Expect blackcurrant, black cherry, graphite, cedar, and a savory dried-herb note with full body, refined tannins, and bright acidity from the cool-climate fruit. The 2021 vintage in Maipo was very good — balanced and structured. The wine is built for long aging.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant (typically with small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot in recent vintages)
- Region
- Chile / Maipo Valley / Puente Alto
- Body
- Full
- Style
- dry red, structured, age-worthy, French oak-aged
The producer
Don Melchor is widely regarded as Chile's most iconic Cabernet Sauvignon. First produced by Concha y Toro in 1987, it became its own dedicated winery brand in 2018. The wine comes from the Puente Alto vineyard at the foot of the Andes — a high-altitude, cool-climate site in Maipo Valley considered Chile's grand cru for Cabernet.
What critics say
Don Melchor consistently receives scores in the mid- to high-90s from major critics including James Suckling, Wine Spectator, and Robert Parker, and is regularly cited among the top wines of South America.
Pairing
Grilled ribeye with chimichurri, lamb chops with rosemary, herb-crusted rack of lamb