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B-21 Top Recommendation
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“One of the top Bordeaux blends from outside Bordeaux”
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
Described as a wine “that transcends vintages” by the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez, the iconic 97 pt. 2020 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto reveals engaging aromas of lushly textured fruit with subtle hints of mint and velvety tannins on a polished, lengthy finish, already drinking beautifully with a decade or more of enjoyment ahead and exceptionally bargain priced for fans of Cab-dominated Bordeaux blends seeking a terrific value.
Surrounded by vineyards first planted in the late 19th century, visitors to the Don Melchor winery south of Santiago pass through the arched stone passageways of the estate’s original cellar known as Casillero del Diablo or “Devil’s Locker,” its legendary reputation as being haunted by the devil invented by founder Don Melchor Concha Y Toro to discourage thievery. A benchmark of upper echelon Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of the Don Melchor blend named to honor the founder was from the 1987 vintage, a collaborative project between Vina Concha Y Toro and Bordeaux legend Emile Peynaud and his partner, winemaker Jacques Boissenot and now crafted under the advisement of Jacques’ son, renowned Bordeaux consultant Eric Boisennot. Situated at around 650 meters above sea level on the north bank of the Maipo River, the 127-hectare Don Melchor vineyard in Puente Alto is planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon in a mosaic of poor alluvial soils that naturally restrict yields, comprised of seven primary parcels that are divided into 151 smaller plots, the combination of the warm Valle de Maipo and cooler air descending from the Andes considered the optimal climate for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. After taking samples from Chile to the Medoc for blending with consultant Eric Boissenot, winemaker Enrique Tirado aged the muscular and refined 2020 Don Melchor for 15 months in mostly new French oak barrels, yielding a beautifully balanced blend of fresh ripe fruit and vibrant acidity finishing with “a lush, mouthwatering quality” according to the Wine Spectator’s Aaron Romano, its smooth, integrated tannins predicting a lengthy evolution over the next decades.
Crafted with Bordeaux wine making expertise to reflect its exceptional Puente Alto terroir, the devilishly good 97 pt. 2020 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto delivers the one-two punch of power and elegance that fans of sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon will reach for again and again, earning its place among the world’s top Bordeaux blends and one of the best values around.
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Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024.
97 points, James Suckling (Dec 2022)
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor has a 6% dash of Cabernet Franc along with 1% splashes of Merlot and Petit Verdot from Puente Alto, Maipo, and was aged for 15 months in 71% new French barrels. Vivid garnet red in the glass. The aromatic profile features red fruit such as cherry and black currant along with hints of mint, spice and pepper over secondary aromas from the aging process, including a gentle whiff of cedar. Intense in the mouth, with juicy freshness and young tannins that will integrate better in time. The fruit was especially vivid this year, adding greatly to the nuance and subtle details. This will growth deeper in the bottle.
95 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous (Jun 2022)
Inviting aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, dried rose petal and petrichor set the stage for this well-structured red, which balances concentrated berry and mission fig flavors against vibrant acidity, lending a lush, mouthwatering quality to a finish that swirls with cassis, spices and fine tannins. Drink now through 2038. 14,600 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.
95 points, Aaron Romano, Wine Spectator (Apr 2023)
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