As part of their visit to Chile to select the country’s finest wines for their Chile Wines of the Year guide, renowned British wine critics Peter Richards MW and Susie Barrie MW met with Sebastián Labbé, head winemaker of the iconic wine, to taste its 1995, 2021, and 2022 vintages.

Over the past 25 years, Peter Richards and Susie Barrie, the British Master of Wine married couple, have frequently traveled to Chile to explore the diversity and quality offered by its wine regions. However, it was only last year that they launched the inaugural edition of “Chile Wines of the Year”, a guide dedicated to showcasing the best wines the country has to offer.

For the 2025 edition, and after a long time away from Viña Santa Rita, the critics returned to Alto Jahuel to experience a vertical tasting of Casa Real Reserva Especial. Together with Sebastián Labbé, they explored the terroir, heritage, and legacy of this emblematic Cabernet Sauvignon through three vintages that reflect its remarkable evolution over time: 1995, 2021 and 2022.

Richards and Barrie aim to present a representative selection of Chile’s most exciting and outstanding wines, encompassing a wide range of varieties, styles, regions, and price points. Their mission is to highlight the diversity and richness of Chile as a world-class wine-producing country.

Casa Real Reserva Especial is the result of a perfect combination: the exceptional terroir of Alto Jahuel, the nobility of Cabernet Sauvignon and great winemaking experience, making it the pride of our national wine industry.