This bottle was from an auction purchase several years ago that arrived last month.
Pnp. Cork was in great shape with staining only at the bottom. Color was opaque like a globe eggplant. Nose had hints of eucalyptus, cocoa powder, and warm blueberry pie. Palate was full-bodied and rich with dark chocolate and blackberries. It’s in a great spot. Delicious.
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Gives plenty of tobacco & dried herb on the nose, with dried red berry fruits beneath. Med+ body is a good mix of dried red & black cherry fruit alongside herbs, tobacco, and forest floor. Still has some structure but I'll likely drink my remaining bottle within a few years.
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Lots of stewed notes immediately after opening and first night. Kept some for day 2. Didn’t totally fall apart but I’d drink up. Good just on a decline.
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Stupendous LATAM wine, before it went for the hills price-wise. Bottle brought to the U.S from Chile before the label became popular. Tartaric crystals galore on the cork. At first, a bit reticent on the fruit front; all else had everything in balance. Halfway through the bottle, the wine took off like a 747-400. Notes of Colombian coffee and red berries. Teresa bought it but Mila drank it. Justice.
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Didn't take notes at the time, but had it earlier today.
Great nose and flavor on the palate with smoke paprika, bell pepper, leather, and dry red fruit. Great complexity, but fruit is fading and the acidity is just a tad sharp and the structure isn't anything noteworthy. Great wine.
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Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Served double blind to the group. Double decanted off its sediment 4.5 hours before it was finally served. Plum, herbs, dark fruit and eucalyptus notes. Full-bodied and mostly integrated at this point, but there's still some tannins remaining. Finishes with good length. Excellent and in a nice window at the moment.
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No decant, bountiful dark fruit with notes of blackberry, cassis, hint of spice and smoke. Great mouthfeel with long finish. This wine remains well structured With well. integrated tannins - should continue to drink well for 5-10 years. Paired well with grilled venison sausage.
No decant. Ash, tar, wood smoke, dark red fruit and strawberries. Medium bodied with excellent structure. This really develops and is contently evolving. Long finish with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Burnt rubber, milk chocolate and vanilla aftertaste. Beautiful. Drink now-2026.
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Pop and pour. Cork was in perfect shape. No change in color. Still opaque black-purple. Aromas of forest floor, pine, tar, and sliced plums. Palate is medium bodied. Blackberries, plums. Not as lush as previous bottles. Still delicious though. Drank over two days.
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magnificent full bodied flavor--slight bottle settlement, diminished nose--but excellent berry freshness with beautifully mellowed tannins. Drinking great now---no sign of decline, likely good for another 5-10 years, my only significant Chile Cab Sauv---Wish I had more :-(
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1 hour decant. This bottle seemed materially more advanced than my last and 2 hours in some prune elements started to appear. Notwithstanding that negative, the wine was still quite good. Very smooth, overripe black fruits, a touch of clove spice, underbrush, and sweet Oak. Drink up.
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Opened for 15 min. Double decanted for 30 min. And place in the fridge fone one hour before leaving to the restaurant.
The nose is fantastic, flowers, morning mist, complex. The body is medium and the palate is a bit oxidized, maybe die to its age or maybe for the long exposure to oxygen, but I don’t think it was too long, only that we consumed it 3 hours after opened.
I’m not giving a rating because it was too much distraction.
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Perfect cork, color is still deep for a 16 year-old wine. Nose on forest floor, mushrooms, no fruit left. Tanins are still there but silky, there really isn't much left other than tea leaves. The wine is getting tired. Reaching the end of the plateau, less enjoyable than a few years ago.
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3 hour decant. A little bricking at rim, but color still very strong red/granite. Black fruits, ripe plums and some cherry notes on nose with tobacco, minerals and cedar. Good overall structure with soft dusty tannins, medium acidity. Aromas repeat on the palate. Very smooth. Fruit was plump and full feeling in the mouth, but not jammy. A distinct mineral , stoney aspect on the mid palate to finish, with an herbal part as well … garrigue, thyme and something else I can't quite place. The mineral and wood elements all in balance with the fruit. Long finish. Delicious.
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1 hour decant. Almost no sediment. A little bricking at rim, but color still very strong. Black fruits and some cherry notes on nose with tobacco, minerals and cedar. Much the same on the palate but the tobacco faded. Very smooth. Fruit was overripe but not quite jammy. The mineral and wood elements kept it from being a pure fruit bomb. This bottle probably had another 5 years of peak drinking.
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-- cork pulled approx. 2 hours before tasting -- -- tasted blind over approx. 40 minutes –
NOSE: expressive; cherry; mineral; red licorice ropes.
BODY: medium bodied; dark color with slight bricking throughout.
TASTE: a bit spiky; leather; hints of pine and smoke/cigar; dark-fruited; in a nice spot now, but still on its upswing. My favorite of the tasting, by quite a bit. 5/5 rating.
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Tasted immediately after decanting. Our last bottle and no doubt the best. It is rich and intense. Black cherry and blackberry fruit, a touch of spice and dark chocolate in the long finish. Wish we had more.
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Method: decanted for about 1.5 hours, rebottled and tasted about 1.5 hours later; 65 degrees; Cab glass
Look: medium garnet with maybe a little rust tint; medium- amount of faster legs
Nose: wet forest floor, olive tapenade on bread, sautéed mushroom, sun dried tomato, dark fruit, fig, prunes; great nose
Palate: soy sauce, plum sauce, hoisin sauce, mushroom, sun dried tomato, worn leather, fig, spiced black plum, hot chocolate; long finish of leather, light green olive, clay dust, dried herbs, and salinity; dry; medium+ body; medium riper and pretty integrated tannins; medium acidity
Overall thoughts: Great umami notes and complexity on both the palate and nose. If I'm being picky, I would score this higher if it was even fuller in body and even more integrated with some more age. Great wine; I love it.
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Decanted using Vinturi. Much like my previous note but fully integrated and improved. It seems rich and velvety. Would put this in a lineup of Bordeaux with the same age, and I think it would be people’s WOTN.
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Last of 8 bottles purchased way back whenever some 12 years ago. Used the Coravin to pour a large glass to enjoy with a ribeye tonight. Glad to still have 2/3 of the bottle to enjoy later in summer. Delicious wine with plenty of life left.
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To me, this is Chilean Royalty and Chile’s version of “Cru Classe”, along with Vina Almavna, Clos Apalta, and Errazazuriz Vinedo Chadwick...consistent vintage after vintage. Like all great wines, it’s pricey but rarely disappoints! At fifteen years, this is fully mature, but still hitting all the high notes: black fruits aromas and flavors of black currant, dried blackberries, crushed black cherries, black coffee, dried loamy soil, old brittle chocolate, and hints of stewed bell pepper. Well integrated structure, but with plenty of “oomph” to stand up to a medium rare grilled ribeye steak. Applause to the winery!
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This 15 YEars old bottle is outstanding. At opening strong aromas of young leather and red berries, fading overtime. At taste is smooth with a medium finishing and slightly tannin. We had it with peppery beef bourgnonne and pairing quite well.
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I think this was as good as it’s been or will be. Well lifted nose of crushed blackberry, oak notes and garrigue. Lively blackberry and earthy notes still competed with acidity and tannins that threaten to come to the fore. Drink at just above cellar temps for the best experience. Started to fall apart just a bit after too much air and warming. Drink in 2020.
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Pop and pour. Taste and decanted. Lots of sediments. Strong aromas of old leather (pleasant to me ) . After decanting, color showing time to drink it. Aromas fading but present, leather, prunes and dry figs, spicies of middle easter. At taste, it still opening , strong tannins and spicy. At this point, half hour later a finishing of about 20 seconds with trending at a long finishing. Continuous to be delicious on day 1 and 2 . At thirdly day I had already drank it all...
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Some burnt rubber after initial pour, but that burned off soon enough. Still, this wine has begun to tire. Tertiary notes center stage now with sweet caramel lingering on top of dark fruit. Almost raisiny, but not really out of balance. Remains pleasurable yet not what I remember three years ago as being remarkable. Very good though. Last of 7 (for some odd reason). No reason to wait, drink sooner than later.
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Really well constructed. Nice integrated fruit with tannins still present but fading. Did not change much over 1 hour in decanter. By second night, not much left. Getting old! Drink up. Great with red meat.
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Alas, I feel the same as WINOT. Past its prime. Prior bottles were fantastic. This now has a smokiness to it. A shame. I am now going to open a 2005 Almaviva and hope for better.
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This was past it's prime. Predominantly woody, cocoa. Lacking freshness and fruit. I'm sure others might like it better than I do, but it seems like an overdone wine, left too long. Last bottle in 2017 was much better, so it may be the intervening three years, or bottle variation.
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Took a decant and 2 hours of airtime to really open up. Medium weight to full. Dark berry fruit creaminess, cassis, cedar. Drying tannins. A beautiful wine, elegant, not big and OTT.
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At peak maturity, it seems, with the cherry fruit still bright and deep and the earthy and vegetal notes still distinct. It’s still worth decanting for an hour or so. Could wait for a few years, but it won’t improve. The time is right.
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Full body, deep garnet color. First attack is intense ripe black fruits, I’d say cherry or plum jam but with aeration shows cedar wood, dried spices and tobacco notes. Typical for cabernet sauvignon black currants and blueberry palate combined with dark chocolate and long plummy and liquorice finish. Powerful, rich, bold and complex, but still refreshing, overall balanced between completely integrated sweet tannins and refreshing acidity. Food friendly, tasted with onion-porcini soup and Selles-sur-Cher cheeses. Serve 17º - 20º. Open about one hour ahead. Drink now, already some years as completely developed but will enjoyable about six/eight years.
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On pnp this was gorgeous to watch open in the glass. Gobs of plush, resolved fruit left in this bottle at least (as compared to others’ notes below). I’d say this has a few great years left -2022.
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Don´t wait any longer. This wine will not get better with further cellaring time. As good as will ever get. Fruit has almost gone. Very good, but by no means a very memorable wine.
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Yes I can say this seemed to be fading. The nose still had pretty good lift with blackberry and cassis. The flavors were pretty muted, chocolate, blackberry, cracked pepper and heat with moderate tannins that dry out the wine. Time to drink.
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Double blind. Plummy, raisiny dark fruit dominates the bouquet. Medium-bodied, with raisiny black fruit on the palate, ending a bit on the thin side. Shows slighty sour and acidic with air. Guessed Napa can sauv.
Elegant and well-balanced. Had some classic Chilean green vegetable notes on the nose initially, but they faded away. Dark red fruit, cedar, incense, baking spices. Smooth, round tannins. Medium bodied.
A bit less fruit than previous bottle--maybe fading a bit?
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Wonderful wine! Just coming into it's own. Beautiful inky / purple in color with a nose of red and dark fruits. Taste is juicy with both black and red fruit, with an emphasis on the black fruit. While the oak is there, it is balanced nicely with the rest of the wine. This medium to full bodied wine has well integrated tannin's and a short to medium finish. This wine is exceptionally balanced and shows finesse and polish - aging gracefully with lots of life left in it.
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Fading just a tad with a nose of smoke and crushed blackberry. Leanish on the flavors violet, Chuckar Cherry, cough medicine and a bit of heat on the palate. I’d drink before the end of 2019.
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Inky dark purple. Rich, concentrated black and dark cherry fruit and well intergrated tannins. Ripe but not excessively so. At its peak now and through 2020.
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Dense dark wine with licorice and tobacco notes and plummy dark fruit flavors. It has a bit of alcohol on the long finish. Tannins are solid and a bit dry.
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Finishing up the remnants of the bottle opened two days prior. Black fruit and cassis with hints of herb/sage. Dark fruit flavors along with pine sap and tar flavors.
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4th Saturday Group: Global Cabernet Sauvignon (Our house): Blind. Notes of herbs and dark fruit with a hint of the citrusy grapefruit thing common in this wine when young. Made it easy to pick out as our wine. Medium tannins with flavors of dark fruit and eucalyptus. Needs a couple of years yet.
Drinking really well right now. Seems to be in a really nice place. Stored in my cellar since release. Was good for the 2 hours we drank it, but didn’t improve.
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Wow!! I have enjoyed this wine a couple times and was somewhat unimpressed. Good but nothing to write home about. Holy smokes....tonight's 05' was oven shittin' rediculous! The flavor of this wine was unlike any other cabernet I ever had. Reddish pomegranate fruits with no tannins and devoid of alcohol. Truly memorable. Now I get it. This stuff is the real deal. It just takes time to hit its stride. I will now buy this wine again in exceptional vintages. Bravo!
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Great showing, ripe and focused fruit: bilberries, cassis, dark cherries provide great juice with lovely smooth texture from resolved tannins, enough acidity to keep the ripe fruit from tasting sweet. Little herbal components, but warm smooth spices in the background. Nice cigar box flavours, very nicely integrated luxury oak here. Not much sense of terroir but I'm not complaining as it's just a great cab.
This seemed nicely on the drinking plateau with no signs at all of it being past peak. Perhaps it'll still improve over the next years, I'd say it'll be great until 2022 at least.
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Decanted about an hour. Color was dark ruby, beautiful bouquet, smooth, complex flavors, depth and length was a little lacking. I really enjoy the flavors of high end Chilean Cabs and this wine had some of that.
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Followed previous instructions and would not decant for an hour. Stored in correct temp with Reidel glasses. One bottle left but will not air that much
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Decanted an hour before drinking. Dark red with a hint of auburn. Lively, ripe black fruit, black current. Little/no tell-tale eucalyptus. Sweet, nicely resolved tannins. Good lift. Lots of life yet.
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-- decanted 1.5 hours before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a few hours -- -- 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc --
NOSE: ripe fruit aromas --- more red-fruited than purple-fruited, but it is a mix of the two; a bit sweet; medium sweet oak note.
BODY: some sediment; dark blood red color of great depth with a hint of bricking throughout; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: ripe; oaky; medium-low acidity; soft tannins; non-descript and a bit lush; lacks energy; hint of smoky leather after some time in the glass; maybe better in 5 years?; when paired with steak and a caramelized onion risotto: smoky coffee note emerges; much better with food than without; with the food, this actually turns into an impressive wine --- one that I dare say is a poor man's LLC. gut impression scores: without food: high 80's; with food: low 90's. Because this is still mostly primary, and because of the impressive presentation with food, this continues to be a wine that I should Hold.
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Stunning bottle of wine. I would have guessed it was a well-made Napa cab. Seamless texture, integrated tannins, lot of structure. Wish I had more than the one bottle!
