wine, Casa Real Reserva Especial.
By the end of 2019, Sebastián was recognized as “Revelation Winemaker of the Year” by Descorchados 2020 wine guide, where Patricio Tapia highlighted “Since his arrival at Santa Rita, in 2017, he has provoked a small revolution with risky wines, at the limit”.
Today, Sebastián is convinced that Chile’s winds, waves and soils are among the best in the world.

About Teresita Ovalle
Born in Santiago, Chile, and raised in a family of agriculturists and winegrowers, Teresita grew up surrounded by nature, vineyards and the entire winemaking process. From an early age, this became a passion, which led her to study Viticulture and Enology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Upon graduation, she decided to travel to Europe searching for different terroirs and ways to craft wines, beginning her trip at Alberto Antonini winery, in Toscana, Italy. Her second trip led her to France, where she worked at Le vins de Vienne in the Rhone Valley, and at Paul Preiur in Sancerre. These experiences had an impact in her appreciation of wine, especially in the relevance of maintaining the grape’s identity.
After her return to Chile, in 2015 she joined Viña Carmen as Assistant Winemaker, where she could combine what she learned in Europe with her own creativity and innovation. From here, she was part of the team that developed the successful line Carmen DO.
In early 2017, she took over as Assistant Winemaker for Viña Santa Rita, working with Sebastián Labbé. The following year, she travelled to France for an internship at Chateau Lafite, to specialize in Cabernet Sauvignon and thus contributing to the development of the tremendous potential of the Maipo Valley and Alto Jahuel in this variety. Since then, Teresita has focused on the Ultra Premium wines, such as the Medalla Real Gran Reserva and Floresta lines, together with supporting the elaboration of Triple C, Pewën de Apalta, Bougainville and Casa Real, deepening the knowledge of Santa Rita’s diverse terroirs.

Why We're Cool

FLORESTA
Our Floresta line defines itself for having minimum oenological intervention and a great sense of origin. It stands out for its viticultural innovation and a continuous search to explore new terroirs.
Recently a change of image was carried out to enhance its source of inspiration: the aerial sight of Doña Paula Garden's labyrinth made up of boxwood, centenary trees and flowers.
Its range includes the following varieties: Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Chardonnay and Field Blend Blanco.
The Chardonnay grapes for our flagship Medalla Real Gran Reserva tier of wines are cultivated in vineyards situated in the picturesque Limarí valley. The region's cool climate is uniquely influenced by the Coastal Mountains and the nearby Pacific Ocean, which is just 28 km away. Cool ocean breezes combined with morning fog provide ideal conditions for the grapes to grow, as the fogs dissipate by midday, allowing the temperature to increase to optimal levels. Additionally, the sea's cooling influence can be seen in the elevated evening temperatures, which only reach a comfortable 20ºC during January, the warmest month of the year.

Medalla Real Gran Reserva Chardonnay
This 100% Chardonnay displays a vibrant, golden-yellow colour in the glass. Its intense and complex bouquet features mineral notes with hints of light citrus, nectarines, and a subtle floral essence. On the palate, this wine impresses with a refreshing acidity that perfectly balances the wine's fruity flavours, imparting a lovely weight, silky texture, and impressive depth.

Floresta Chardonnay
The soils are typical of the second Limari Valley terrace and consist of alluvial deposits with a first stratum of clay texture and a second of clay-loam with stones.
The grapes were hand harvested and transferred to the winery during the night. This ensures a natural temperature drop for processing 10-12° C.
Floresta Chardonnay is a bright straw yellow wine. The nose is an elegant wine, austere and dry, dominated by white fruit, flowers, aromas of white peach and pear, with a mineral touch stone