Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Introduction

Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is an iconic red wine from Chile, produced in the Maipo Valley. Specifically, it originates from the highly prestigious Puente Alto appellation, located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains on the north bank of the Maipo River. The history of the wine is linked to Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro, who first planted Bordeaux grape varieties in the Maipo Valley in 1883. Don Melchor was first released in 1987 with the goal of creating a world-class wine that could compete in the premium category and showcase the quality of Chilean winemaking. Winemaker and CEO Enrique Tirado views the wine as an 'obsession' and a 'constant search for the best expression' of the Puente Alto terroir in each vintage.

Wine Description

The Don Melchor 2020 has a deep violet colour and is intense. It presents a great aromatic complexity of red fruits alongside floral notes of violets and roses. Reviewers also find notes of black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat, and a hint of black chocolate. Additional aromatic layers include blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco, Spanish-cedar character, sappy herbs, eucalyptus, gravel, and graphite.

On the palate, it is described as a direct, tasty, and full-bodied wine. It has a soft spell of roses, superb freshness, and the characteristic elegance and power of Puente Alto. The wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and spent 15 months aging in French oak barrels (71% new and 29% second use). The texture is velvety, plush, and mouthcoating, with a firm yet composed structure. Stylistically, it balances concentrated berry and fig flavours against vibrant acidity, maintaining an elegant, well-structured profile with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate. The wine has a lush body and a very long, persistent finish. The optimal drinking window is now through 2038, with an aging potential of 35+ years.

Accolades

• James Suckling - 97 points

• Wine Spectator - 95 points

• Geoffrey Moss MW - 94 points

Food Pairing

Given the wine's full-bodied and robust nature, it pairs excellently with grilled meat like steak, roast beef, or rack of lamb. It is also well-suited to full-flavoured cheeses.

Vintage Quality

The 2020 growing season in Chile was characterised by high temperatures and very dry conditions, with significantly less rainfall than the historical average for Puente Alto. The average temperature between January and April reached $19.5^{\circ}$C, which was higher than the historical $18^{\circ}$C for the ripening period. This led to an earlier harvest, which took place in March. Despite these warm, early-season conditions, the cold nights during the ripening period were crucial in preserving the intense fruit expression, freshness, and vivacity in the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Winemaker Enrique Tirado noted that the timely harvest of the 2020 vintage enabled the production of wines with excellent quality, very good concentration, and ripeness while maintaining freshness.