{"product_id":"concha-y-toro-don-melchor-cabernet-sauvignon-2018-maipo-chile-js-100","title":"Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Maipo, Chile) - [JS 100] [VM 96] [W\u0026S 96] [WS 95] [WA 95] [WE 94]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Winery:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eConcha y Toro’s history begins in 1883 with our founder’s -Melchor Concha y Toro- dream to create the best wines. A tradition persevered over time, inspiring us to work with passion and excellence in our brands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConcha y Toro is today the most admired wine brand in the world. Our wines deliver rewarding and unique experiences to our consumers around the world. We are present in over 130 countries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Vineyard:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePuente Alto is a privileged terroir, determined by the singular combination of soil, climate conditions, the vineyard, and a delicate human touch to craft vintages that are a faithful expression of this special place. Located at the foot of the Andes, 650 metres above sea level, the Don Melchor winery is set on the north bank of the Maipo River and has long been a keystone in the history of Chilean wine. Ever since French pre-phylloxera vines were imported in the mid-19th Century, this part of the Maipo Valley has been growing in prestige and quality, building on a past rich in tradition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe vineyard today consists of 127 hectares, carefully divided into seven parcels, of which roughly 90 per cent hold Cabernet Sauvignon vines, with 7.1 per cent Cabernet Franc, 1.9 per cent Merlot and the final one 1 per cent growing Petit Verdot grapes. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines average more than 30 years of age and correspond to a selection originally brought over from Bordeaux at the end of the 19th Century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2018 is one of the greatest vintages in the history of Don Melchor. A highly expressive wine, with great personality and complexity. the wine shows lots of expression and complexity of small red fruits, as well as floral notes displayed as a whole. On the palate, the wine is full of flavor and dominated by elegance and balance, as well as a great texture of the tannins, with a long, refined finish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRed meats, especially lamb, and wild game: baked, stewed, or prepared with red wine sauces, mushrooms, rosemary and tomatoes. Different terrines and pâtés, like turkey with truffles. Cow and goat cheeses; dry and mature cheeses, or creamy cheeses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eTechnical Data\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVarietal Composition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyard:\u003c\/strong\u003e Don Melchor Vineyard, D.O. Puente Alto, Alto Maipo Valley.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyard Description:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nestled at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the Don Melchor Vineyard is located along the north bank of the Maipo River, at an altitude of 650 m.a.s.l. It is composed of 127 hectares: 90% dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon; 7.1% to Cabernet Franc, 1.9% to Merlot, and 1% to Petit Verdot. To date, the vineyard's vines are over 30 years old on average.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e By hand. Between March 20 and May 11, 2018. The vineyard yielded 5.0 tons\/ha.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinification:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe alcoholic fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks for 10 days at 25 to 26°C and is pumped over 4 to 6 times a day. Once the fermentation is complete, the tank is hermetically sealed for an 8-day maceration at 23 to 25°C, for a greater extraction and smoother tannins. At the end of the maceration period, each tank is devatted, tasted and selected by the Don Melchor vineyard and winemaking team. Then, all of the wines are tasted and selected for the final blend, which is later transferred to the barrels. aging 15 months in French oak barrels, (72% new, 28% second-use)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAging Potential:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over 35 years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eRatings \u0026amp; Reviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e100 Points \u0026amp; #1 of Best Wines of Chile 2020 - James Suckling:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is amazing. The vibrancy and energy in this wine is stunning. The complexity of aromas are breathtaking with flowers, blackcurrants, raspberries and peaches. Full-bodied, yet ever so refined and polished with impeccable texture and beauty. The length is marvelous. This is a testimony to balance, harmony and transparency in a great red. Drink after 2023.\" (Jan 2021)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - Vinous Media:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor is a combination of a proven style – the blend also includes 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot – and a particularly good harvest in the Puente Alto region in Maipo. Made by Enrique Tirado and aged for 15 months in French barrels, it is garnet red in the glass, with a very complex expression that unfolds in layers, beginning with black currant and sour cherry notes, followed by mint, cedar and pepper and a faint whiff of red pepper. Juicy in the mouth with fine-grained tannins and a concentration that centers the wine, channeling and stretching out the fruity backdrop, this is an unusually harmonious and delicious Bordeaux blend.\" - Joaquin Hidalgo (May 2021)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - Wine \u0026amp; Spirits:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Long produced from its own 314-acre vineyard, a prime site on the third alluvial terrace above the north bank of the Maipo River, Don Melchor is now established in its own estate winery. Enrique Tirado, who started making Don Melchor in 1997, considers the 2018 season one of the most vine-friendly he has worked, with plenty of rain in winter, optimal weather during flowering, no heat spikes in summer and cool nights through harvest. The fruit of the vines shows the freshness of the season, as well as the ripeness, allowing Tirado and consultant Eric Boissenot to include both early ripening merlot and late-ripening petit verdot in this 2018 (in most years, they limit the blend to cabernets sauvignon and franc). The purity of that fruit is completely Andean—neither green nor dimpled, but precisely tuned in both the flavor and texture of its tannins. The wine has a quiet, gracious power, reflecting its Chilean character (there’s nothing either bold or austere about it; this is a wine of a place, without cabernet preconceptions). Its black currant and tart red cherry flavors have the crunch of walking through Andean snow, even as the sunniness of the fruit is cool, not at all cold, leaving a gracious impression. Great Andean cabernet has the capacity to age and develop for decades. If you’ve never invested in Chilean wine, this is the place to start.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 Points - Wine Spectator:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Powerful and well-structured, with vibrant acidity backing a lively blend of dark fruit and fresh-crushed cooking spice flavors. Cedary and savory notes in the midpalate, with a long finish filled with underbrush accents. Drink now through 2027. 14,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.\" - KM (May 2021)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 Points - Wine Advocate:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I tasted two vintages of the top Cabernet Sauvignon, and even if the two years were quite different, the wines showed very good regularity. My preference was for the 2018 Don Melchor, from a cooler and rainier vintage that produced a very complete and balanced wine with the aid of 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. It has power and finesse, integrated 14% alcohol and a classical profile with the ingredients to develop nicely in bottle. It's tasty and has polished tannins. 156,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2019 and early January 2020.\" – Luis Gutierrez (Aug 2021)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 Points \u0026amp; Editor's Choice - Wine Enthusiast:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Smooth aromas of leather, cassis and plum come with a side note of savory grilled beef. This is a deeply built Cabernet from an excellent vintage. Blackberry and cassis flavors are supported by a dash of peppery spice, while this is lightly toasted on a long finish. Drink from 2022–2028.\" – Michael Schachner (Apr 2022)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"YOUNGS MARKET","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":40664100470943,"sku":"","price":264.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0481\/8940\/7391\/products\/DonMelchor2018.png?v=1627416255","url":"https:\/\/artisan.wine\/products\/concha-y-toro-don-melchor-cabernet-sauvignon-2018-maipo-chile-js-100","provider":"Artisan W\u0026S","version":"1.0","type":"link"}