It is easy to be cynical when a mass producer of inexpensive wine produces a pricey, single vineyard offering. But this label has been produced for many years, and while the critics have raved about the Don Melchor for years it has only recently started getting consumer attention (i.e. prices skyrocketing).I have been assembling a vertical of this wine over a number of years (hence the modest price below), and this was my first taste from that collection. The 2002 Concha y Toro Don Melchor (96% Cab Sauv, Cab Franc) showed long legs in the glass, and it was very, very violety on the nose. Classic Cab blackberry notes as well, it kept on delivering with pepper and butterscotch, flint and old leather, liquorice and tar...earth, musk, and cedar. A big, expansive, thick wall of tannins, accented by spicy black pepper and dark berry fruit. Awkward and a touch hot, but a never ending finish and it started to come together with air time. While sipping I couldn't help thinking "tremendously complex" and "already done". This is worth seeking out, and I can't wait to host a vertical of this.
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 17.5+/20
Price: C$44.78 (SAQ)
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5 comments:
Vertical? Just say when...
Lloyd
Hey Lloyd - these are the kind of tastings we should be doing going forward, technical tastings. We've already done the regions multiple times...where are those guest blogs? When do we share a glass?
Cheers!
Don Melchor is really neat wine. I last tasted the 2003 and thought it was great stuff. It too needed time to open up in the glass but eventually it because really beautiful indeed. Nice that you started a vertical before the wine jumps even higher in price. Cheers~
Hi Thomas - my first experience was a corked bottle of the '99, so I was a bit hesitant to open another bottle, especially the '02 which was supposed to be a weaker vintage. But this redeemed the lot, and I now look forward to cracking open some other vintages. Funny, the '03 is the one vintage missing from my cellar...
Had the 95 in January with my wine club.Everybody thought it was a second growth.Great wine.
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