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Anesthesia Dinner (House of Prime Rib, San Francisco): Clear deep ruby with slight bricking; youthful medium intensity aromas with blackberry, spice, plenty of vanilla and oak (French, according to the producer's website); palate is full bodied, blackberry fruit, high tannin but soft and well integrated, medium acidity, fruit fades slightly through the midpalate without much to replace it, minimal secondary character, medium-plus alcohol (14%); medium clean finish but just slightly bitter. Overall seems new world in primary fruit, at its peak but without developing much secondary character, more balanced than my last taste in 2011 (less heat this time), but disappointing for one of the most famous Chilean wines. 89
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Last bottle. Decanted one hour plus Allowed this dark red cab to open up. Minimal sediment. Tannins well tamed nice long legs and great mouth feel. Great finish.
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2 hour decant. This wine has really mellowed with 12 years of age. Has edges that are downy pillow soft. Great fruit and enough core to support the lush frame. All tannins resolved. Still a beauty. I see there is plenty in cellars right now. It's in a good place, so why not drink sooner than later. Don't see a reason to hold too much longer. One left in my own cellar and it will be gone within the next five.
Decanted for about 90 min then of to Le Provencale with the boys. Great wine very distinctive flavor and still somewhat young. Its been more than a month but I remember being a very good wine
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Double decanted. Notes taken day 2 and the wine appears to have improved over the first day. Garnet color with some bricking. Pleasant nose of blackberries and eucalyptus. Rich full-bodied dark fruit on the palate with good structure from acids and tannins. Pleasing and lengthy finish. Probably will not further improve with age, but should be drinking well for at least five more years.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and raspberry with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a medium finish - Really enjoyed this wine. Well balanced and reached its peak.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, pepper and berries. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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The Rotating Dinners, I.7: 2005 Bordeaux Blends (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind (but it was known this was a 2005 Bordeaux blend). Plummy, overripe, and modern. Not pleasant, with a bit of roasted quality on the finish. Some of us thought this was the victim of bad storage (though this was bought on release and cellared since). Didn't really bother to put down a guess on this wine.
PnP consumed over next 2 hours. Getting some black fruits & methanol on the nose. On the palate, med+ body, cassis, currants, sweet (slightly) fruits with some acidity to offset, herbs/medicinal, smooth integrated tannin, bit of mint on the finish, med length finish. Easy drinking but expected a little more complexity. Decent amount of grainy sediments. Can't comment on longevity as first time drinking this wine but it drinks fine now.
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Den Blinde Hane#3 (Hos Jens Peter): D2h. Dark red, beginning to turn yellow on the rim, 5.5. Classic CS nose dominated by black currants, herbal notes behind. Intense palate with polished mature tannins and dark fruits. Drink now-2025
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Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit and licorice. Dry, med body, very smooth tannins, med acidity, spice, black current, and cedar on palate. Nice finish. A great wine, and drinking very well right now. Has many more years left of it. Wish I had more in the cellar.
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Dark garnet colour. Black licorice bouquet, almost medicinal, but interesting. Big on body. Not fruity like the Aalto and Greenock Creek we had a few days ago, a little more serious I guess, but nice with a good steak. By good steak, I mean not something I grill myself. Take-out beef tenderloin with an olive and feta topping. Interesting variation from 2003 and 2004 vintages.
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Nice color and medium body. Smooth, well balanced, nice finish. Opened with blueberry, moved to blackberry as it opened up. Nice with a New York steak. Nice value at the price.
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A very nice wine but maybe lacking the depth and complexity that you would expect in a 95+ point wine. Smooth and well balanced but could be starting to fade a little as the tannin structure after a one hour decant is diminished
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Dense purple. Thick blackberry juice and bramble on the nose. Blueberries up front for a brief period followed by strong blackberry bramble. Tasty, and will live on many more years.
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Beautiful wine. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and plum. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, prune and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Excellent. Very fruity and concentrate juice. Tannins are very well integrated. Smooth drinking and long finish inside mouth. Glad to have 4 more bottles. Should last for at least 3-5 years
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3-hour decant; full-bodied, well-balanced and exceptional dark fruit. The wine also brings a great finish with more fruit, subtle cassis and rhubarb notes. Patience is rewarded - last bottle was best by far - 12/12.
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First of a 6-bottle purchase. Pop and pour. It is more lush than the '01. Still a lot of fruit but not over the top. Nose is wonderful with crush dark cherries, wet earth and maybe even forest floor and some dried oregano. The palate is balance with sweet red fruit, some chewy tannin, and acidity that keeps things fresh. The color opaque with very little fading at the edges. I did notice that there were very fine particles when held against a light source, which I have not noticed before in the '01. Very enjoyable and finished an entire bottle between the two us which is not common. 93 pts with potential to improve a few more points.
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Decanted for one hour and consumed over dinner of Filet and summer vegetables. Dark fruit with a rich mid palate and some tannins on the finish. Overall a very enjoyable Cab that is drinking really well now and has room to age over the next 3-5 years.
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1.5 hour decent minimal sediment and wow..wow wow wow..totally ready for consumption ..been 3 years since last bottle .smooth nice finish ...a rich Cabernet which worked great with our Italian meal
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Nice nose of earth, black currants, menthol, and cherries. On the palate, currant, plum, mint. Nice finish, lots of life left. Drink or continue to hold.
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Really nice wine! Decanted for about 1 hour and drank over 2 days. It is a joy to drink and can be kept for 5-10 years more. It was even better the next day. Nice dark berries and cherries, plum, tobacco with a good acidity.
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Dark purple color, bouquet of dark fruit with some smokey tar and liquorice notes, the wine still had tons of fruit, with notes of chocolates and smooth tannins. The finish is long and luscious. Drinking beautifully and likely to stay here for some time.
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Maderised. Cellared well from purchase, but purchased from Trader Joes, so who knows what happened. I had a bottle a few years ago and it was great (same store, purchased on the same day).
From magnum and from memory: appears to be drinking well with integrated tannins, has some distinctive flavors which made me wish I took better notes, but overall impression was that it was in it's drinking window but with years of life ahead.
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Still very tight, but the tannins that lead the way now are sleek and refined, and should easily meld into the huge core of roasted chestnut, black currant paste, warm fig and tar.
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Purple to garnet in color. Very perfumed nose of cassis, plum, salami, pipe ash, dust, licorice and vanilla. Black fruit with med (-) acid. Fully resolved tannin and a somewhat short finish. The nose has a very interesting depth and quality. I question how long lived this wine is with the low acid and already resolved tannin.
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Something's amiss here. Not flawed, but it had a reductive note and an unpleasant creosote scent on the nose. Rather vacant and flabby on the palate. A head-scratching miss. C-
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Decanted for 2 hrs, needed the air to soften the tannins and to become nicely together. Firm body without being aggressive, quality fruit met by a decent freshness. Solid wine, it is heading in a good direction, no rush to drink.
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Night one: Full, velvety body. The dark fruit runs deep and broad. Good acidity. Dusty and loamy. Night two: nose has become very odd, with a sour/industrial character, like pickled axle grease. Also notes of aged cheddar and maybe something floral beneath the surface. That strange aroma carries over to the palate as well. Maybe this is how the fruit is manifesting as it turns stewed? It spent about 48 hours capped in a half bottle between nights. Tannins are still looming large and acidity borders on crackling, so this should have a ton of life left in it. Hard to believe, therefore, that it was on a downhill slide but don't otherwise know how to explain the bizarre shift in flavor.
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I was skeptical upon opening from the varied tasting notes. Strong nose, matching palate. Dark chery, roasted fig, plum...ripe fruit, mostly mellowed tannins. My first DM. Only had a hint of the menthol and green that I was expecting. All aspects were well balanced. Very good wine but strangely not too memorable. I could have almost confused if for Napa.
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No decant. Drank over two days. The first day it was still a bit closed and tight, but showing promise with a bit of fruit sneaking out through the veil. That fruit was dark cherry and plum. The next day, the harshness of the tannins had disappeared and the rich, round red fruits came forward with a background of earth and spice.
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PNP, last bottle of 6, rubber, band aid, menthol, funky nose. The palate is a bit thin, with dried cherry, prunes, plums, hints of minerals, soft medium finish.
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EWLED's note hits the mark for me. Showing great regional typicity....a beautifully made wine. Nose is not explosive, but it has an interesting sanguine note that hints at savouriness....Then the new world, dried cherry fruit hits the palate with secondary notes of light dustiness and leather. Nice length.
Wine that stands up to its reputation.
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Decanted 1.5 hours and drank a glass over about 1.5 hours. Rich and more New World than other Don Melchors I've had. It was certainly nice but didn't seem to have much going on. I see that I have a couple bottles of this and I will hold them for at least 2 years before trying again.
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South American Stars (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color. Decanted for 1.5hrs, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. 97% CS, 3% CF. Very much an enigma tonight as this bottle just didn't show as expected at all. A rather nondescript nose with cedar and dark fruits that gives some nuances after awhile. The palate seems youthful tonight, medium full bodied, cassis, gritty, graphite, dry tannins and showing more wood. Good, but not great, it just seemed like it was tight and in a dumb phase. It didn't really change much over the evening though.
Beautiful expressions of dark, stewed prune, cassis, tobacco, and tar. Fully integrated structurally, this vintage is representing wonderfully the Chilean "Maipo Magic"
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Medium to full bodied. Copious ripe fresh plum and cassis flavors. The tannins are nearly completely integrated. This is smooth as silk and drinking really well at this time.
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Much more integrated with extended air. Still has that herbal/green/eucalyptus, but much more tolerable as it mixed in the black currant fruit. Lengthy finish. Quite good, more enjoyable with steak.
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3yrs from my last bottle. Some evolution, still with a strong leafy herbal, smoky eucalyptus note that I associate with chile. Some dark red fruit on the palate, spice, with plenty of lift. Moderate finish. I just find the mix of flavors a bit odd and off putting. More personal preference than flaw, as all my bottles have been consistent and so presumably showing terrior.
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Wood smoke tar and rubber with blackberry fruit. Great balance and so silky smooth on the pallet. Sour dry ashy like finish. Texturally pleasing with integrated silky tannin.
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Started off a bit closed and surprisingly earthy. But over the course of a couple of hours, opened up beautifully. Wait a while on this or give it some air.
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Zesty, pungent pepper, dried herb, plum and kirsch scent. Concentrated, rich, black cherry, fig, mocha, licorice, with ample dusty tannins and a long penetrating finish.
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This is really drinking at peak right now it seems. Decanted for two to three hours. Black fruit, really nice spice notes, super long finish. Wonderful.
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Opened by Allred. Decanted for 1 hour. Part of a 5 bottle vertical. This was could benefit from some additional time in bottle although a few hours decanted might suffice. Inky purple color. Tried this early and late in the night. It showed some alcohol early but the faded with time. Notes of black pepper, currant and chocolate. Firm tannins with some raisin notes on the finish. 91 points.
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Decanted one hour before dinner. Notes of black fruit, spice and herbs. Still rather primary, with firm, sweet tannins and flavors of black fruit, spice and herbs. Balanced, but in need of time.
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Opened by Allred. This was my favorite of the vertical, followed by the '97, '02, '04 and '03 in that order. Very plush with black cherry and blackberry. Very nice.
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Nose filled with dusty herbs, graphite and camphor with a tinge of sharp alcohol at the end after a 1hr decant. Blackberries, dark cherries, violets, and a shake of rose bush gush onto the palate framed with gentle minerality. A superb balance of acid and mouth watering fruit. Some might nitpick and say there is a thin mid-palate, but I think this as a very nicely refined bottle in a world of plush. Charcoal laced, ultra-fine, slightly chewy tannin finish that lingers and satisfies. Further improvement into second and third hours signifying hope for future years. This one delivers.
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Decanted 2 hours (optional). Follows my note from '08. Still deep reddish violet. Dark fruits, dried herbs, mocha and slight earth on the nose. Velvety rich fruit that is nicely balanced with tannin and a small dose of acidity. Paired great with grilled steaks, but also did well alone as we all lingered around the table. This is what it's going to be but should hold for several more years.
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Decanted to remove the plentiful solids in this wine. It takes a long time to open and shed the Castoria taste that this wine initially presents. After about an hour or more it tasted of deep red fruit, spice, and a bit of cocoa. Very delicious.
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D1h. Dark red, beginning to turn yellow on the rim, 6. Initially one dimensional and a bit green bouquet, but during the evening it opened up into a classic CS showing ripe blackcurrant, mint, spices, and this green herbal character behind it all. Harmonious racy palate, intense dark fruits, still some tannin and a bitter finish that worked well with the food. Drink now -2020. This is certainly much better than the previous bottle I had three weeks ago. If it wasn't for the sun ripe fruit on the palate I could have taken this for a Bdx. This wine is in its early drinking window and will probably stay there for many years.
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DnP. Dark red, yellow rim, 5.5. Somewhat too old/oxidized mature nose. Racy palate, pronounced tannins. A bit neutral and disappointing. Maybe an off bottle.
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Glad I waited five years from my first bottle as the time in the cellar turned this into a classic well bred Cabernet that was an utter joy to drink. Well balanced is the term I would use to capture this wine experience. Great nose, soft tannins, medium to long finish. It lost the vegetal taste I didn't like 5 years ago.
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No rating bc something wrong. 2nd bottle this month that had nose of stewed tomato. Disappointing. Other vintages have been great. Must be flawed, but 2 in a row?
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After the last bottle was a bit off, this was a huge relief. Although this was our back-up bottle tonight and did not get the attention it should have, this proved to be a very nice cab indeed. At this point a bit of a decant is in order.
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A minha nota só não foi maior pois não considero o preço do vinho uma boa opção. Há melhores vinhos por valores mais em conta. O vinho é muito bom e após decantar por 1 hora demonstra todas as suas notas.
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The wine was dark with medium tannins an a long finish. I love the added herbal/eucalyptus notes that Don Melchor brings to Cabernet. The wine needed an hour to open and changed throughout the evening. A beautiful vintage of a new world classic. Drinking well now.
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This wine needs an extended period of decanting. Upon opening the nose is rather pungent and there are notes of crude oil and green pepper. Not pleasant.
Day 2 was much better. No evidence of bricking or oak. This is fairly dense and full-bodied and the fruit is in good shape. Fairly simplistic and monolithic.
Good, not exceptional.
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Very dark red color, long and spaciously leg, slowly comedown,brilliant and transparent. Taste harmonious of black berries, prunes and chocolate. Balanced tanning and smooth and complex drinking. Right time to start drinking it. We had it with s little spicy seafood paella and the match could not be better. Better to let decant for one hour. Cheers !!!
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An evening with friends and a lot of wine (Chris and Renee's Home): I have had this wine many times in the past. Not sure if it is this bottle or the wine, but it appears to be fading a bit. The nose has dust, cassis, fresh cut lumber, and rosemary. On the palate, this is not as vibrant as it used to be. Still has fruit and oak. Not as much complexity as I might have expected but there is some. It is still drinking well, but I might be inclined to drink these sooner than later.
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This was the penultimate bottle of a case that I purchased on release. It was incredibly smooth, rich, and complex. I don't do 100-point scales, but if I did, this would be nearly perfect.
