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Baltazar Sanchez
Chairman Vina Santa Rita – Casa Real
Presentation
Gerda : Could you be so kind to tell a few words about yourself?
Baltazar Sanchez: I studied Business at the Catholic University of Chile, Santiago. At the age of 23, I joined Grupo Claro, specifically Elecmetal, foundry group’s parent company. A couple of years later, I was part of the team that conducted the analysis for the acquisition of Viña Santa Rita. In 1980, when Grupo Claro finalized the purchase of Santa Rita, I took on the role of CEO of the winery, a position I held for 3 years. In 1985, I moved to other big group in Chile as CEO until 1990. That same year, I returned to Grupo Claro as a member of the boards of various companies, serving in roles such as Vice President and Chairman up to the present day, during this period I dedicated most of the time to the wine industry not only for duty but also for passion.
Currently, I have over 40 years of experience at Santa Rita, a company deeply rooted in my heart. I have witnessed first-hand its growth, consolidation, challenges, and ups and downs; four decades of passion and hard work. My love for wine also led me to develop a vineyard in the southern island of Chiloe in Chile.
G: What are the main challenges, in the practice of your work?
BS: The main challenges I face include establishing a clear direction for the vineyard’s future, providing guidelines, and building a cohesive team with the best talents to achieve our objectives. It is crucial to promote a long-term approach with balanced commercial, environmental, social, financial, and governance strategies at all times. It is also essential to continually update the strategy without losing our essence and style. Perpetuating Santa Rita’s essence through innovation and future projection represents a significant challenge. Maintaining the spirit of Santa Rita and ensuring that teams identify with it is fundamental, as what we do is produce wine—a task we undertake together as part of the vineyard. We have the mission to convey our essence to our consumers. To achieve this, it is crucial to provide the necessary financial resources for investments in vineyards, plantations, and commercial projects. Lastly, the selection of strategic partners in various areas, especially in wine production and marketing, is of vital importance.
The brand Casa Real today and tomorrow
G : What positioning (s) do you want for Casa Real?
BS: Undoubtedly, our vision is to be global benchmarks in the world of fine wine, maintaining our position as one of the leading producers of fine wines in South America. Our wines always strive for consistency in quality, from caring for our ancient vineyards to selecting new plots with quality potential, prepared for over 10 years in a unique location renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties in Alto Jahuel. Additionally, our winemaker, Sebastián Labbé, embodies the essence of Santa Rita, capturing the experience of the past, current learning, and the virtues of a unique terroir in crafting our flagship wine, Casa Real. This pursuit of excellence leads us to incorporate world-renowned experts like Eric Boissenot, who contextualizes global expertise to our terroir. In the spirit of transcending, we have restored, protected, and showcased our architectural heritage, becoming leaders in wine tourism through a unique experience that blends wine, history, culture, nature, and gastronomy. One of our treasures is Hotel Casa Real, a heritage manor house from 1880 that served as the summer residence of the winery’s founder, restored in 1985 by Ricardo Claro, transforming it into a boutique hotel and being the house of our Casa Real as it is reflected in the label of our wine with the engrave of the manor house in 1880. Now the house has been restored and project to the future with a combination of tradition and sophistication. This exclusive 16-room hotel is nestled within the centennial park of Santa Rita, adjacent to the original cellars, forming a heritage complex declared a Historic Monument in 1972 and recognized as one of the most beautiful in the central region of the country.
Santa Rita is like a wine village with its manor house, its park, its old cellar, the rest of the old building (now restored as restaurant, coffees, wine shop). Something especial that complement this cultural experience is the Andean Museum, part of the Claro Vial Foundation and sibling to Santiago’s Pre-Columbian Museum. With a collection of 3,000 archaeological and ethnographic pieces from pre-Columbian peoples, this museum offers free access to visitors.
Santa Rita offers sophisticated and contemporary tours of wine history and culture, blending tradition and innovation through various tourist circuits. Visitors can enjoy wine tastings, carriage rides, and discover the history of the Carménère rediscovery, a milestone in these lands nearly 30 years ago. Additionally, for gastronomy enthusiasts, Restaurant Doña Paula, a heritage building from 1760, offers dishes inspired by Chilean tradition accompanied by outstanding wines.
As with our wine and the need to project it to future generation, we have been promoting local development based in the values of the territory, his history, traditions and culture. Because of the approach we have been honoured with awards oriented to sustainability and social projects. In 2023, it received the award for Best Contribution to Global Tourism from The Drinks Business. The Global Wine Tourism Organization recognized it as the Best Responsible Wine Tourism Experience globally and has also been chosen as the “Best Wine Tourism Experience” in Chile at the Chile Wine Tourism Awards, main award in Chile. Additionally, Hotel Casa Real has been recognized as one of the top seven resorts in South America by Condé Nast and one of the 40 best in the world and 2nd in South America by Travel + Leisure.
