Winemaker Notes
This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from vineyards that grow near the foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Maipo Valley. The rocky soils are alluvial in origin, poor nutrients, and highly permeable due to the abundance of gravel in the subsoil. This limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon features black fruit aromas, highly concentrated flavors, firm tannins and a smooth texture.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Winemaker Marcelo Papa picked this very early in 2020, from March 15. Dried strawberries, tamarind, licorice spices and some white pepper. Slightly saline on the palate with a savory, almost dried meat edge to the nicely chewy tannins. Spicy and pretty long.
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Wine & Spirits
Pipe-tobacco scents lend their sweetness to the spicy fruit of this cabernet, buzzy with herbal energy, dried cranberry and bitter chocolate notes. The tannins are a little chewy in the end, needing a steak.
Founded in 1883, Vina Concha y Toro is Latin America's leading producer and occupies an outstanding position among the world’s most important wine companies, currently exporting to 135 countries worldwide. Uniquely, it owns around 9,500 hectares of prime vineyards, which allows the company to secure the highest quality grapes for its wine production. Concha y Toro's portfolio includes a wide range of successful brands at every price point, from the top of the range Don Melchor and Almaviva to the flagship brand Casillero del Diablo and innovative stand-alone brands such as Palo Alto and Maycas del Limarí. The company has 3,162 employees and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.