Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2017
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThis, the 'icon' bottling of Concha y Toro, comes from a single 127 hectare vineyard on the northern side of the Maipo River, cooled by the winds running down the Andes, and still reachable via the Pacific Ocean breezes. This is approximately 90% cabernet sauvignon, with splashes of cabernet franc, merlot, and petit verdot. Rich and elegant, with seamless integration of structural wood, ripe black and red fruit, savoury spices, and sunshine. There's an alluring lick of anise, and an easy, natural acidity that drives this long on the palate to a pencil shavings finish. Certainly one for the cellar.Tasted: 12 May 2021Tasted by: Prices:
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2017
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThirty years of Don Melchor seems to have flown by as we watched the Puente Alto, Maipo Valley vineyard literally mature in front of our eyes. Elegance is perhaps the most significant change in this label over the decades. Part of it is winemaking, and part is in the improvements in viticulture. I first encountered this wine back in the early 1990s, and it is easy to see that texture and tannin management is also a factor in its ascension to a top-flight cabernet sauvignon. The nose is fragrant, with a savoury boldo dusting that simmers under the ripe black fruit flecked with spice and subtle hints of vanilla. It is a highly lauded vintage, and the result is an equally impressive cabernet sauvignon. Not quite Bordeaux and not quite Napa strikes a balance that frankly looks little like British Columbia. Best to hold this through the first five years and be prepared to serve it long past a decade of cellaring.Tasted: 21 September 2020Tasted by: Prices:
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