Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Deep violet in color, intense, and with a great aromatic complexity of red fruits together with oral notes of violets and roses. On the palate, it is a tasty wine with a soft spell of roses and a superb freshness, along with the elegance and power so characteristic of Puente Alto. It is a wine with a velvety texture, lush body, and a very long and persistent finish.

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Don Melchor for me is the constant search for the best expression of each of the vines within the vineyard, in order to achieve in each vintage the beauty and balance of the Puente Alto terroir. That is my true obsession. I use technology as a tool to achieve greater knowledge, but above all, observing and feeling each plant and vine is what allows us to achieve the perfect balance in each harvest.

Enrique Tirado

Winemaking Notes

Once in the winery, a selection of clusters and grapes is made before beginning the vinification process. Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks and lasted nine days at 25° to 26°C (77° to 79°F). During the first 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°C and 25°C, for a softer 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 final blend, which is then transferred back to barrels to ÿnish aging before bottling. The wine then underwent 15 months in French oak barrels (71% new and 29% second use).

Every year, once the harvest is done, winemaker Enrique Tirado meets in Bordeaux with Eric Boissenot, son of renowned Bordeaux consultant Jacques Boissenot, to create the final blend that will make up the new Don Melchor.

Vineyard Notes

Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the Don Melchor Vineyard is located on the north bank of the Maipo River at 650 meters above sea level. The vineyard is 127 hectares, comprising 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.1% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. The average age of the old vineyard is over 30 years old. In its first 30 centimeters, the soil is loam. Then, at depth, there are numerous stones. These soils ensure good drainage and low fertility, which restricts the vegetative plant growth and favors the accumulation and maturation of phenolic compounds, essential for producing excellent red wines.

Harvest Notes

The 2019-2020 season stood out by its high temperatures during the second half of spring and summer. The average temperature between January and April reached 19.5°C, higher than the historical 18°C for this ripening period. On the other hand, rainfall amounted to only 88.7 millimeters, in contrast to the historical average of 335 millimeters for Puente Alto, resulting in a much drier season. This extreme climatic situation led to pushing the harvest date forward, consolidating in March. Cold nights during the ripening period allowed us to preserve all the intense fruit expression in the wines, accompanied by the characteristic elegance of Puente Alto. Bunches were hand-harvested in 10-kilogram bins.

Technical Details

Type
Red
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Region
Maipo Valley
Appellation
Puente Alto
Vintage
2020

Aging Potential: 35+ years

Download Technical Sheet

"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."

James Suckling
97 Points 2020 Vintage

"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 | Wine Spectator
95 Points 2020 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. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after."

James Suckling
98 Points 2019 Vintage
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