G: How Casa Real stands out and is unique?
BS: Casa Real stands out and is unique due to its commitment to excellence and its origins in one of the best regions in Chile, and the world, for Cabernet Sauvignon: the Maipo Valley. The oenological challenge was to create a wine that could compete with the world’s best, achieving a new level of precision and prestige. This vision led to the creation of Casa Real Reserva Especial over 30 years ago and culminated in 2021 with its inclusion in La Place de Bordeaux, the most exclusive fine wine distribution network in the world. Casa Real Reserva Especial is the iconic wine of Viña Santa Rita, born from the romantic heritage of the 19th century and the ambitions of the modern wine world. Since 1989, all its vintages have come from parcels in Alto Jahuel, Maipo Valley, located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains and cultivated under sustainable practices. This special old vineyard is managed using the latest precision viticulture techniques and is composed of ancient alluvial deposits from the Maipo River.
In this way, this wine is the result of a perfect combination: the exceptional terroir of Alto Jahuel, the nobility of Cabernet Sauvignon, and great oenological expertise.
G : Which of your recent achievements would you like to share with the customers?
BS: Casa Real 2021 has recently received 97 points from Vinous, in addition to the 96 points awarded by Tim Atkin and the 95 points from James Suckling and Wine Spectator. The latter is one of the highest scores ever awarded to a Chilean wine in that publication.
Among the most significant recognitions this wine has received throughout its history is the Wine Legend title for the 1989 vintage, awarded by Decanter. This accolade, received in 2013, was a milestone in positioning Casa Real and Chilean wine among the best in the world.
G : What future projects are you currently working on? (Technical, marketing, or commercial)
BS: Casa Real comes from a massal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Carneros Viejos and Población blocks, which together total 20 hectares. Over time, these vineyards matured and aged, and in some cases, their yield even declined. This led us to initiate the WiSe project in 2015, an ambitious replanting program. We have patiently waited for the vineyards to evolve, gradually incorporating some of these new plantings each year, until we have been able to select the best among a total of 120 hectares.
Thus, looking ahead, we plan to select a few hectares of the highest quality for Casa Real in the coming years, which will enable us to enhance both the quantity and quality of Casa Real Reserva Especial. In this endeavor, we have collaborated with ENTAV to ensure the quality and traceability of the genetic material being propagated in our vineyards, making us the only winery in South America with this type of agreement.
From a commercial standpoint, we have aimed to position Casa Real among the world’s best fine wines within the La Place distribution network. To achieve this, we work with negotiants and have established a very close relationship, we work with them to promote and devolop PR actions, just as we do with our great partner Roland Coiffe. In the case of Latin America, where we have experience and it is our local market so we handle distribution with importers and are also developing a positioning and sales strategy with them, always in the high price segment.
Rather than focusing on marketing, for wines of this nature we concentrate on developing a PR plan aimed at the targets three mail targets : wine writers or key opinion leadears (KOL), consumers and important clients, and key restaurants and wine stores. For Key Opinion Leaders, we organize events, one-on-one meetings, vertical tastings, and exploratory comparative tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon from the best terroirs in the world and tasting one by one.
For end consumers and wine collectors, we host wine dinners and especial events toghether with sending samples. For restaurants and wine stores, we implement an annual program to add new -embassies in the main cities around the world. This includes listing our wine on their menus, training technical staff, planning activations, and organizing events and wine dinners at these establishments, which serve as brand ambassadors.
G : How far is Santa Rita in the green transition?
BS: As I mentioned, one of my main challenges is to preserve our wines, our heritage, and our future project. This long-term vision cannot be achieved without a broader vision of sustainability, which not only considers environmental aspects and respects the environment but also promotes social equity and economic viability. Therefore, more than a transition towards green practices, we are charting a path towards sustainability. The environmental or ‘green’ component is extensive, addressing concerns such as water use, energy efficiency to reduce our carbon footprint, waste management, and biodiversity preservation.
Currently, 99% of our vineyards use drip irrigation technology with 90% water use efficiency. We employ advanced technologies to precisely determine the amount and method of irrigation, optimizing our water resource usage. Additionally, we practice sustainable agriculture to conserve biodiversity and soil health. We joined to Science Based Target (SBT) initiative to voluntary committee to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our carbon food print in 30% for 2033. Currently, 45% of our electricity consumption comes from renewable energies as part of our efforts in energy efficiency.
