Winemaker Notes
More refined than even the perfect previous vintage. Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet tobacco, and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after.
-
Tasting Panel
The Don Melchor Vineyard lies at the foot of the Andes on the northern bank of the Maipo River, over 2,000 feet above sea level; this wine reflects that dramatic terrain. The velvetlined curtains open with streamlined notes of black coffee before plum and chocolate take center stage with spice and cedar. A magnificent performance featuring kirsch on the finish and cameos by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Don Melchor stands tall as one of the world's top Cabernet Sauvignons, competing well against Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Red Mountain, and other major Cabernet enclaves. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of ripe fruit, dried earth, dust, wild herbs, and oak. Enjoy it with rosemary and garlic-infused roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: March 14, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Spectator
A standout red, offering svelte entry but quickly accelerating to a rich and well-structured state, built around never wavering flavors of black cherry, plum and baking spice, which gain dimension from fresh mineral acidity and subtle loam and bay leaf nuances. Ends with rich, well-integrated and mouthcoating tannins as well as hints of cocoa. Drink now.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There is a little more ripeness in the 2019 Don Melchor, which in warmer years shows notes of ripe plums and is subtly balsamic. The palate is round and powerful, with good balance and nice integration of the oak. As usual, there is a combination of elegance and power, with subtle mintiness and harmony.
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.