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Dark Bordeaux color, lots of legs, long and short space among them. Quickly coming down. Aromas of red berries, prunes and figs Too tight at this point. Tannic and high acidity . My wife compared it with stars fruit taste. Recommend at least 5 hours decanting for full taste and aromas.
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Thursday Wine Night - Free Style (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose initially barnyardy bretty funkiness which blows off. Medium+ intensity aromas of soy sauce, dark cherries, plums. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Pronounced flavor intensity, with flavours of dark cherry, plums, soy sauce, tobacco, earth. Slight herbaceousness. Long finish. I thought this was a Brunello. Very good quality. Drinking well now. Will continue to improve over the next 5 years.
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Decanted. First class right away (and second class 2 hrs later) both open wil a little funky (almost corked) aroma. It leaves the class within 10 minutes... then nose is nice - lavender, plum, boysenberry. Palate is somewhat one dimensional, but nice. Same purple fruits and a little tart cherry on the finish. Tannins are a little chewy still - but not over powering - actually add a nice aspect to the finsh. Hoped for more... but a decent showing (after the funk blows off!).
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No notes at the time but this was excellent. Lots of licorice, tobacco, black olives and perhaps some raisin. Decant if drinking now but this will keep for quite a while.
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Poor showing for this wine. Upon opening it had a funk that blew off after a half-hour or so. It was basically a wall of tannin and acidity. After an hour or so it opened up a bit but remained fairly flat and one dimensional. I'd suggest a long decant to any one partaking what is normal a great wine...
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Clear slight garnet in color. Clean nose if black current, cedar, and tobacco. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, black licorice, black currant, and floral on palate. Nice finish. Great wine drinking well right now
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Drank over 2 hours, took time to open up, nose at first is pure black licorice, very one dimensional, then notes of resin, grape soda and tobacco completed the profile. Smooth on the palate, tannins are soft, still fresh, blackberries, grape concentrate, licorice and tobacco. Medium finish, this is ready.
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Tasted blind alongside several top Bordeaux blends from Napa and France.
This wine clearly held its own, and is drinking extremely well now.
Outstanding QPR value for the price.
I've consumed multiple vintages of this wine, and the 2005 is clearly the best vintage I've ever tasted. This wine warrants the press and high scores. Highly recommended.
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The wine is delicious. It is definitely ready for prime time, does not need any more cellaring time IMHO. Lots of tobaco. The wine is very good but does not make any "top" list. I bought the wine for $60 but I have seen recent vintages close to $100. Make no mistake, the wine is a good buy at $60-$75, but I will not buy a Don Melchor at $100.
Decanted for 2 hours. Beautiful as it was well integrated with nice earthy and smokey notes. Fleshy body with additional notes of graphite. A little short on the finish, otherwise score would be higher.
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Delicious, complex wine with caramel notes, earthiness and definitely a sense of terroir…easily recognizable as Chile. Tannins are smooth and resolved. Not fading at all…no need to drink up but believe it is mature.
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Bordeaux Blends from Around the World Wine Tasting Presented by the Wine Commanders (Paradiso Restaurant, Athens, Greece): I have to admit that this time I did not recognise this as Chilean when served blind, something that rearly happens given the easily recogniseable character of chilean wines. Restrained nose with coffee, leafy aromas, cedar and some rubbery notes that made me think South Africa. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a med+ acidity, medium to long aftertaste. There was nothing wrong about this wine but it received only 2 votes, thanks to the superiority of the other wines alongside which it was served.
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Sadly the wine did not impress me and seeing other quite positive notes on CT, I am not sure what the matter was.. But nose did not have much to offer, a little ink, plummy fruit and green vegetality, decent but not great. On the palate tannins were still young and it had a pleasant smoky flavor. Not a bad wine to be sure, but I was expecting more from Don Melchor.
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A better performance than last time. this is the most reticent wine I have ever had. When first tasted, seemed like the fruit was missing. It took a good two hours before it began to change and emerge, and then it became quite nice. Almost came of as a blended wine. Not at all like California or Oregon. Although I have little French cabernet experience, I have to say it's closer to that than American cab. Very pleasing and easy to consume. If you open give a few hours in decanter before evaluating. Seems like 5 years more in bottle wouldn't hurt it at all.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. You can find similar or better Cabernets much better than Don Melchor at half the Price,
Dark inky hue. Nose smelled of alcohol, tar, dark berries. Once wine had an opportunity to breathe, it was dense, smooth, and velvety. Dark blueberries, very long finish. Complex wine.
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Après un premier verre ou la chauffe et le végétal domine, un bon 24 heures de bouteille debout sans bouchon l`aura aidé un tantinet. Nez sur l`eucalyptus, le cassis et le boisé. En bouche, cassis et herbes avec ds tannins rapeux en ce moment. Long mais avec encore un peu de chauffe. Décevant en ce moment, phase ingratte ou c`est sa signature...prochaine dans 5 ans!
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Enjoyed at Roy's in Anaheim. I don't think there's a better Chilean wine out there. Youthful and very Bordeaux like in it's flavor profile. This wine easily has another 15-20 years ahead of it.
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Berlin tasting (Riga): Dark and intense colour. Nose not very strong, some black mountain ash (aronia). Taste is very intense - chocolate, olive oil, figs, soft vanilla, multilayered, developing and very interesting. Long finish. Superb wine. WOTN (A-)
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This would have been outstanding but the finish was unpleasant at times -- a mixture of graphite, olives and coffee. Drank over 7 hours. Deep dark fruits in a complex package highlighted by earthy tones. SOlid structure although sometimes dominated by tannins. Was best at the 1 hour mark -- the finish was degrading by the end.
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Still don't get this wine. The pyrazines are almost overpowering and difficult to get past the jalapeño nose. Shows good body, but a bit of an alcoholic burn on the nose. Glad this is the last one in my cellar and I don't have to figure out what people think is so amazing about this wine.
Fruits and oak in perfect harmony, olive oil, earthy components, layers of aromas, stays smooth in the mouth, savory. This is a complex wine, I don't mind enjoying it now but will be getting better and better with time.
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A piquant, very richly robed cab; possesses astonishingly fresh fruit and striking tannins for a wine approaching the end of its first decade. Full of lively black cherry, olive tapenade and claylike undertones, it bespeaks of a wonderful future. A memorable finish of velvety dark fruits pushes this into the realm of Melchors that will be called classics. Best to decant for at least four hours,
- Ruby color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant and blackberry with a medium body. Coarse texture with a medium finish - Good everyday drinking wine.
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Tradition-drinking for opening day. Started with 2004 in playoffs against Dallas, Green Bay and New England. Drank rest for opening days. Started 2005s in playoffs against Green Bay, San Fran and New England. This is last bottle of 2005 for opening day. Rating before game so no bias. Need to prepare newer vintage for next Super Bowl run.
Drank remainder next day 9/9. Opened nicely, rating maintained.
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This was nice after about thirty minutes. Did not get any green notes that I often associate with Chilean wine. Black cherry, currant and coffee notes on nose and palate. Tannins still present, but integrating nicely. Long finish. In a good place now, but I'll let my remaining bottle sleep for 3 years or so.
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This needed about 30-40 mins to open and show well. Dark fruits with mild acidity and present but smooth tannins. Still a few years away from its peak but very good now with a short decant.
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Blueberry, fig, and tanned leather on the nose. Fig more pronounced on the palate with a hint of licorice. Medium duration on the finish but intense upfront. Tannins have softened nicely but perhaps a bit too acidic for the wine that's left behind. Drinking very well now though. Don't think it will improve with age.
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I did not like this wine as much as back in 2012. I felt it had taken a step back in flavor. the fruit seemed to have dropped off, and that would not have been so bad if other more complex flavors came forward, but that was not the case. Made me wonder if this Chilean wine will go some distance. I reserve a more final judgement for later down the road, but please note this was had at it's 8th birthday. At this point, I notice CT users have consumed about 1/4 of the total bottles in stock. PSS: Revised above comment, as for some reason i had the 2003 in mind when I mentioned age. Thanks to Zorba for pointing that out.
2 hour decant allowed this to open into a very nice easy quaff; just enuff spice to let you know it was not your typical sweet CA cab, but chilian; excellent, not too tannic at all, good feel in the mouth..excellent with grilled steaks... the group loved it;
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2 1/2 years since my last bottle. Based on my previous notes this has improved greatly. Integrated at this point. Still has a slight herbal touch, but in a good way.
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Dark and brooding. Complex nose of chocolate, licorice, roasted coffee, and primary grape notes, spoilt somewhat by alcohol fumes. Juicy dark currants and raisins on the palate, where the unbalanced alcohol moves forward to obliterate all else through the finish. Always an interesting wine, just not a style I love.
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In great shape this time! Dark purple color. Attractive nose of cassis, dark chocolate, ripe fig and scents of cedar. Full-bodied, velvety-textured and complex, with rich, ripe fruit and belancing acidity. Very long, persistent aftertaste. Unmistakeably Chilean but by no means heavy or cloying. Now and over the next 5 years.
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Battle of the Chilean icons, this 'against' a '05 Carmin de Peumo Carmenere, and they were both awesome for different reasons but both really amazing wines, you could say that this 'edged' the Carmin as it's about half the price, but both spectacular offerings - Black, full bodied with a classic nose of blackfruit, plum, cigar box, cedar, mocha and vanilla, amazing structure, power and finesse, tannins are softening, complex, smooth, sweet on the palate with terrific length, outstanding (95 Points).
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Berja- og sveskjuangan, pennastokkur. Kirsuber, súkkulaði og lakkrís og vanilla. Vottur af taði. Langt og mikið eftirbragð, allmikil tannín koma fram undir lokin.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/12/2013 (San Diego): Clear deep garnet color. Fantastic, powerful bouquet of cassis, blackberries, cloves, espresso, charcoal. Full body, great balance, long finish. Very youthful. I ranked it #2 and guessed New World cabernet.
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Very Bordeaux-like in its understated manner. Gave it a quick decanting and airing, then drank over several hours. Words like balanced, polished , and well made come to mind several days later. Very dark red fruit and some oak for spice also show up in my memory.
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Small decanter for 40min. Had a taste, still closed. Had something else and came back to it and hour later. Very young and full of fruit. Very enjoyable cab.
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Dark ruby colored. Expressive nose, definitely new world and with the fig-leaf aroma which I most often find in Chilean wines (Yiannis is the one who first pinpointed this aroma). Oak is well integrated and plummy fruit is concentrated and on the edge of being jammy but not yet. Present also is some Cabernet typicity like pencil shavings and vegetality. Palate is surprisingly light on its feet, round with silky yet firm tannins, savoury and sweet flavors and with good length. Very good wine which combines new world ripeness and sweetness with old world elegance. Can develop further but I see no reason not to open such a bottle now.
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This is the 1st of 6 bottles and I am puzzled. The color is a lovely garnet red and the nose is truly intoxicating with pencil lead, graphite, wet earth, roses, blackberry and cassis. The wine fills the palate but does not grip you as you would expect. Black raspberries, plum and tar prominently display themselves as the wine finishes with a presence but not as strong as I would like. This wine should really be MUCH better for its so called professional ratings and its price! Whether this improves at all with more bottle age, only time will tell.
I guess I'm missing what most others are loving. Decanted for 3 hours. Very dark in color, with a rustic nose of dark fruits. On the palate it's very rustic, like a well aged Amarone (but not as good), so much so that I can't tell if it's over the hill or just not my style. Almost prune like, and just not to my liking. Can't believe I held onto this so long, only to have this sense of disappointment (and buyer's remorse).
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Drank with prime aged strip steak cooked in fireplace. Medium to full. Herbaceous nose. Dark fruits and earthy tones paired real well with smoky meat. Nice finish. Low 90 ratings seem appropriate.
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Delicious wine. Hitting it´s peak I think. No heat whatsoever, very ( should I say extremely ? ) well balanced. Chilean no doubt about it. The wine is drinking beautifully. Will kill many $50-$75 Napa cabs mainly because its very beautiful harmony. Have 6 more at the cellar and will most definitelly drink a few this year and some in 2014.
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Le vin avait passé la nuit à -20 C dans l'auto quelques jours auparavant. Première expérience avec ce vin. À l'aveugle, j'aurais pu difficilement savoir qu'on était au Chili, quoi qu'il y a définitivement un côté "chaud" au vin. Bien équilibré, sans être trop tannique. C'est agréable, sans pour autant être exceptionnel.
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Nice dark purple color with medium clarity. The nose was filled with red fruits, dusty earth and hints of Oak… making the mouth water in anticipation of the first sip.
Well integrated tannin & softened acidity helped the red fruits and subtle oak come though on the palate. Medium finish that could have been longer but this was not the first bottle of the evening so that may have skewed my observation.
This wine has grown over the last several years and I believe hitting its stride now and perhaps for the next couple of years.
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Decanted 45 minutes. Very dark garnet/purple in the glass. This wine is starting to really show its stuff - the tannins have softened and taken a step back to reveal a nicely balanced wine with dark red fruit, hints of mint and polish. In a great spot. Drink or hold.
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Super dark purple. Very young and needs lots of decanting maybe a week :). On the nose oak notes, young fruit and full of power. On the palate it full bodied, tannic, slight sweet core, fruit, oak, Pretty long finish. Structred wine, huge long wine very new world. We would advise lots of decanting at this stage although note sure it would relax it. Maybe wait a few years. 90 for now.
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Very well structured and balanced. Much more obvious Cabernet Sauvignon component in this wine than i have noticed in the past made this somewhat metallic and sharp.....and the smaller wine glasses used didn't help.
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Decanted. nose - chocolate (faint), leather, tar, some dark cherry, spice. mouth feel - good tannins with good integration, some oak, cassis, leather, good acid balance but just not overly complex. I last opened one of these in 2008 and i it had more to it then. drink now
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Decanted 3 hours. Dark purple color. Concentrated nose of savory, vegetal fruits, tomato and beet, black and red currants, smoky mocha. Palate is similarly packed with fruit, ripe but not sweet, tomato paste, currants, black cherry, cigar tobacco edges on finish. Not very complex, but high quality with powerful fruit.
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(B) Very disappointing from the pop-n-pour, but transformed dramatically at the 30 minute mark, and continued to improve over 3 hours. Nice tobacco and warm spice emerges to balance the slightly over-ripe black fruit. Ever-so-slightly syrupy, but nothing that detracts from the flavors. A nice food wine.
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Opened for 6 hours, decanted two of those hours. Notes of eastern spices, pepper, smoke and plum on the nose. On the palate, tart cranberries, minty blood notes, dark cherry and graphite.
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This has improved greatly since my last bottle in 2009. It absolutely stomped the 2005 Rubicon that was consumed with it.
