Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
(Maipo, Chile) - [F 97] [JS 97] [WRO 96] [VM 95] [WS 95] [WE 93] [WA 93]

About the Winery:
Concha 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.

Concha 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.

About the Vineyard:
Puente 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.

The 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.

Tasting Notes:
Deep purplish-red in color. The wine from this vintage shows an extraordinary elegance with an abundance of fresh red fruit and notes of blackcurrants and owers. On the palate it has an enormous wealth of flavors, with breadth from beginning to end, and plenty of energy in perfect balance with the elegance of the textures and flavors.

Food Pairing:
Red meats, especially lamb, and game meats prepared by di•erent methods—roasted, braised, and with sauces made with red wine, mushrooms, rosemary, and tomatoes. Assorted terrines and pâtés, especially duck with tru•es. Dry and well-aged or creamy cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses.

Technical Data

Varietal Composition: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Vineyard: Don Melchor Vineyard, D.O. Puente Alto, Alto Maipo Valley.
Vineyard Description: 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.

Vinification:
Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks and lasted nine days at 25 to 26°C (77 to 79°F). During the rst half of fermentation, three pump-overs were carried out daily, moving one volume of juice per day and then decreasing it to half or a third towards the end of alcoholic fermentation. Once the fermentation process was complete, the tank was hermetically sealed for a maceration of approximately one week (shorter than usual) at temperatures between 23 and 25°C, for a so er extraction of tannins. At the end of the maceration period, the wine is racked, tasted and selected by Don Melchor's winemaking team and sent to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. Later in July, wines are tasted and chosen to make the nal blend, which is then transferred back to barrels to nish aging before bottling. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels (71% new and 29% second use).

Aging Potential: Over 35 years.

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024." (May 2022)

97 Points - Falstaff: 
"Beautifully pure notions of dark plum and crushed blackberry come with smooth evocations of vanilla, cinnamon and cedar on the nose. There even is a glint of nutmeg. The palate is translucent and just as aromatic as the nose, it is especially that nutmeg and vanilla tone accentuating really pure, ripe and concentrated fruit. Tannins are silky and smooth, show their firmness only on the finish, while lovely freshness lends great balance. A wine made to be elegant rather than powerful, bravo." (Jan 2022)

96 Points - Wine Review Online: 
"Before Seña, Almaviva, Clos Apalta, or Viñedo Chadwick appeared on the scene, there was Don Melchor, standing head and shoulders above every other Chilean wine. Formerly, Don Melchor was the flagship of the Concha y Toro winery. Since 2019, it has become its own entity and winery within Concha y Toro, hence the subtle change in producer to Viña Don Melchor. Make no mistake: It is still Concha y Toro’s flagship and one of Chile’s — and the world’s — best Cabernet-based wines. Enrique Tirado, Don Melchor’s winemaker, explains that the wine is an expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, which explains why that grape always comprises at least 90 percent of the blend. The 2020 Don Melchor leads with a subtle hint of mint and other aromatic herbal nuances. It’s refreshingly restrained, not a fruit bomb, with suave tannins that magically provide plenty of structure. As it sits in the glass, plum-like fruitiness intermingles with spice and savory notes. It impresses with elegance and persistence, not power." - Michael Apstein (Mar 2023)

95 Points - Vinous Media: 
"The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor has a 6% dash of Cabernet Franc along with 1% splashes of Merlot and Petit Verdot from Puente Alto, Maipo, and was aged for 15 months in 71% new French barrels. Vivid garnet red in the glass. The aromatic profile features red fruit such as cherry and black currant along with hints of mint, spice and pepper over secondary aromas from the aging process, including a gentle whiff of cedar. Intense in the mouth, with juicy freshness and young tannins that will integrate better in time. The fruit was especially vivid this year, adding greatly to the nuance and subtle details. This will growth deeper in the bottle." – Joaquin Hidalgo (Jun 2022)

95 Points - Wine Spectator: 
"Inviting aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, dried rose petal and petrichor set the stage for this well-structured red, which balances concentrated berry and mission fig flavors against vibrant acidity, lending a lush, mouthwatering quality to a finish that swirls with cassis, spices and fine tannins. Drink now through 2038. 14,600 cases made, 3,500 cases imported." - Aaron Romano (Apr 2023)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast: 
"Full bodied, this classic Cabernet Sauvignon displays ripe red-plum aromas followed by oak spice. It has a very fine balance on the palate between ripe fruit and good acidity that will keep this fresh as it evolves. Oak flavors are a bit intense but still pleasant providing notes of chocolate in the supple finish." – Jesica Vargas (Mar 2023)

93 Points - Wine Advocate: 
"The 2020 Don Melchor opens with a distinctly more red-fruited and candied bouquet than the other iterations served next to it, while retaining its classic Cabernet aromas of dried tobacco, cedar and mint. The palate is juicy and sweetly concentrated before transitioning to a comparatively stiff, introverted and drying finish that, after aeration, eventually is supported by a creamy, toasted-oak-derived texture. It is a fine wine, to be sure, but to me, it falls short of the more harmonious 2021 and 2022 harvests. It's 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% each Merlot and Petit Verdot." – Matthew Luczy (Mar 2025)