Concha y Toro Don Melchor 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

#1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

"This deep purple-coloured wine is aromatically very expressive, complex and intense with red fruit and berry aromas and floral notes of violets. It fills the mouth, displaying depth throughout, with a smooth entry, great energy and breadth and a long, expressive finish. With its elegant mouthfeel, this wine showcases harmony, depth and elegance."

Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot

From the Winemaker:

For more than 20 years, Winemaker Enrique Tirado has carved a path as one of the most influential figures in Chilean winemaking, leading Don Melchor to new heights of excellence and prestige. His passion and commitment have propelled Don Melchor to the world stage, garnering recognition as the first Chilean icon wine and creating a reference for Cabernet Sauvignon worldwide. Enrique seamlessly blends seven distinct parcels from Don Melchor Vineyard to craft a singular expression of an unparalleled place, nestled beneath the majestic Andes Mountains.

Resting at the foot of the Andes Mountain Range and soaring 2,100 feet above sea level on the north bank of the Maipo River, Don Melchor Vineyard is the apex of luxury winegrowing in Chile. Cabernet Sauvignon vines, which account for more than 90 percent of the vineyard’s acreage, trace their origins to the first vines imported from Bordeaux in the late 19th Century. The vineyard is divided into seven parcels, each with its own combination of soil, organic matter and sun exposure, creating a singular wine from an extraordinary place.

99 Points James Suckling

"Ashy graphite, cassis, iron, blackberries and a hint of cigar box and chocolate. Lots of violets, too. Rich and intense with a full-bodied palate. Showing density and very fine but structured tannins. Long and intense finish with lots of flavors. 93% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc and 3% merlot. One of the best over the last few years. Drinkable now, but will fledge and hold very well in the next 20 years."

97 Points Vinous

"The 2021 Don Melchor is dark garnet red in the glass. The restrained nose offers pure fruity notes such as blackcurrant with hints of leaves and black tea, refined woody aromas, and gentle touches of plum and red bell pepper. In the mouth, it’s intense with mild juiciness and rounded tannins. The taut palate gradually grows more profound as it develops cedar flavors at the back of the throat before the long, rewarding finish. A wine that is more suggestive than explicit as it slowly envelops you in its different layers. The added freshness brings out the clarity of the fruity flavors."

96 Points Wine Spectator

"A remarkable effort that channels the finesse of the vintage with rich, muscular edges, offering a base of graphite and cassis notes that gather around elegant layers of dried rosemary and white pepper. The richly textured core of raspberry and plum flavors show precision and just enough acidity to keep things sailing onto the finish around well-integrated tannins and touches of cocoa. Best from 2026 through 2040."

94 Points Decanter

"Combining older vines (planted 1979) with new vines from their acclaimed Puente Alto vineyard, this Cabernet Sauvignon blend with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Merlot shows great balance and persistence in this stellar vintage. Long and fine, the nose is redolent of red bramble fruit, forest floor, cedar, exotic spice and a touch of mint."