Opened 4 hours, decanted 2 and consumed over the course of the night, this wine was a dark and brooding beast showing notes of tar, graphite and dark fruits all over the place. It was a nice contrast to the obnoxiously oaked Rubicon and really developed nicely over the course of the evening. I see this wine improving even more in the coming years and if I had another I wouldn't touch it for at least five more years.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, pepper, smoke and plums. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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This is a seriously balanced wine but it still needs some time. Notes are still fairly primary. Dark fruits, vanilla and a bit of mint. Silky smooth on the palate and a mid-length finish wrap this into a very enjoyable experience. I'll wait a couple of years to pop open the next one.
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A bit muddled and cloudy in the decanter which concerned me. Right off the bat the nose was tar, cassis, and funk. After 2 hours in the decanter it blew off and turned into cassis and a lovely floral element. Great mouthfeel and classic Chilean cab characteristics of kirsch, tobacco, and rasberry jam. Paired well with seared filets. Drink now - 2015. 92
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nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke. palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums. squid ink in color. medium plus tannins. 60 plus second finish. lovely wine, a classic. this wine has improved with time, making me smile. the Don Melchor wines are my favorite from Chile, from anywhere in South America really.
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Tasted this after the previous flight was done and I was well into my cups by this time. Didn't stop me from taking some notes though! :D In the glass: Dark ruby. On the nose: a whiff of petrol, classic Cabernet with a bit of dark fruit. In the mouth: full mouth feel, medium grip of tannins, nice finish. My notes say "smooth, yet cut it with a knife cab". (noticeably smoother than my previous taste of the 2008) Didn't get the retail.
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Smooth and drinking well. I like the dark fruit combined with earth and tobacco notes, yet there is a loamy flavour there that's quite typical of Chilean cabs that doesn't excite me. Also slight bitterness on the finish. In the end while I appreciate the outstanding quality of the wine-making, its not a wine I'd seek out again.
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Color is deep purple and fairly opaque. Nose is of Chile, Chile, and more Chile. In other words, raw red meats, good quality jerky and salami, and lots of herbs, particularly Italian herbs, also mint and eucalyptus. The palate is better than the bouquet. The front palate offers the tastes in the bouquet. The middle palate transitions beautifully to elegant tannins and creme de cassis. It also offers loads of musky leather, some barnyard and a little pipe tobacco. The back palate is all about the varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon jumps out and greets you! It also has lots of sweet smokey tobacco, al a my grandfather's pipe. The finish is very long. The most unique part of this wine is the 'sweet' creamy mid palate. It was a very pleasant surprise. There are no harsh edges anywhere and the oak is well integrated. The wine will probably develop additional nuance for three years and soften for another 5 - 7 years. It's beautiful. Bought it for under $35 which makes it an exceptional value.
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Double Blind at Mike O's - Embarrassing!; 6/1/2012-6/2/2012 (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): #14 – This was known to me and showed the character I associate with Chile. Meaty, minty nose with currants and leather. Palate was rather soft, but still has some tannin, more currants than cassis, plenty of eucalyptus and leather. Moderate lengthy finish of espresso, toast, mint, earth. Seemed a little muddled and lacking focus. Typical of Chilean cabs for me and rather unimpressive at the price point.
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Although this is an excellent wine, this particular bottle lacked the power and concentration of past bottles. Nose of black currant, tobacco, menthol, cedar, and loam. On the palate, blackberry, plum, mocha, mint. A little softer on the finish than expected. Maybe these shut down?
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Interesting Cabernet nose with plum, smoke and coffee. Boring, one dimensional 'new world' wine. On day two some beautiful cherry-liqeur appeared on the nose and palate which was special.
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Yes this is not a Napa style wine but wow does this wine have style. It was difficult to approach initially. The bouquet is at first off putting then turns on you and becomes seductive as the flavor profile takes possession of your pallet. Big flavor with a finish that seduces you into returning. Then it starts all over again. This wine could turn off some. But it will enchant the aficionado.
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Decanted about 30 minutes before drinking. Interesting and unique nose. Changed quite a bit over the first hour of drinking. What stands out most on the nose is the smokey char and bacon that has always distinguished this wine for me. Also has some warm earthy scents and dark berries. On the palate it was fairly soft with mild tannins remaining. Easy to drink and well integrated. Balance is nice, with no heavy oak. Could use a touch more acidity for me. Not as good on the second day.
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Deep maroon in color, cork stained dark. Not overpowering bouquet upon opening but present. Nice contrast to California cabs which tend to be denser and more fruit forward. More balanced and structure to this one. Tannins present but not over oaked. Nothing harsh. Was changing in the glass but slowly. Didn't stay around long enough to determine where it was going to end up. Sediment in the last glass, very fine. Has the structure to keep going another 5 years at least and that's when i will try the next one. Very nice and well liked by other two tasters.
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Deep color,not showing age. Big nose with lots of fruit. Loads of fruit on taste with acidic finish. Nice but should be more here. Not much earthiness or cab character. Too young?
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Very nice with a rich ribeye with blue cheese sauce. More character than the 95 SVR also at the table. Drinking well now. Even better with a couple more yrs in the cellar.
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Massive fruit, still very young I could smell it from 3 feet away. Big fruit but still a little tannic. I think it has at least 10-15 years in it and has not yet peaked.
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More approachable than the last bottle, better red/black fruit, less bitter, shedding its oak while retaining the cocoa, loam. Tannins are much softer and seems like its entering its drinking window.
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Mortons dinner by the glass. Opened at the table, 30 USD per glass, ouch. Wanted to rey this and it was worth it. Really really good stuff as the notes below capture well. Glad I have had a chance. Would buy this going forward.
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Was a bit disappointed with this at first, only decanted about 45 min. But as the night went only this kept getting better and better. The last drops really impressing. This wine to me did not seem harsh or tannic at all, but tonight revealed a subtle elegance and balance. Medium well integrated tannins, soft black cherry fruit, balanced wood and veg play. and some grape stem and seed thing going on, also some leather eucalyptus and hierba buena and clove or nutmeg my head is spinning trying to put my finger on it. With a little old world character that crept in more and more as the wine got more air. This should continue to improve in the cellar. Next time I'll decant for 4-5 hours. well made. 93-95
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I was in the mood for a young cab last night and this fit the bill. Popped and poured. Nose of blackberry, loam, mint, cedar, anise, mocha, On the palate, black fruits, mocha, mint, vanilla, anise, cedar. Strong tannins on the finish. Drink with a decant or continue to hold.
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Wow. This is outstanding. Purple with a brick tint. Nose of blackberry, currant, vanilla, and anise. Ripe palate of blackberry, currant, graphite, fig, and a little licorice. Outstanding length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Terrific balance, complexity, and finesse. I don't know if I have ever had a better Chilean wine. I think this has an edge over the '03.
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Dark ruby red with blueish hue. Tons of wood notes with some graphite and a bit of alcohol on the nose. Lush full-body wine with dark ripe fruits but also a heavy vanillin/oakiness to it. Nice lengthy finish.
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Don Melchor Night (Rick's & Cris'): Decanted for about three hours and allowed to slow-o in bottle for another 3+. Upon opening, it displayed that citrus/grapefruit aroma that young Chilean wines have. Notes of loam, green/weedy vegetables, hebrs and eucalyptus. Balanced, with oak spices and a terrific mix of red and dark fruit on the palate. Got better over the course of the evening and the weedy/green qualities blew off. Still needs quite a bit of time to come into its window. Check back in 2015+. 92-93 pts now, with a good decant.
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Such an incredible Cabernet. If this said Napa on the label it would command twice the price. My second bottle and this is just starting to come together and show what it already is and will be even more so over the next ten years. Just so silky in the mouth. A French nose, but has lots of dark fruit and then some tobacco and chocolate at the end. Quite complex for such an expensive wine. Worth a buy every year.
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A beast in the best of ways. Spices and wood on the nose. Very full bodied. Tannins nicely integrated. A mouth full of tobacco, smoked meat, and that earthy taste that I associate with Chilean Cabernet. This wine is not for the Pinot Noir drinkers amongst us (at least not without some rich food to tame it), but is heavenly for those with hair on their chest (even if it is grey hair!).
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(2/5) Still too young. Disjointed with a fair amount of heat and oak. With some air it improved quite a bit which gives me hope that this will blossom over the next few years.
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Second taste, 2 years after the first, and this is coming along nicely. No longer feels as tight, even when paired with some gentler cabs. Went great with filet mignon, fingerling potatoes and a strawberry balsamic salad. Still getting currants, mushrooms at the for front.
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A powerful Cabernet with tiers of sweet currant, cassis, leather, loam, melted fig, and mineral. This is so dense and layered with firm but ultra-smooth round tannins keeping everything in place. A beautiful example of how good Cabernet from Chile can be. (Drink 2011 - 2022)
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had this with Paul at Flemings with a great filet before going to the padre game. Wonderful wine that had a nice long finish and lots of stuff going on with it. Glad I waited a while to drink it and look forward to the 07 some day.
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Color is really deep and lush, purple-red. Aerated only and drank over one hour. The nose is excellent with rich aromas of coffee, spices, black currant, and tobacco, with some wet grass, oak and blackberry. The palate is caressing with excellent balance of black fruit, a little earth, spice and oak with round tannins and a medium plus finish. Classy stuff. I have not had this for about a year and I really like where it's at. Nothing green in there to me at all. 94pts.
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Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Served from magnum.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, talc, dried herbs, berries and a hint of petrol towards the finish. Flavors of berries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Pop and pour and followed over a few hours. Bellpepper on the nose. More on the palate with some dark fruit and a lot of tannin. Ridiculously long finish. Not my style due to the bellpepper but the body and finish bring me back for more. Can needs a long secant or a few more years in the cellar.
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Bubbling ruby almost algae-like as I poured it into the decanter. Sweet nose with a tone of almost syrup. My wife describes it as too plummy but I would say delicious. My benchmark Chilean wine is the '03 Almaviva--this was good, but not as good.
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Opened and decanted; then poured back into the bottle. This has a nice green mint and green olive element. Nice cherry and plum flavors; a hint of oak on the finish. A bit of fresh tobacco too. Well balanced and elegant.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of brett(?), white pepper, dried herbs, smoke, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink over the next 5-7 years plus or minus.
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Not as good as some of the 2003's I've had (glad I still have a few more) but still quite good. this bottle probably didn't get the attention it deserved as it was a busy evening cooking and things went later than they should have.
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Decanted for 2hrs, smoke, blackberries and earth in the nose. Quite rich on the palate with currants, cassis, blackberry, vanilla and mint. A little sweet, but not jammy, went wel with a grilled bone in rib eye. Outstanding!!
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Beautiful inky darkness spoke of tobacco, brief cherry, plums, candied...something, and chocolate cola with a nod to menthol to round it out. Supple tannins and balanced acidity. If the finish were longer, this would enter the rarified realm of 95-point wines. It didn't hurt that this paired perfectly with the pound of morels my wife scored from one of our favorite restaurants and stuffed into center-cut filet mignon...
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Very bold wine. Dark purple color with an alcoholic nose that masks the fruit upon initial pouring. The body is full and masculine with hints of tobacco, jammy fig and darkly toasted pine nut. The wine can stand on its own, it may be paired with a variety of food. Drink from 2011 up to 2020.
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Decanted 60 minutes. Dark garnet in the glass. Very full nose of dark fruit, cola and eucalyptus. Medium weight and a fruit forward style (cherry, black raspberry) and a distinct anise note. Needs time. Hold.
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Somewhat muted nose even after an hour of air contact. But this wine wad fantastic on the palate! Deep flavors of leather, oak, black fruit and cassis. A solid and long finish that lasted 45 seconds to a minute. Paired with braised rabbit and slow roasted duck leg very nicely!
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Popped and poured. Still very primary with a nose of blackberry, mint, pencil shavings, anise, mocha. On the palate, blackberry, mint, anise, mocha, boysenberry. Very sweet and thick on the mouthfeel, finishes with strong tannins. Needs more time.
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Dark purple with a black core. Extremely complex nose with liquorice, dark chocolate, ink, ripe blackberries, fig, graphite and hints of cedar. Full-bodied, very dense with sweetness, velvety tannins, ultra-rich fruit and balancing acidity. Very long. Voluptuous wine.
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Decanted for a few hours, but had a taste prior to decanting. Very dark cocoa on the nose, and dark fruit taste. Also had quite a bit of earthiness in the taste, reminded me of Bordeaux. After a couple hours, the taste started to fade, perhaps this doesn't need as long in the decanter as I thought.
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Decanted for six hours. Powerfull blackberry and mixed berry palate with a finish toward tobacco with rose petal. Nose shows a bit of tobacco with nice minerality as well. overripe fruit on the palate is surprising and a disappointment. Tannins drive the strong lengthy finish. Well built, but for the overripe fruit. This cab has plenty of age left, about three years to get to its peak, and could be spectacular if the fruit finds balance.
Drank one of these from same supplier, purchased together, two years ago. That bottle had very little fruit with mostly earth and tobacco so it seems to be coming around now. Cellar tracker ratings seem to be escalting recently so I thought i'd crack this open.
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Third bottle tasted of the vintage and it's simply getting better each time. Great BALANCE- has begun to manage the early tannins nicely and in process the viscosity has become even more powerful. Great big, complex nose of dark and lush black cherries, espresso cocoa and cigar wrapper. Awesome mouthfeel of black cherry cola and a wonderful back-up olive tapenade component. Split over two days and on second day had mellowed enough to warrant the addiitonal point from my last tasting. As good as it is now, should be even more rewarding in the next one or two years. I'm convinced if this wine wasn't lableled as Chile it would be even more well received by cab lovers.
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the nose compared to the wine wasn't fully integrated. drank one 11/2/08 and it had potential but it doesn't seem to have come together yet. nose is a 92-94 but the taste needs air. after 2 hours it came together. consistent with previous notes of green, eucalyptus, graphite, slate, minerality, boysenberry, hints of strawberry and raspberry. good acidity. sweetness on the 30+ second finish. drink now or hold for 10 years
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--- COLOR: Opaque garnet w/med ruby rim NOTE: Raspberry reduction nose w/leather, black pepper, mildly pungent heat. Mouth is med-hvy black & red fruits, nicely ripened & sweet tannins, dried strawberry. Foinish is lots of 60% cocoa powder on more red spectrum fruits, a little harsh & hot, but nice. 2004 was better.
DECANT: 2 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.2+ COST: 60 VALUE: 7.1 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: n/a PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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A very soft Cabernet with plenty of plum, dark cherry and cassis. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine. Very finely integrated and smooth tannins. Great long finish. This wine lives up to all the hype plus some. Enjoyed with a grilled Ribeye steak.
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very good wine. Just couldn't get around the vegetal, green, eucalyptus component in this bottle. Overwhelmed for me. The 2003 far outshines. Drank over two days and did not resolve.
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Very disappointing. All you get is a lot of oak and overripe fruit. Secondary characteristics are starting to show but they aren't in harmony as the fruit is all out of wack. No balance.
