Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2018
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileThe 2018 vintage was dubbed “one of the greatest vintages” yet to be produced by chief winemaker Enrique Tirado, and the wine does not disappoint. The purity of fruit, a touch bloody, balances the richness of its cool black fruits and unique silky texture. If you are a collector, you need this wine, although not drinking it now will be a tall order. It will cellar easily through 2045. Many in Chile have highly lauded the growing season, and at Puente Alto, it was magical. There was rain when needed, perfect temperatures at flowering and fruit set, and primarily dry summer with fall yielding tiny, rich bunches. The fruit was picked in April and early May, giving meagre yields. Don Melchor comprises numerous parcels of fruit. 181 went into the 2018 blending process, finished with a 91/5/3/1 mix of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot, all aged 15 months in 72 percent new French oak barriques.Tasted: 03 November 2021Tasted by: Prices:
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2018
Puente Alto, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, ChileDon Melchor is the icon wine of Concha y Toro, off a single 127 hectare vineyard on the northern side of the Maipo River, cooled by the winds running down the Andes, as well as inlets of breezes off the Pacific. The warm 2018 yielded a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Rich and elegant, with ample structural wood framework housing black cherry, medicinal cassis, sultry dark cocoa, espresso, flicks of mint and cedar on a full, upright palate. Tannins are ample and grippy but well integrated into the artfully blended fruit, suggesting this polished red can be drunk now (with airtime) but has its best days ahead.Tasted: 02 January 2022Tasted by: Prices:
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