2020 Concha Y Toro, Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley 6x75cl

JancisRobinson.com

Full bottle 1,442 g. From Sam Cole-Johnson's tasting note: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, hand-harvested between 9 March and 6 April. Each block vinified separately in stainless steel. Nine-day fermentations at 25-26 C (77-79 F) with three pumpovers per day. Extended maceration for seven days at 23-25 C (73-77 F). 15 months in 71% new, 29% second-use French oak. pH 3.61. Shaded garnet colour. Very subtle, very mineral nose with ripe fruit and tamarind notes. Excellent combo of ripeness and acidity with real restraint and a strong mineral element on the finish. You can almost sense Enrique Tirado hovering over the barrels to ensure that the balance of ripe tannins with flavours, acid and alcohol is just comme il faut. (He trained in Bordeaux.) This is surely restrained Chilean red at its best. So appetising! When Sam tasted it in April she thought one should probably wait until 2026 before touching it but I have to say it's looking pretty gorgeous now, after another five months in bottle. (JR)