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This has evolved nicely. The bouquet has lost a significant amount of the dark fruits noted in the first bottle and developed baked bread and earthy fragrance. After two hours picked up cocoa/coffee and mushroom-like scents. To the taste had enough acidity to keep it relatively light but still had earthy mineral elements to ground it. Tannins are still present but rounder and contribute to a medium-long finish. A fantastic dinner wine that balanced well with a prime ribeye, grilled white onion & asparagus and portabella & cremini mushrooms a la Julia Child. Very excited for the last bottle! 94-95
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I read my old notes on this wine but don't quite understand my previous enthusiasm for it. It is still a well-made, refined wine. It still has dark fruit, rich concentration, some leather ... characteristics that I love in a wine. But the strongly bitter chocolate finish was a little off-putting to me. I had same impression with both the pop and poured glass as well as the second-day glass. Day 3 – (note, the bottle was vacuum pumped after pouring each glass) A flat wine tonight, lost most of its structure.
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Dark purple teeth staining thickness still. This is still just a baby but it is starting to show some more complex notes than previous. Had a tiny bit of green pepper and eucalyptus but the dark fruit was very hedonistic and overpowered those green notes. I really enjoy these a lot. Went great with a little Prime NY.
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I've always been a fan of this wine and this bottle didn't disappoint. Popped and poured with friends (non wine snobs like I) who were also impressed. Big dark fruit flavors, cherry, leather, medium tannins and loam-tinged 30 second finish. The first time I had this wine (mid '08) I probably would've given that bottle a 96. It's a wine that if you drink by itself, with nothing else before or during, can really be appreciated for it's complexity of flavors. Very different from a Cali cab in many respects, but very good juice nonetheless.
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I was disappointed in this wine given the reviews and pedigree. This was decanted for 2 hours and while it had the proper Cabernet cassis aromas I was put off by a vegetal bell pepper taste. I served this blind for dinner guests (who know good wines) and did not get any reaction. I will hold my last bottle for a few years to see if it develops in the cellar.
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I’ve had a number of vintages of Don Melchor and you never know what you’re going to get—no matter how high the rating. Sometimes it will positively reek of barnyard aromas and leather. It can have tannins that dry your mouth out. That said this is probably the best bottle I’ve ever had. The aroma was of dark fruits, but there was a mix of cherry. Also some coffee and earth. The taste was perfectly balanced, the tannins were there, but muted down to give a slight punch to the wine. At times I would just keep it in my mouth and swish and chew to get every taste out of the wine. Perhaps blackberry was the main fruit taste noted. Sad to say it was my last bottle.
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My kind of wine. Dark, brooding and in your face. Deep-flavored, hedonistic stuff, with great depth and marvellous finish. Not too complex, but very concentrated and pure. Just wonderful. Worth the price, in my opinion.
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Stunning wine, from the inky purple color to the intense cherry, tar and leathery palate. A very soft wine much like a well worn baseball glove with freshly applied saddle soap. The mouth coating fruit and velvety tannins linger for what seems like forever. Quintissential Melchor.
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Very pure and "correct" cassis cabernet nose somewhat masked by masses of oak. A little spirity - don't sniff too hard or you may evaporate a sinus.Very full bodied. Big, mouth-filling black fruit attack backed by strong dark cocoa and earthy notes. Fierce tannins soon get a hold and ride right through the grippy finish. There is some nice terroir-driven complexity in here, but you need to look hard. I can see why it gets rave reviews - quality is evident - but all that dark, bitter chocolate and earth needs a bit of sweetness to balance out. Still drinking like a barrel sample, but little clue as to where it's going and how long it will take to get there. Brooding, dark, and more than a little aloof and distant. 88 with a tentative "+"
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From memory. Pop-n-pour. Dusty tannins, fruit is a bit muted. Does not get much more complex in the mouth. Not much more development with air time in the glass. There is class evident, but I don't think worth the $55 bucks charged.
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Dark concentrated, inky, too much oak/vanilla, artificial burnt plastic taste. Cannot understand the interest behind this wine. Unfortunate that I have to drink 2 more bottles. I do not think age will improve this bottle. Poor QPR
Blind Tasting (Edina Country Club): Raspberry, cherry, minerals and spices. Fruit forward overall with some nice minerality on the palate. Certainly will age and improve over time.
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Happy to say that I've finally had a good bottle of 05 Don Melchor. Not nearly as green as the previous 05s I've had and whether that's come from simple bottle age or some other factor, I can't say but this was certainly much more palatable. Yes, there is still a bit of a herbaceous note at midpalate that mixes with the dark fruits and coffee notes but it doesn't dominate the wine like I've seen in the past. Perhaps even some more time in the bottle will mellow this out a bit more.
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Wine and Cheese; 7/13/2010-7/14/2010: This had been opened and poured about thirty minutes prior to drinking. Dark, opaque purple. Huge nose of earth, tobacco, coffee and some hints of mint and maybe cherries. Palate was mostly graphite and earth with a little black cherry. Maybe even a little green which detracts slightly. The tannins were sharp, especially on the finish. It was very nice, but could use time in a decanter or a cellar. Even then, I'm not sure it's worth what it sells for. I'll probably buy a few bottles to see how it stands up over time, but it won't be a regular purchase for me - because of QPR, not because it's not a very good wine. (4+13+16+7)
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Tasted and immediately decanted, very closed and tight with firm tannins on the finish. Never did open up the first first night, mid-eighties at best. Second night had some menthol, cassis, dark fruit, and a riper and more open set of flavors. Score reflects the second night. Either this wine is asleep right now, or I made a poor choice in buying.
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Popped and poured (room temperature - 75 degrees). Nose: Red fruit and barnyard scents. Palate: Medium bodied, tart red fruit, white pepper. Finish: Medium length, dominated by tart red fruit. Serving at 75 degrees prevented this wine from showing its best I believe.
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Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Didn't think this was all that good, especially when one considers the price point. A decent new world Cab I would say, but nothing to shout about. Nose was rather sweet. Cassis, macerated cherries and just a touch of oak mingled with oaky vanilla scents. Palate had more sweet candy, a darker cassis tone. some spice and smoky tobacco flavours. I thought there was good depth and texture. However, the whole palate seemed to be haunted by a certain elusive stalkiness that was just very distracting. Finish was decent - firmish, with tight tannins and a toss of earth. Not bad, very new, new world, clearly well made, just nothing that really caught my imagination though. Should get a little better with time, but I am not sure this will be a long-term ager.
I find Melchor in general to be well made, decent QPR's. Never spectacular, never horrible, always mostly boring. I do not mean that as negatively as it sounds, the wine is consistently good to drink without having to break the bank. It is just you do not get that nervous anticipation when opening it...and when drinking you think to yourself "decent stuff" but your world is not rocked. Having said all of that, it fits this wine perfectly. Well made. Good, yet young, seemingly better than many previous vintages at this stage. You will like it, you will not love it. Ok guys, you produce a decent wine, now take some risks and get this to the next level.
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great potential great dark cherry nose and about 30 mins into the glass there is a gigantic waft of pizza dough, which i love and find completely fascinating. a little over oaked at this point but i think another 3-4 years will really help this wine. a good bit of dark chocolate coming though on the finish. 93+ potential with proper aging
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Minneapolis Wine Club South America (Gail's House): Medium purple. Nose spice, cigar, coffee, and earth. On the palate dirt, spice, cigar, coffee, cranberries. Medium finish and good structure. Should improve with five more years in the cellar.
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Kicking it, with a big blast of DA STUFF. Compared to where this wine was upon release about 20 months ago, it's now singing a full ranged aria. It wasn't too big, wasn't too tannic and certainly wasn't lacking a wonderful integrated expression of cabernet soul and substance. Just looking at the wine in glass, it had a beautiful consistency of purple, silky mud. But it didn't carry any of those profiles (muddled) onto the tongue, where it was a enchanting mix of tobacco and dark cherry overtures, along with a tantalizing blend of graphite, some creme de mint and even occasional chocolate expresso flavors of tiramasu. It flowed soft as silk and glided over the tongue, tannins softened but still having the character of rich alabaster. Okay, maybe it wasn't so magical in its expression, but I really like where the wine is at less than two years in bottle. I have big hopes for its future - would give the drink window at least another 10-12 years at this level, then probably a nice glide into a great and gentle decline of another 20 before it's ready for its final coda. I think it will indeed be a memorable wine from these fine folks at Concha/Toro.
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Decanted for 4 hours before dinner with friends. Full bodied, dark fruits and coffee leads to a long finish. Out of balance and lack the complexity I was looking for. I have serious doubt on how well this wine will turn out. Will need to re-visit in 5 years.
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Decanted through vinturi aerator and then 45 minutes in a decanter. I think it helps but not much ( an no sorry.. we have no patience to wait 24h for this wine) Unsurprisingly very new world. Big & alchoholic, lots of fruit and nose. Yet it all feels a bit overdone and out of balance. Lacks finesse at this stage. Will revisit again in a few years but def not there at the moment.
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Popped and poured. Gigantic nose (think Durante) of coffee, tar, dark fruits, diesel and chocolate. The taste was similar to the palate. This is an excellent cabernet, although completely different than any cabernet that I've tried. Smooth, long finish.
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So the excuse is this is the first time I've got a glass of this in front of me for a TN rather than from memory or being slightly worse for wear..
No decant for this viscous, deep-garnet fluid this time. Nose shows powerful cassis, dark chocolate mint creams and a little spicy oak. Very brawny stewed dark fruit with some robust earthy tannins sliding into a minty, dusty and extremely grippy dry finish. Very tight and clammed up. Will leave to open and pop back to this after an hour or so in glass.
EDIT: Even after 3 hours this hasn't budged a whole lot. Will revisit in 24 hrs
EDIT 2: Seconds out, round 2... +24 hours loosely recorked in bottle. Nose has taken on a voluptuous note of eucalyptus mingling with the cassis and mint. Has opened well, much broader on the palate with cocoa and a little lavender lingering in the background. Still has those massively grippy tannins back end. Not sure I "get" it. There are hints of good complexity and future promise in here but it's all WHAM-fruit, BAM-tannin at the moment. You know that bit when a big firework goes up? Once the explosive flash and the bang have gone it's the tiny residual stars of colour and smoke that are interesting, but by then nobody's paying attention. The complexities here are those dying stars - definitely there but fleeting and shy. Don't get me wrong, this IS good wine, but worth the hype? Well not right now.
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Dark crimson. Suprisingly lush aromatics after brief decant. Tannins beginning to resolve and noticably more approachable than prior tastings in 2008 and 2009. Multi-layered palate of damp loam, cassis and tobacco, yet not heavy bodied. Tounge coating black fruits, mocha and licorice provide extended finish. Still not quite altogether yet but on its way. Revisit periodically over the next 10 years. 93-94.
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Decanted 2 hours...Nose: Dark coffee bean jumps out of the glass, dark fruit, chocalate and smoke...The aromatics improved as the night moved on..Palate: Mocha and dark coffee bean stands out along with dark ripe berries, cigar box and loam notes. Medium+ bodied...Well balanced with good acidity..The tannins are grippy but still appealing to my palate..This is drinking well now but will get better with another 5 years or so of aging to mellow those tannins...Cheers!!!
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A tale of two wines? Unpon opeing and waiting 1 hr, the wine was tight with tastes of rasin and green peper. Would have been in the 87pt range. After 24 hrs, it was showing much more like a beautiful cab with blackberry and leather notes. Will wait 2-3 years before opening another bottle.
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Popped and poured. Very dark color. Not much fruit on the nose. Dark chocolate, coffee and some blackberry on taste, mostly on the back end. Medium finish.
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dark, powerhouse with long finish. lush, full bodied, none of the typical vegetal, over-oaked notes that I typically find in Chilean cabs. dark fruit, mocha, cigar box and loam notes predominate
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nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke. palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums. squid ink in color. medium plus tannins. long finish. lovely wine, a classic.
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À l'oeil, la robe est très foncée, rubis très sombre. Semble assez dense. Au nez, les plants de tomates sont un peu trop présents à mon goût, assez végétal à ce stade-ci. Après, 3 heures de carafe cet aspect c'est quelque peu assagi mais persiste tout de même. La bouche offre des tannins serrés, l'ensemble est d'un seul bloc pratiquement et l'expression se fait attendre. La bouche est soyeuse, rien agresse, la finale est d'une belle longueur. Le potentiel y est sans aucun doute. À revoir dans 5-7 ans au minimum, le tout devrait être plus plaisant.
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Smooth, lush and tasty! This wine opened up beautifully after 45 minutes into a complex, wonderful array of berry fruit. This is a very different wine from the delicious Napa Cab fruit bombs. This is much more restrained, but has terrific flavors.
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I have never written two notes on the same wine, but this time I had to... as seen below, I drank this in July of 2009 and it absolutely blew me away! Recently had it again - strangely, after a glass of its cheaper cousin the "Marques de Concha Casa" (2006) - and although it was enjoyable, it was not nearly as moving as last time. The nose was distinctly chocolate-covered cherry, with a blueberry pie and whipped cream note. The palette was heavy, with strong initial notes of leather and coffee, yet almost muted in a way, blood-like in texture. I don't know, still a good wine, but to not BLOW AWAY an $18 kind of similar cab next to it dissapointed us. So much so I felt it warranted another note and score.... yet still a delicious wine!
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Cocoa, coffee and some slight minty earth notes on the nose. Seems to be pretty tight on the palate and a lot of the Don Melchor I've been having lately has had a little bit of a vegetal green streak running through it that isn't really appealing to me. I much preferred the 01-03 vintages of this wine over the 04-05 that I have had. Can't say that I am overly impressed with this 05. It did improve a bit on the second night but not enough for me to be very excited about the other bottle I have. I'll probably lose that one in the back of the cellar and see if I can try it again in about 5 or more years.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Deep crimson color. Notes of chocolate, mushroom, prune and mint. Well-balanced, with blackberry, plum and herbal/spice tones on the palate. Long finish. 91-92 pts.
This was decanted for an hour, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another eight+ before tasting. Hold until 2016+.
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Opened up after an hour in the decanter. A little unyielding and struggles to express itself, but i love the dark mocha coffee flavours along with its powerful weight. Tannins are strong but smooth albeit slightly bitter. Have a glass left will check back later ...
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Nose on this wine is the essence of cabernet - juicy black currents with faint whiffs of tobacco and eucalyptus. The palate doesn't have the same liveliness, instead it is a monolithic block of very concentrated charred earth notes. If you want to know what this tastes like without blowing 60 bucks, put a Nestle Aero bar on the back of your tongue and let it melt. Isn't wine supposed to be refreshing?
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Dark garnet color in the glass. Lovely, but not particularly expressive nose. Supple, smooth, seamless, just a real quality wine. Not incredibly complex, but just very impressive. Enjoyed this one over three days, but air didn't really change my opinion. Really, really glad I have another and several other vintages still resting comfortably for another day.
