Download Complete Production Notes

Heritage and enterprise are hallmarks of Santa Rita, one of Chile’s premier wine estates. Founded in 1880 by Domingo Fernandez in Chile’s Maipo Valley, this historic property was among the first to pioneer plantings of European grape varieties in Chile. In 1980, it was acquired by its late owner, Ricardo Claro, under whom Santa Rita has reaped the rewards of continuous investment, resulting in a period of impressive growth, during which the winery has consolidated its position in the vanguard of Chile’s most successful and innovative estates.

Grapes for Santa Rita’s Medalla Real wines are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness from the estate’s best and oldest vines. Intense fruit and a judicious use of French oak in the Chardonnay result in complex and concentrated wines that are simultaneously elegant and classical in style.

Production Area
Leyda Valley, Chile Cool temperatures in Leyda result from their proximity to Chile’s Pacific coastline, leading to a slow ripening of fruit and subsequent rich concentration of aromas. Experience has shown that these vineyards offer some of the finest terroir in South America for producing white wines.

Grape Varieties
100% Chardonnay

Vinification
The grapes are crushed prior to pressing, and the juice is cold decanted for 12 hours and then racked of the coarse lees for a must with a high level of turbidity. The must is innoculated with selected yeasts and immediately transferred to oak barrels to ferment. Fermentation temperature is only controlled by the room temperature and can reach a high of 68ºF. Once the fermentation is complete, the wine remains in the barrels for 8 months with weekly battonage (lees stirring), twice a week at first and later just once later on. The wine was aged for 8 months in French oak barrels, 25% of which were new. The remaining 75% was aged in a combination of second-, third-, and fourth-use barrels.

Color
Deep, greenish-yellow in color

Bouquet
Intense bouquet that combines mineral notes with light citrus, nectarines, nuts, and a touch of oak.

Taste
The palate stands out for its refreshing acidity that balances nicely with the wine’s fruitiness, good weight, silky texture, and length.

Alcohol
14.7%

Serving Suggestions
Delicious with white meats and poultry, seafood, shellfish, and pastas prepared in seafood sauces.