Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Puente Alto Vineyard in the Maipo Valley has the perfect combination of climate and soils for producing world-class wine: the climate is ideal and predictable, and the soil is poor and gravelly to reduce yields and increase concentration naturally. After fermentation, the wine is matured in the finest French oak barriques for a year, followed by another year in the bottle before release. The result is a rich, full-bodied wine with an unmistakable minty character in the bouquet and the finish. Drink with the finest roasts, and strong cheeses.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Gorgeous nose of black currant preserves and freshly roasted coffee, with a powerful yet very silky palate of cassis, plum, blackberry, loam, mineral and dark chocolate flavors that glide through a superlong finish. Don't be deceived by its seeming accessibility though--there's some iron-clad structure underneath for the long haul as well.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon remains youthful. It has a spicy, pain grille accented nose with plenty of mineral, cassis, and black currant making their presence known. The wine is medium to full-bodied in an elegant St.-Julien style. This layered, lengthy effort will continue to develop for another 6-8 years and drink well through 2027.
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
James - Vinous
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Panel
Tasting -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Panel
Tasting -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Wong
Wilfred -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
Don Melchor, named after Concha Y Toro’s founder, is among Chile’s most-acclaimed wines and a Cabernet that belongs in every conversation about world-class interpretations of this singular varietal. Winemaker Enrique Tirado says of his vision for the wine, “Don Melchor’s style, complexity, and elegance are the extension of the perfect balance between the rocky soils in Puente Alto, the cold winds that slide down from the Andes Mountains, the generous climate of the Maipo Valley, the number of years the vines have taken to yield their best grapes, and the meticulous and caring work of the human hand.”
The signature wine from the exquisitely tended Puente Alto vineyard, Don Melchor celebrates its 30th vintage with the 2016 release. Set at the foot of the Andes Mountains on the northern banks of the Maipo River in the Upper Maipo Valley, 650 meters above sea level, the vineyard dates back to the mid-19th century, when the first pre-phylloxera French varieties were brought to Chile. Today, the vineyard consists of 127 hectares, divided into seven parcels, 90% of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.1% are Cabernet Franc, 1.9% are Merlot, and 1% are Petit Verdot. Each parcel has been subdivided in order for very specific, detailed work that responds to the particular needs of each plant, row by row, to achieve the perfect balance with the weather characteristics of each year. Average vine age is over 30 years.
Every year, Winemaker Enrique Tirado travels to the small town of Lamarque, Bordeaux, France, to meet with renowned Bordeaux consultant Eric Boissenot, to taste approximately 150 lots from the vineyard and determine which lots, and in which proportions, will go into the new vintage of Don Melchor. Once the final blend has been defined, the new vintage of Don Melchor is transferred to French oak barrels from the Allier, Tronçois, and Nevers forests. Nearly two-thirds of the barrels are new, and the remaining third have had one prior use. After 14–15 months, the wine is bottled and aged for another year to develop the complexity and elegance that Don Melchor is known for.