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Little tighter on the nose than my last experiences but still no slouch. Very distinct smokey note with black currant and some oak. Supple mouth feel with an endless finish. Drinking very nicely right now but not quite as complex as i remember.
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Although the nose is a bit closed, minimal decanting, it is very delicious, impeccably balanced and drinking real real well. I had two very satisfying glasses with dinner. At this point it was a better experience than the last. The finsh is absolutelly marvelous. It is hard to think of a wine that is better made for the money spent. One extra point for QPR.
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Inky black, Nice nose of smoke, earth and dark fruits: Plums, blackberries figs... Nice smooth texture with well balanced acidity. Nice medium to long finish of cocoa, coffee and more dark fruits. Did not seem closed or restrained. Seem approachable now with a long life ahead.
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My first high-end chilean cab, and it was an interesting experience. A new world style in that the flavors are intense and the alcohol seems fairly high -- but a different new world style than California. Dark berries and chocolate on the nose. Crushed red berry, cherry, plum , and chocolate flavors on the palate along with a strong oak component and some tar and earth. Neither particularly acidic nor especially tannic. Seems ready to drink.
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I have been waiting to try this wine for a while and it did not dissapoint. Not decanted.
Nose: A little closed at first but it opened nicely in 40 minutes. Luscious smoky nose with dark fruits, maybe blueberries, and some nice touches of sweet oak. This wine is very aromatic and prominent with sweet fruit and oak. Good start.
Taste: At first, this wine surprised me on how balanced and smooth it was for not being decanted. Not overly sweet and with a nice acidic backbone, with dark berries and oaky scents. Delicious. This wine has a very velvety and silky mouthfeel resembling pahlmeyer's blend or Togni's. The wine gains weight and develops more fruit and oak as the night progresses. The finish is sensational and satisfying. Excellent wine. The best part is that I found this being sold in a SF restaurant for $35/bottle. What a steal. Do not call the cops! Extra point for QPR.
Salud!
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A bit of a dishrag smell which blew off after a bit. Very closed and difficult to appreciate at first. After 30 minutes, much better. Meaty, plump ripe fruit, plums. Very flavorful but still primary.
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Bit of a departure from the norm. A JOINT TN from both Khamen & pjaines. Please bear in mind before this we drank Ornellaia and Ch Margaux so discussion
pjaines: It's kind of South African-y profile with a sort of burnt rubber note. Don't think it's a long term wine but I like it. Tangy chocotltey peppery. Very grippy Khamen: Grippy, young, chocolate, we have a very old port up next so an abbreviated note. Very good. Over to Paul paines : I think this tastes more carmenere than varietal cab sauv. Not that different from...hang on I'll clean my palate. You have a Winnie thre Poo cup! Khamen: get back to the wine pls Paul Pjaines : it's slurpy, chocolatey, not sure where this is going. Another 5 years to mellow? Khamen : And thank you Paul. In my honest opiion it's very open cab with plenty of cocoa and good oak treatment. 2 hour decant for now or leave it on the shelf for 2-3 years.
Paul does'nt score but Khamen goes 91
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Very dark berry red, 6. Intense rather sweetish blackcurrant nose with plenty (too much?) of new oak as well. Massive taste with good tannins, fruit and oak notes. Drank the last half of the bottle after five days and it was still fresh and in fact more approachable! I will cellar this for some years before I tuch it again. Then it will most likely earn a higher rating. Now it is just for fans of the new oak notes on top of fresh fruit!!
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Maybe it was the pairing, maybe it was the competition. Just seemed to be overwhelmed by some mediterranan food and a good Walla Walla cab blend. The wine finishes well, but seems to be a bit to faint .
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Dark as midnight in the glass. Absolutely as smooth as silk on the throat with a nice memorable finish. Earth and bold, but in check and well balanced by the dark chocolate, cedar, raspberry and wet stone flavors. I really love this young wine and will look for more. Great stuff and not over-powering on the fruit.
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Deep and dark with an interesting earth and coca component coming through strongly on the nose. A little tight but a good depth of flavours come through on the attack - notably chocolate, and a rich loamy chewiness. Good dark fruit accentuated by some well-integrated oak. The earthy character continues on the mid-palate and adds to the overall appeal. Good grip and a long drying finish. Drinking nicely no with a 2 hour decant but will be interesting to see how it ages. Certainly won't be kicking it out of the cellar. QPR is good in the £22-26 area.
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A classic bordeaux style wine from a well known, very large wine maker. The wine had a deep red color, it was fruit forward, very plumy with a nice tannic base. The oak was subdued. A pleasant but not great wine.
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Decanted about three hours, and it was positively singing by the time the peppery ribeyes were ready to pair with it. Eucalyptus, fig, raspberry ganache, and spicy pepper on the back end. Mouthfeel is pure glycerin, just gliding across and coating the palate, and the silky tannin doesn't really reveal itself until they grip the back of the palate and don't let go for quite awhile. Delicious now, possibly better later. Worthy of the hype, imo. 95-96.
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This went head to head with the 2005 Rubicon Cask, and while very good, the Rubicon scored slightly higher. This wine still feels a little tight relative to the Rubicon, and probably will last in the cellar easily another 5 yrs. Good mushroom flavors followed by currants.
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nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke. palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums. squid ink in color. medium plus tannins. long finish. lovely wine, a classic.
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Thick, meaty, oily texture; dark fruit dominated by black cherries, currant and mocha finishes with some heat, bell pepper and a clump of dark moist dirt. Maintained a strong showing 3 days later retaining its density and fruit. While modern, this has an earthy terroir that distinguishes it. This was better than my first bottle 6 months ago.
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A lot less impressed with this bottle, while deep, tasty and powerful, it didn't have the explosion of flavours of my previous bottles. The finish was drying and clipped. Perhaps its shutting down?
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What a wine! Can't add much that the notes below haven't hit on, but this was THE most amazing display of the unique Chilean terrior I have ever experienced. Huge, rich, complex, interesting wine which just exploded from the glass and had a finish that lasted a minute, easy. Dominated by mocha, dark fruit, fig, and earthy notes. This was such a refined and elegant wine, but yet still maintained the unique flavor and ruggedness of the region. Awesome stuff, a true wine experience! (NOTE: Needs a good 30mins+ decant to come alive, was nowhere near it's potential when first popped)
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At first this wine was amazing and exploded from the glass with huge luscious aromas of cherry, kirsch liquor and minty earthy undertones. It then closed down immensely after being in open for about 30 min and it never fully came back out over the course of 2 days. The palate at its best displayed youthful sweet tannins, dark fruit, cassis, and dirty oaky fig. Overall a bit of a disappointment and I am kicking myself for opening this infant early. The Melchor, at this stage, is above average at best and considering the big press it has received makes me question the overall ageability and quality. I still, however, have high hopes for my remaining bottle
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Color: Dark Red, almost Black. Nose: Liquorice, Ripe Cherry, a little muted even with 4 hours decanting. Palate: Sour Cherry, Malt, Red Currant. Finish: Long, a little alcoholic and hollow. Tannins: Strong, a tad bitter as well, needs more cellaring. Alcohol: 14.5 % showing a little heat especially in the finish. Very lush and smooth mouthfeel. This is not ready just yet in my opinion. Minor flaws here and there keep me from giving a higher score.
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Pop and poured. I loved the deep full and smooth taste with quite heavy chilean soil, as good as my first bottle. Seemed to thin out a little with air though. Dad didn't like it so much and said it was too bitter, which I disagree with.
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drank this as a celebration after denmarks win over sweden the 6/6/2009, the color was bold dark red, on the nose lot of cassis and oak, it started of with a powerfull peppar dominating note on the palate and after that I don`t remember that much cause i was high from the weed i smoked and I could not taste the wine probably after i had smoked but after 3-4 hours this one started to burst some other sweet plum and fruity flavours but it`s way too young at this point wait at least 3 years for this but would`nt hurt if you waited like 5-8 years im sure it wiil be a treat and gain a point or 2
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Chocolate, coffee, plums, blueberries, spice,...is there a wine in there? Many complex flavors, touch of hollowness on the late palate, good finish. Tasty and clearly high quality, but not a palette of flavors that I'm fond of. Maybe just needs time?
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Decanted for 2 hours and compared with the 2004. The 04 was more approachable and had more red fruit on the nose. The 05 was bolder, darker fruit, and tannic. Over the next 2 hours, the wines were hard to distinguish from each other. Both were outstanding.
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Very similiar notes to my last bottle in June of last year. Seems to have gained some serious weight, richness and has definitely smoothed out some. Impeccable fruit, with notes of cassis, smoke, a touch of licorice and green bell pepper. Tannins have softened, although still noticeable. I think this will has many miles ahead of it, but excellent now with aeration.
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I've had every vintage since 2001... Smells great, tastes great...get a bottle... of the 2003 vintage. 2005 is excellent, but the masterpiece is the 2003 vintage. 2005 still needs to sleep but its improving (92-94)
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Tasted single blind. Decanted over three hours prior to tasting. Dark fruit notes came out on the nose. Black fruit with bacon on the palate with a gritty moutfeel. I am scoring this lower than the experts but would certainly allow that this may have been closed or just didn't amaze me tonight. Look forward to trying again.
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Decanted 1.5 hours. This is a wonderful young wine with hugh potential to go up a point or two. Full bodied with great structure and balance. Deep, dark cherry fruit complimented by notes of milk chocolate in the mid-palate and ends with a bit of smoked bacon/meatiness. Good length that should gain as it matures. A bit of heat on the finish. Would try another in 2-3 years.
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Dark oaky chocolate!!! What can I say to this wonderful glamorous $80 bottle wine?! Its a 3-dimensional full bodied fruitful yet tannic and mellow absolutely entertaining wine for special occassions. Get it and cellar it for a decade and it will be worth more!
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Almost entirely closed on the first pour, but opened nicely after 24+ hours of decanting. Dense and opaque in the glass with beautiful concentration. After the lengthy decanting, the nose was wonderfully ripe and fruity, with a mouthwatering sweetness. The entry generously displays the darker fruits and the focused flavors tumble nicely in the mouth. Interestingly, I preferred the finish prior to decanting; it lasted forever! I bought two bottles, so I'll probably lay the other bottle down for 2-3 more years.
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Upon opening, this was like drinking a barrel of wood - abrasive. After decanting for 4 hours, this really opened up and became much more approachable. A hefty wine and certainly cellar-worthy.
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No decanter; poured into oversized bordeaux glasses 2 hours prior to dinner. Initial cherry on the nose quickly blew off & seemed closed for first 45 minutes, opening to reveal tobacco, mocha, and dark fruit. Tried first sip 1 hour after opening; mostly-integrated tannins melted away to show a very brief touch of heat on the finish...so brief that it couldn't be considered a detriment, but it was still there. Gorgeous mouthfeel at 2 hours, touch of vanilla emerged. A great bottle, but I'll wait before opening the next one, as I think this will improve a couple of points with time. Day 2: vacuvin overnight, poured into glass & waited until it came to cellar temperature... leather & cherry jumped out of the glass this time; I'd say it tastes like 94/100 after a night in the fridge...
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Decanted 15 minutes: HUGE mocha, roast coffee, and ripe cherry. 40+ seconds finish. 95 pts. My first guess is that it is very open. Decanted 2 hrs: Less impressive aroma. Calming down but mocha still covering everything. Softer Tannin than before. 92-95 pts. Decanted 4 hrs: Starting to taste more tobacco, cigar box, heavier on mid palate. Bitter chocolate finish. Changing in the glass Just starting to show. 96 points.
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Garnet/crimson; black currants, earth, mushrooms, wet stones; concentrated berry, earthy, full body, good balance, good structure, firm ripe tannins, long finish. Decanted 3 hrs. Good complexity and roundness for a Cab. Sauv. A bit closed being so young with obvious ageabillity. Similar to the '03. Delicious with t-bone.
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1/02/09:Double decanted and then sat for two hours. Dark and almost back purple color and a nose of toasted bread, big black fruit, oak and dirt. The tastes are of blackberry, spice, great vegetation, chocolate and drying tannin that will need some time to polymerize and soften. Incredible structiure and balance with only the tannins needing some time to sort themselves out. The finish is drying but with nice earthy and black fruit and vanilla. Wait for a few years and this is going to be a great wine to savor for two decades.
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Brigitte Birthday Dinner (Denver, CO): Decanted 4 hours. Served along side the '05 Almaviva. Dark violet red. Very nice nose of dark cherries, cassis, coffee, tobacco and a slight bell pepper component. Rich, dark palate that had an almost chocolaty feel to it. Plenty of tannins, but they were more forgiving and less firm than the Almaviva's. Finished with good length. Most at the table preferred this because it was sexy and more approachable.
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A- decanted. At first I was getting nothing but tobacco/cigar box on the nose. After about an hour, started getting funky propane nose, along with the cigar box. Later finally started getting some fruit along with the other stuff. T- Haven't had this in several years, but not quite as good as I remember. Took a while in the decanter to start getting fruit- at first I was only getting the cigar box that I was getting on the nose. Finally after about an hour+ in the decanter, started getting some sweet raspberry fruit along with the cigar box. Just not as complex as it used to be- might gain this with time. Good acidity (pH- 3.56) and slightly astringent tannins.
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Decanted about 4 hours. Aromas of dark fruit and mint with a subtle loamy note. Full bodied, with firm but slightly sweet tannins. Vibrant fruit on the palate, with flavors of blackberry, currant, vanilla and spice.
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Decanted for 30 mins before drinking. Did a quick taste upon opening. Smooth, rich, plush. had nose of berries, earth, and coffee. Spectacular balance of acidity and ripe tannins. Heavy weight, and gained with air - Commented to my partner that it almost feels buttery/creamy in your mouth. Long smooth finish. Great wine to drink now.
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AWS White Clay Chapter Cabernets (Brett and Carols): While the rest of the group was oohing and aahing over the nose on this wine, I was getting something really funky like petrol or rubber. I don't know what it was but i didn't like it. After swirling the glass for a bit it blew off and I was able to get black pepper, bell pepper and smokey fruits. In the mouth it was really nice. Black fruits, coffee, good structure and lots of complexity. I would like to try this again.
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Dark fruits and evident oak ... very new world. The finish certainly has some herbal notes. It reminded me of a well-made Santa Cruz Mtn Cab. Pretty one-dimensional, though. The people on this site that said it had lots of tobacco and leather must not drink much Bordeaux ... they are there, but only lightly. Not worth more than $50 to me.
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As the cork unseated the nose was immediately evident. Nose of dark fruit, coffee, tobacco and leather. In the mouth it is rich and nicely plush with well integrated tannins - at times it feels like you are holding cream in your mouth. The finish is equal to the task and the black fruit flavor stays with it. This wine has no real weakness. Drank over 24 hours, it had lost a little lustre primarily on the nose and finsih but was still very enjoyable. Will be having the next bottle with red meat.