In addition to environmental aspects, we also prioritize the social dimension, both within our organization and in our neighbouring communities. We have been focusing in local development with the community through educational projects, specifically in Territorial Valorization projects, involving 800 students since 2013 and focusing in teaching about the local values in order to be proud and appreciate the local territory, traditions, and the importance of biodiversity conservation with this we can promote local entrepreneurship.
Additionally, since 2017, we have celebrated Wine Day and Heritage Day, day where the winery is open for free to the community, receiving over 5,000 visitors on each of these days and inviting between 30 and 40 local entrepreneurs and artisans to exhibit and market their products within our facilities.
Annually, since 2013, we have also organized the Santa Rita Season Concert Cycle, featuring classical music concerts, one per season, with more than 6,800 students participating. Over the past 11 years, we have hosted 68 concerts at the Casa Real Chapel, featuring renowned musicians in classical and early music such as: Jordi Savall, Philipe Jaourouskky, Magdalena Kozena, Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante, Gewandhause Quartet, Borodin Quartet, among others.
The Trade
G: What are your priorities in terms of business development?
BS: We have a 10-year plan, with the objective of selling 10,000 cases by 2030. To achieve this goal, we have implemented various initiatives that focus on our raw materials. As I mentioned before, Casa Real comes from a massal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Carneros Viejos plots, planted in the early 1970s, and Población plots in the early 1980s. Together, these parcels total almost 20 hectares, which have always been the heart and soul of this wine. Every year, we seek out the best grapes to consistently produce our Casa Real. Over time, these vineyards have matured and aged. In some cases, they have even reduced their yield, prompting us to initiate the WiSe project in 2015, an ambitious replanting program. We have patiently awaited the evolution of the vineyards. This year, we plan to incorporate some of these new plantations and continue each year until we select the best, within a total of 120 hectares
We have conducted intense work identifying gravel sectors with high qualitative potential and cleaning up the vegetal material, thereby shaping the future of our flagship wine.
G: Why did you choose to sell through La Place de Bordeaux?
BS: It is the realization of a dream. Over 40 years ago, in the course of the history of a winery with a 140-year trajectory in South America, we set ourselves the winemaking challenge of creating a Cabernet Sauvignon that would be a true ambassador of the best region in Chile for this variety, the Maipo Valley. Our main objective was for this wine to compete with the best in the world and elevate us to a new level of precision and prestige. This was the original concept behind the creation of Casa Real Reserva Especial in 1989, and precisely this shared vision led us to achieve the historic milestone in 2021 of entering La Place de Bordeaux, the world’s most exclusive fine wine distribution network.
Over the years, Casa Real has been recognized worldwide for its quality, consistency, and trajectory, earning a series of awards, such as being highlighted by Decanter in 2013 as the first Wine Legend of South America for its 1989 vintage, naming it “one of the best Cabernet Sauvignons from Chile”. The title of legend is reserved only for the world’s best wines, thus positioning Casa Real and Chile in the top ranks of international wine.
In this way, we entered La Place with Casa Real Reserva Especial 2018, one year before to have the 30 anniversary and with a vintage that reflects the maximum expression of this exceptional terroir and gives life to a wine of excellent tension, complexity, and elegance. The definition and purity of the fruit, the persistent fine-grained tannins, and the aging in French oak barrels combine in perfect balance, while the concentration, richness of flavors, and overall precision promise great aging potential.
The Wine Casa Real 2021
G: Can you say a few words on the 2021 vintage?
BS: The 2021 harvest in Alto Jahuel has been one of the greatest vintages of the last decades. A fantastic year that enable us to reflect the strong character of this place, with wines that are complex and sophisticated with a unique personality. A very precise vineyard management created elegant and pure wines, maintaining the vibrancy and depth given by the Andes Mountains influence.
Our Casa Real 2021 is a testament to the remarkable quality of this vintage. It boasts an intense, deep ruby red color and offers pure aromas of ripe currants, cherries, graphite, and subtle spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is creamy and concentrated, with polished tannins that enhance its texture and length. It is long and complex, featuring refined tannins and a persistent, pure finish. This vintage can be enjoyed now or aged in the cellar for 20 years or more, showcasing its enduring potential.
Gerda BEZIADE has an incredible passion for wine, and possesses a perfect knowledge of Bordeaux acquired within prestigious wine merchants for 25 years. Gerda joins Roland Coiffe & Associés in order to bring you, through “Inside La PLACE” more information about the estate we sell.