This cool-climate, late-harvest white wine has been named a “Revelation” and “Discovery of the Year.” Fermented in barrels and aged for 18 months on the lees, it offers a unique and surprising expression of the Leyda Valley.

Viña Santa Rita presents Floresta Sauvignon Blanc 2023, the sixth addition to its acclaimed line known for a minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy that seeks to authentically reflect the character of Chile’s unique terroirs. With an innovative and respectful approach to origin, this collection explores the country’s most distinctive corners, offering fresh interpretations of classic grape varieties.

This cool-climate, late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc is crafted from a single hectare planted on granite soils in San Antonio, Leyda Valley—just 12 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. It powerfully expresses its coastal origin, shaped by strong maritime influence and low thermal variation, resulting in a fresh, deep, and elegant wine with aromas of white flowers, passion fruit, and delicate mineral notes.

Unlike most Chilean Sauvignon Blancs, which are typically vinified in stainless steel without oxygen exposure, Floresta Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in French oak barrels and aged for 18 months (two winters) on its lees. This process gives the wine greater body and a uniquely complex aromatic and flavor profile.

“It’s a complex and elegant wine that shows its full potential: aromas of white flowers, gooseberry, and passion fruit, with delicate mineral notes that enrich the palate and extend the sensation through the finish. It’s a wine of great richness and flavor, with silky texture, breadth, concentration, depth, and persistence,” says Teresita Ovalle, Winemaker of the Floresta line, who was recognized in 2024 by La CAV’s Mesa de Cata guide as “Young Winemaker of the Year.” She also highlights that a small percentage of Semillón from old vines further enhances the wine’s depth and balance, contributing tension, weight, and volume.

This wine has already received major accolades. It scored 95 points in the Descorchados guide, where it was named a “Revelation Wine” and ranked among the best white wines in Chile. It also earned 95 points from Tim Atkin, who awarded it the title of “White Wine Discoveries of the Year,” and 92 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, where critic Matthew Luczy described it as “a beautiful expression of coastal Sauvignon Blanc.”

With this new release, Floresta further establishes itself as a collection that interprets classic varieties through a strong sense of place—producing wines that surprise with their identity and expression.