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Popped and poured last night. Nose of dark fruit, coffee, oil, tobacco, earth. In the mouth very plush, rich wine with much smoother and well integrated tannins than I expected at this point. Very dark brooding fruit that hasn't come to the forefront quite yet but is there. Dark chocolate, earth, mocha and coffee flavors were all very persistent. Drank over about 2 hours. I'm very impressed! If I had to score I'd say 95+ WOW!
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A nice, deep ruby color, clear with great intensity. A dense nose, with tar, stem, spice and black currant. Medium bodied, very well balanced. While a solid wine, I am not ure what the allure of this wine really is.
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A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc from 20 year old vines from the vineyard Puente Alto which is in the highest, coolest region of the Maipo Valley. Wine Speculator gave this wine 96 points. $54 US. This wine This wine spends 14 months in French oak (60% new and 40% used) and an additional 12 months in bottle before release. This wine was very typical for a Cab and frankly I wasn't too impressed. It could have been made in California for all I know, I was just expecting a lot more individuality considering this was suppose to be one of the best Chilean reds on the market. Definitely a crowd pleaser for the Napa Cab crowd but lacking the pizazz and personality of truly great wines. Who knows maybe it was an off bottle... I just think its overrated. 2.5/5
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Consumed at a fine steak house where the wine was poured immediately after opening and allowed to breath in the glass for about 15 minutes. The color is almost black with a medium heavy body. The wine was approachable almost immediately with silky smooth tannins, black cherry, vanilla and slight herbal notes on the palate with a long, pleasant herbal notes on the finish. The wine is drinking very well right now and the flavors should continue to integrate and develop with a few years of cellar time.
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Didn't impress on opening, nose and mid-palate not exhibiting much. On the 2nd and 3rd day was way more impressive. Loved the moch and dark fruit flavours. Not really ready though.
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Was still very tight after an hour decant time. Revisited after two and it was singing. Dark fruits with licorice. Silky smooth tannins suptle and balanced. Improved over the night. A case of infanticide but wanted to taste it before I picked up more. Even with this years price increase one of the best values for cab in the world.
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Opened and let breathe for a full 12 hours. This wine is beautiful and is definitely one of my favorite Cabs now. The 12 hours helped let the fruit emerge and blend nicely with the licorice and hints of dark chocolate. The nose was full of dark fruit, licorice, and coffee. The mouth feel was very smooth and silky...with the tannins leading the way....but integrated perfectly. The finish is a blend of coffee and dark chocolate. Can't wait to let this wine age a little to take on an even more complex character. Definetly think this will be WOTY or top 10 by WS.
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Decanted upon opening and drank over 3 hours. This wine was open and drinking very well immediately upon popping the cork. Big nose of cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, vanilla, coffee and herbs with nice structure to carry this for a few years yet the tannins are not hard or even noticable. This is very young but very approachable and enjoyable now. The finish is about 25+ seconds.
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Consumed over two nights, and as you would expect, this was a better wine on the second night. Inky garnet color, with aromas of plum, loam, dark fruit and herbs. Full-bodied, with sweet tannins and flavors of plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice. Some mocha and eucalyptus tones on the second night, and the palate was much more open and lush, with plenty of rich dark fruit. Decant at least 6 hours if drinking now.
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Not sure about all the hype on this Cab. Had at Gibson's in Chicago. The 2004 was on their wine list, but sold out and probably should have ordered something with a little more bottle age. This was tight and tannic. Youthful, yes, but I was expecting more. $83 on their menu which made it fairly priced for a restaurant purchase. Would certainly revisit in a few years when this melds and comes into what it should be. 88-90
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dark clear purple red. intoxicating complex nose. smoke and tar which will undoubtedly many years from now integrate into a most amazing bouquet. full bodied. thick ,dark, smokey, blackberry and tar yet with a good balance of boldness and finesse. copious soft ripe tannins and a finish that goes on all night. far too young now. will last decades. 94+
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Bacchus blindtasting (Finn's appartment): Dark red color with a purple hue. Warm fruit, black currant and other dark berries, some marzipan and oak on the nose. On the palate clear warm climate fruit, black currant and plum, but very clear on the black currant note. Great licorise and espresso on the midpalate. The fruit follows through on the finish together with youthful tannins. Good mouth fill and intensity, but seems a bit one dimensional at the moment. Expect this to improved with several years of cellaring.
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14% alcohol. 3% cab franc. decanted for 2 hours up to the point of this writing. thick oak and tannin; of course, it's too young, but i have no experience with this wine, at least to memory, from any vintage, and i was intrigued by it's massive appeal, plus the perpetual chest thumping from winespectator. taken at face value, i believe this will be the WS WOTY (you heard it here first). 96 points, $51 (from costco), 18,000+ cases made, previous top 10 listings, it fits the profile. and tasting it tonight, i can recognize it's appeal. nevertheless, to quote chris rock, "i understand it, but i don't condone it." this is a classic cabernet from everyville, of little distinction except it is made with care in fairly large quantities. let's compare it to...phelps insignia, except i'd rather drink insignia any day of the week (i know, insignia is twice the price. get over it). here's it's real value: it will make a nice, moderately priced christmas gift.
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Tasting note taken blind; 3+ hour decant; deep red color; nose: charred marshmallow, bubble gum, a little confectionery, burnt caramel, cafe latte. Palate: cherry, cranberry, coffee bean; decent tannins that picked up after the 5th hour along with additional bitterness and vegital aspects. This was very elegant, well balanced and smooth at first tasting -- will check back on day two. 92-93 right now. Day3 (stored vacuumed at cellar-temp): just as heavy and loaded; it took another 2-3 hours in the decanter to open-up. The wine had lost nothing while picking up more coffee grind, earthy flavors, plum and touch of cassis. This is an outstanding Cabernet that I believe will improve greatly with time.
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Upon pop and pour quintessential cabernet nose with the distinctly chilean loam in a very tight package. In the mouth, great balance and a touch of tartness. There some substantial tannins underlying the abundant rasberry fruit. The wine was decanted and it seemed to gain weight with air. I also got some subtle notes of oak that complemented the wine nicely. The 94 is for now with some definite room for improvement. I'm going to check back at day 2.
Day 2 Much of the same as day 1, although it gained some weight and I picked up notes of tobacco and spice on the finish. Trying this wine the second day reinforced to me this wine should age well. Held up impeccably.
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Nice wine. From the pop, great nose with rich raspberry ganache, licorice, earth and petroleum. Initially the palate was more reticent but after maybe an hour, it opened right up and enriched. All the above notes plus plum, dark berry and cedar/tobacco. Nice long finish of more than 30 secs. Mouthfeel is medium to light but still rich; tannins are there, but they add support and structure instead of astringency.
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This wine blows me away. Black currant cola and that chilean earthy loam thing they got goin on in thier. Totally seemless wine with a silky mouth feel and more black fruits present. With air became more dense and showed the sheer power but the tannins and acidity were buffered perfectly by fruit and some oak. Absolutely no rough edges. Best Melchor I have had.
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Even though I'm not used to the Chilean earth taste (and haven't acquired that taste), this is a very well-built wine. Great concentration and balance. Heavy decanting is recommended but even with high tannins the lush fruit shows no sign of fading. Will revisit the rest of my bottles in a few years.
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Decanted 2½ hr’s. Nose of dark currants, tar, game and loam. Silky mouthfeel with meaty, roasted tannins that are forefront now followed by dense flavors of black currants, tar, cedar and the signature Melchor mint. Mineral quality and dark spices increasing towards the finish. Very primary now, this needs time for the fruit to hopefully take a more prominent role.
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Showing surprisingly well fora young cab. Chilean funk on the nose. Nice red fruit balanced by earth and a bitof gaminess. A very nice wine but not sure worth the $50-$60 price tag.
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Big, rich nose of cherry, plum, and tar, lifted by red currant and mint. In the mouth, there's ample fruit, again in the cherry, plum, and currant range, and adding fig and earthy, mushroomy notes. A very creamy mouthfeel. Tar comes back on the finish along with the classic Chilean earthy notes. Nice long finish. Tannins are present but already seem fairly soft and integrated. The only thing it's lacking right now is delineation, perhaps a little more acidity to provide a little more lightness and balance. The Don Melchor is making good on all the accolades it has received for years; it deserves them more and more. I think this is the best Don Melchor yet, representing a significant improvement on the '03 and '04, which were themselves a big step up from the '00 and '01. What's great about it is that it's also the most distinctively Chilean one yet. It doesn't get lost in imitating Bordeaux or Napa, it shows the earthy loam and minty herbal character of a real Chilean terroir.
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Definitely not a wine for the fruit-loving Cab addicts (ie, my wife did not prefer it at all) -- full of cedar, oak and smoky earthy notes, and though there is some fruit hidden beneath the forest, it took a while to come out and was not at the forefront of the palate. A bit rough, but softened over the several ours we drank and was much better the second night.
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South American Wines (Rios de Sudamerica): Singing, wide open nose has rich, ripe currant fruits, smoke, toasty oak and sweet herbs. Opulent and richly textured palate. Loads of fruit cloak underlying tannins. A baby, but oh so tasty already.
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The color is a very deep purple that fades a little toward the rim. Because this wine is so young the nose is a bit closed right now but it does give some hints of black fruit and spice box. The flavors are a harmonious mix of currant, tobacco, and plumb. The finish is tannic now and full of cedar but will soften over time. Overall this wine is very complex, very well put together and may be the best Don Melchor ever. It needs additional bottle time so resist the temptation and lay this one down for at least a year. Exceptional!
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Wine Spectator Grand Tour (Las Vegas): Wine of the Night with the Saffredi. Huge dark fruit and chocolate mocha flavors. Huge silky mouth feel with beautifully integrated acidity and tannins. Could just gulp this down. Will buy up all the Chilean 05's.
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Drank at kevin's place, with crab cake salad, salmon, lamb, and sausages. Decanted but never really opened up over 4 hrs. Good nose of vanilla and some dark fruit, sweet almost like a mid-priced california cab. Definitely new world. Mid palate not very full. A little lacking of fruit, with heat coming out very prominently. Ending also a little hot. Fine tannins, but alcohol didn't integrate too well. Should be better with 5 more years of bottle age to mellow out. I was expecting more from a WS96 pointer. Didn't show well tonight.
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Big Dogs and Bargains (Farpointe Cellar): A lovely nose of toasted almonds, black currant, and a little fig at the end. The palate was soft and had black currant, mocha, chocolate, and finished with a little fig.
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4/13/2024 - aveeck Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2005 showed much better than the 2006 during a vertical tasting.
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1/6/2024 - UMRich Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful bottle. Tannins resolved but still stood up well to NY strips. At peak but doesn't seem like there's any hurry to consume
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11/26/2023 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Pencil lead, a hint of meat, blueberry and herb flavors. Medium bodied, smooth and delicious.
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11/12/2023 - DoubleD1969 wrote:
This bottle was from an auction purchase several years ago that arrived last month.
Pnp. Cork was in great shape with staining only at the bottom. Color was opaque like a globe eggplant. Nose had hints of eucalyptus, cocoa powder, and warm blueberry pie. Palate was full-bodied and rich with dark chocolate and blackberries. It’s in a great spot. Delicious.
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10/7/2023 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
VA mess
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9/21/2023 - cobbpa wrote: 91 Points
Gives plenty of tobacco & dried herb on the nose, with dried red berry fruits beneath. Med+ body is a good mix of dried red & black cherry fruit alongside herbs, tobacco, and forest floor. Still has some structure but I'll likely drink my remaining bottle within a few years.
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6/22/2023 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lots of stewed notes immediately after opening and first night. Kept some for day 2. Didn’t totally fall apart but I’d drink up. Good just on a decline.
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2/24/2023 - Simoncino wrote: 94 Points
Stupendous LATAM wine, before it went for the hills price-wise. Bottle brought to the U.S from Chile before the label became popular. Tartaric crystals galore on the cork. At first, a bit reticent on the fruit front; all else had everything in balance. Halfway through the bottle, the wine took off like a 747-400. Notes of Colombian coffee and red berries. Teresa bought it but Mila drank it. Justice.
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2/23/2023 - Finewine 16 Likes this wine:
Still drinking great
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12/6/2022 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
great drinking now
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12/4/2022 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 91 Points
Didn't take notes at the time, but had it earlier today.
Great nose and flavor on the palate with smoke paprika, bell pepper, leather, and dry red fruit. Great complexity, but fruit is fading and the acidity is just a tad sharp and the structure isn't anything noteworthy. Great wine.
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11/26/2022 - bin905 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Elegant and refined with plenty of flavor and structure.
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11/12/2022 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
At a nice plateau, consistent with notes from two years ago. Drink within 5 years.
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9/10/2022 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to past bottles, but definitely starting to feel its age. In decline now. Bit more pruny/raisin/caramel/dried berry fruits/spices/pepper.
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9/6/2022 - dpohlman wrote: 91 Points
This may be a little beyond the ideal drinking window.
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8/3/2022 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purple color, rich plum and dark fruit flavors, smoky and smooth tannins. Finish was long and enjoyable. Drinking really well.
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7/16/2022 - madrapper wrote: 89 Points
젠장 코르크 박살남
망했다 맛이고 뭐고 망함
벌레 들어가고 ㅠㅠ
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7/13/2022 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Sadly, this appears to be heat damaged. Some nice elements, but overshadowed by baked fruit and pruniness; heavy, sweetish and woody.
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3/18/2022 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Served double blind to the group. Double decanted off its sediment 4.5 hours before it was finally served. Plum, herbs, dark fruit and eucalyptus notes. Full-bodied and mostly integrated at this point, but there's still some tannins remaining. Finishes with good length. Excellent and in a nice window at the moment.
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2/18/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
No decant, bountiful dark fruit with notes of blackberry, cassis, hint of spice and smoke. Great mouthfeel with long finish. This wine remains well structured With well. integrated tannins - should continue to drink well for 5-10 years. Paired well with grilled venison sausage.
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1/7/2022 - Texas Corkscrew wrote: 92 Points
This wine is still drinking well! Good fruit, well balanced.
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12/31/2021 - Poisey wrote: 93 Points
No decant. Ash, tar, wood smoke, dark red fruit and strawberries. Medium bodied with excellent structure. This really develops and is contently evolving. Long finish with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Burnt rubber, milk chocolate and vanilla aftertaste. Beautiful. Drink now-2026.
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12/17/2021 - DoubleD1969 wrote:
Pop and pour. Cork was in perfect shape. No change in color. Still opaque black-purple. Aromas of forest floor, pine, tar, and sliced plums. Palate is medium bodied. Blackberries, plums. Not as lush as previous bottles. Still delicious though. Drank over two days.
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12/14/2021 - bsmall Likes this wine: 92 Points
magnificent full bodied flavor--slight bottle settlement, diminished nose--but excellent berry freshness with beautifully mellowed tannins. Drinking great now---no sign of decline, likely good for another 5-10 years, my only significant Chile Cab Sauv---Wish I had more :-(
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11/25/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
1 hour decant. This bottle seemed materially more advanced than my last and 2 hours in some prune elements started to appear. Notwithstanding that negative, the wine was still quite good. Very smooth, overripe black fruits, a touch of clove spice, underbrush, and sweet Oak. Drink up.
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11/4/2021 - danscellar wrote: 91 Points
Solid Cab with good structure and complexity, enjoy!
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4/11/2021 - danscellar wrote: 93 Points
Awesome Vino! Great color, nose, complexity and structure. Well balance with fruit, oak and tannin. Enjoy!! Drinking Really well!
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4/9/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine:
Opened for 15 min. Double decanted for 30 min. And place in the fridge fone one hour before leaving to the restaurant.
The nose is fantastic, flowers, morning mist, complex. The body is medium and the palate is a bit oxidized, maybe die to its age or maybe for the long exposure to oxygen, but I don’t think it was too long, only that we consumed it 3 hours after opened.
I’m not giving a rating because it was too much distraction.
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4/5/2021 - Impulse wrote:
Perfect cork, color is still deep for a 16 year-old wine. Nose on forest floor, mushrooms, no fruit left. Tanins are still there but silky, there really isn't much left other than tea leaves. The wine is getting tired. Reaching the end of the plateau, less enjoyable than a few years ago.
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4/4/2021 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine:
Similar note to last year's bottle. Still great. Not on the same level as the 2001 which could just be the age difference. Sadly, my last bottle.
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4/3/2021 - Winerut wrote: 90 Points
Past its prime. PNP, decanted then poured, first few sips were good then quickly wine degraded into unpleasant taste.
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2/28/2021 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 hour decant. A little bricking at rim, but color still very strong red/granite. Black fruits, ripe plums and some cherry notes on nose with tobacco, minerals and cedar. Good overall structure with soft dusty tannins, medium acidity. Aromas repeat on the palate. Very smooth. Fruit was plump and full feeling in the mouth, but not jammy. A distinct mineral , stoney aspect on the mid palate to finish, with an herbal part as well … garrigue, thyme and something else I can't quite place. The mineral and wood elements all in balance with the fruit. Long finish. Delicious.
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2/27/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
1 hour decant. Almost no sediment. A little bricking at rim, but color still very strong. Black fruits and some cherry notes on nose with tobacco, minerals and cedar. Much the same on the palate but the tobacco faded. Very smooth. Fruit was overripe but not quite jammy. The mineral and wood elements kept it from being a pure fruit bomb. This bottle probably had another 5 years of peak drinking.
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2/12/2021 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Passive cellar since release. PnP with aged steak. Just a great new world style Cab. Drinking beautifully.
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1/16/2021 - tim m wrote: 94 Points
So this is drinking wonderfully right now. Still red fruit, fine tannin, long finish. I would expect it has 5 years to go.
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12/26/2020 - Fredmaraujo Likes this wine: 92 Points
really well made Chilean Cab.
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11/22/2020 - Chrisinroch wrote:
A bit advanced, but still nice.
Passive cellared since release. Decanted but not necessary.
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11/13/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
-- cork pulled approx. 2 hours before tasting --
-- tasted blind over approx. 40 minutes –
NOSE: expressive; cherry; mineral; red licorice ropes.
BODY: medium bodied; dark color with slight bricking throughout.
TASTE: a bit spiky; leather; hints of pine and smoke/cigar; dark-fruited; in a nice spot now, but still on its upswing. My favorite of the tasting, by quite a bit. 5/5 rating.
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11/12/2020 - iahviahv wrote: 94 Points
Magnum pristinely kept. Cork as new. What a wine.
I wish I had more. Drink up!
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11/5/2020 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Tasted immediately after decanting. Our last bottle and no doubt the best. It is rich and intense. Black cherry and blackberry fruit, a touch of spice and dark chocolate in the long finish. Wish we had more.
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10/26/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
A good quaff, initial impact is limestone, briars and blackberry. Overnight a bit of plum emerged. I’d drink now.
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9/22/2020 - Rob_Sutherland wrote: flawed
Dead as a doorknob. Perfect storage since release, tasted like a stewed dead Italian wine, all prunes and balsamic. Threw off massive sediment.
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9/4/2020 - Rollerball wrote:
Needs an hour in the decanter.
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8/30/2020 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 93 Points
Method: decanted for about 1.5 hours, rebottled and tasted about 1.5 hours later; 65 degrees; Cab glass
Look: medium garnet with maybe a little rust tint; medium- amount of faster legs
Nose: wet forest floor, olive tapenade on bread, sautéed mushroom, sun dried tomato, dark fruit, fig, prunes; great nose
Palate: soy sauce, plum sauce, hoisin sauce, mushroom, sun dried tomato, worn leather, fig, spiced black plum, hot chocolate; long finish of leather, light green olive, clay dust, dried herbs, and salinity; dry; medium+ body; medium riper and pretty integrated tannins; medium acidity
Overall thoughts: Great umami notes and complexity on both the palate and nose. If I'm being picky, I would score this higher if it was even fuller in body and even more integrated with some more age. Great wine; I love it.
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8/30/2020 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding wine, paid off having keeping it for 14 years.
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8/23/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
awesome
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7/5/2020 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted using Vinturi. Much like my previous note but fully integrated and improved. It seems rich and velvety. Would put this in a lineup of Bordeaux with the same age, and I think it would be people’s WOTN.
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6/28/2020 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last of 8 bottles purchased way back whenever some 12 years ago.
Used the Coravin to pour a large glass to enjoy with a ribeye tonight.
Glad to still have 2/3 of the bottle to enjoy later in summer.
Delicious wine with plenty of life left.
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6/6/2020 - wmccone54 Likes this wine: 95 Points
To me, this is Chilean Royalty and Chile’s version of “Cru Classe”, along with Vina Almavna, Clos Apalta, and Errazazuriz Vinedo Chadwick...consistent vintage after vintage. Like all great wines, it’s pricey but rarely disappoints! At fifteen years, this is fully mature, but still hitting all the high notes: black fruits aromas and flavors of black currant, dried blackberries, crushed black cherries, black coffee, dried loamy soil, old brittle chocolate, and hints of stewed bell pepper. Well integrated structure, but with plenty of “oomph” to stand up to a medium rare grilled ribeye steak. Applause to the winery!
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5/17/2020 - libero wrote: 93 Points
This 15 YEars old bottle is outstanding. At opening strong aromas of young leather and red berries, fading overtime. At taste is smooth with a medium finishing and slightly tannin.
We had it with peppery beef bourgnonne and pairing quite well.
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5/10/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
I think this was as good as it’s been or will be. Well lifted nose of crushed blackberry, oak notes and garrigue. Lively blackberry and earthy notes still competed with acidity and tannins that threaten to come to the fore. Drink at just above cellar temps for the best experience. Started to fall apart just a bit after too much air and warming. Drink in 2020.
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5/10/2020 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Taste and decanted. Lots of sediments. Strong aromas of old leather (pleasant to me ) . After decanting, color showing time to drink it. Aromas fading but present, leather, prunes and dry figs, spicies of middle easter. At taste, it still opening , strong tannins and spicy.
At this point, half hour later a finishing of about 20 seconds with trending at a long finishing.
Continuous to be delicious on day 1 and 2 . At thirdly day I had already drank it all...
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5/7/2020 - gothamfreerider Likes this wine: 87 Points
Like others have noted, metallic tastes goes away with 30min decanting . Cocoa dark notes, silky, decent length. Not bad, but not my favorite.
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4/15/2020 - pikemasterflash wrote:
Thick and viscous. I would agree with others that these are coming to the end of their lives. Enjoyable but too thick to be super memorable.
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4/11/2020 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 92 Points
Some burnt rubber after initial pour, but that burned off soon enough. Still, this wine has begun to tire. Tertiary notes center stage now with sweet caramel lingering on top of dark fruit. Almost raisiny, but not really out of balance. Remains pleasurable yet not what I remember three years ago as being remarkable. Very good though. Last of 7 (for some odd reason). No reason to wait, drink sooner than later.
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3/30/2020 - Eventrider wrote: 89 Points
Too old, only tertiary flavors. Past prime.
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3/20/2020 - spineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really well constructed. Nice integrated fruit with tannins still present but fading. Did not change much over 1 hour in decanter. By second night, not much left. Getting old! Drink up. Great with red meat.
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3/18/2020 - thegooddoctor wrote: 81 Points
Alas, I feel the same as WINOT. Past its prime. Prior bottles were fantastic. This now has a smokiness to it. A shame.
I am now going to open a 2005 Almaviva and hope for better.
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3/5/2020 - winot wrote: 89 Points
This was past it's prime. Predominantly woody, cocoa. Lacking freshness and fruit. I'm sure others might like it better than I do, but it seems like an overdone wine, left too long. Last bottle in 2017 was much better, so it may be the intervening three years, or bottle variation.
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2/8/2020 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth and with a nice little taste of chocolate in the finish.
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1/27/2020 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took a decant and 2 hours of airtime to really open up. Medium weight to full. Dark berry fruit creaminess, cassis, cedar. Drying tannins. A beautiful wine, elegant, not big and OTT.
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1/11/2020 - wilksnake Likes this wine:
X
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1/11/2020 - wilksnake wrote:
Yummy
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1/6/2020 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
At peak maturity, it seems, with the cherry fruit still bright and deep and the earthy and vegetal notes still distinct. It’s still worth decanting for an hour or so. Could wait for a few years, but it won’t improve. The time is right.
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12/30/2019 - jsander Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour and half. Classic Cab. Lots of room to go.
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12/28/2019 - maderay wrote: 90 Points
Coffee notes
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12/21/2019 - Ecoenophile wrote: flawed
Corked bottle ☹️
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12/21/2019 - vlzat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon 97% and Cabernet Franc 3%
Full body, deep garnet color. First attack is intense ripe black fruits, I’d say cherry or plum jam but with aeration shows cedar wood, dried spices and tobacco notes. Typical for cabernet sauvignon black currants and blueberry palate combined with dark chocolate and long plummy and liquorice finish. Powerful, rich, bold and complex, but still refreshing, overall balanced between completely integrated sweet tannins and refreshing acidity. Food friendly, tasted with onion-porcini soup and Selles-sur-Cher cheeses. Serve 17º - 20º. Open about one hour ahead. Drink now, already some years as completely developed but will enjoyable about six/eight years.
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12/11/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
On pnp this was gorgeous to watch open in the glass. Gobs of plush, resolved fruit left in this bottle at least (as compared to others’ notes below). I’d say this has a few great years left -2022.
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10/29/2019 - wren460 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Don´t wait any longer. This wine will not get better with further cellaring time. As good as will ever get. Fruit has almost gone. Very good, but by no means a very memorable wine.
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10/23/2019 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nicely integrated now with really good balance of acidity, fruit, and smokiness.
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10/19/2019 - R.B.K Likes this wine: 95 Points
At peak - drink over the coming 5 years.
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10/16/2019 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Yes I can say this seemed to be fading. The nose still had pretty good lift with blackberry and cassis. The flavors were pretty muted, chocolate, blackberry, cracked pepper and heat with moderate tannins that dry out the wine. Time to drink.
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9/28/2019 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Pas mieux que la première, poivrons, cassis et
eucalyptus avec encore pas mal de bois.
La finale sur le caoutchouc et la fumée me rebute...encore!
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5/4/2019 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Delicious like my note of November 2014. Rounder and better overall, but not relevant to change my prior rating.
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2/23/2019 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Double blind. Plummy, raisiny dark fruit dominates the bouquet. Medium-bodied, with raisiny black fruit on the palate, ending a bit on the thin side. Shows slighty sour and acidic with air. Guessed Napa can sauv.
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1/26/2019 - Sijan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Elegant and well-balanced. Had some classic Chilean green vegetable notes on the nose initially, but they faded away. Dark red fruit, cedar, incense, baking spices. Smooth, round tannins. Medium bodied.
A bit less fruit than previous bottle--maybe fading a bit?
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12/31/2018 - Haroldz7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful wine! Just coming into it's own. Beautiful inky / purple in color with a nose of red and dark fruits. Taste is juicy with both black and red fruit, with an emphasis on the black fruit. While the oak is there, it is balanced nicely with the rest of the wine. This medium to full bodied wine has well integrated tannin's and a short to medium finish. This wine is exceptionally balanced and shows finesse and polish - aging gracefully with lots of life left in it.
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12/27/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 86 Points
Fading just a tad with a nose of smoke and crushed blackberry. Leanish on the flavors violet, Chuckar Cherry, cough medicine and a bit of heat on the palate. I’d drink before the end of 2019.
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12/19/2018 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
Inky dark purple. Rich, concentrated black and dark cherry fruit and well intergrated tannins. Ripe but not excessively so. At its peak now and through 2020.
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12/12/2018 - Robwild wrote: 92 Points
Big bold. Nose of fruit. Supple and balanced.
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9/8/2018 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
superb
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8/15/2018 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable.
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7/29/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 91 Points
Dense dark wine with licorice and tobacco notes and plummy dark fruit flavors. It has a bit of alcohol on the long finish. Tannins are solid and a bit dry.
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7/23/2018 - AllRed wrote:
Finishing up the remnants of the bottle opened two days prior. Black fruit and cassis with hints of herb/sage. Dark fruit flavors along with pine sap and tar flavors.
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7/21/2018 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group: Global Cabernet Sauvignon (Our house): Blind. Notes of herbs and dark fruit with a hint of the citrusy grapefruit thing common in this wine when young. Made it easy to pick out as our wine. Medium tannins with flavors of dark fruit and eucalyptus. Needs a couple of years yet.
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3/31/2018 - MWes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well right now. Seems to be in a really nice place. Stored in my cellar since release. Was good for the 2 hours we drank it, but didn’t improve.
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3/22/2018 - brian przyzycki wrote: 95 Points
Wow!! I have enjoyed this wine a couple times and was somewhat unimpressed. Good but nothing to write home about. Holy smokes....tonight's 05' was oven shittin' rediculous! The flavor of this wine was unlike any other cabernet I ever had. Reddish pomegranate fruits with no tannins and devoid of alcohol. Truly memorable. Now I get it. This stuff is the real deal. It just takes time to hit its stride. I will now buy this wine again in exceptional vintages. Bravo!
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3/14/2018 - briquette wrote: 94 Points
Drinking really well. Seems to be hitting its stride.
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12/26/2017 - Zorba Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great showing, ripe and focused fruit: bilberries, cassis, dark cherries provide great juice with lovely smooth texture from resolved tannins, enough acidity to keep the ripe fruit from tasting sweet. Little herbal components, but warm smooth spices in the background. Nice cigar box flavours, very nicely integrated luxury oak here. Not much sense of terroir but I'm not complaining as it's just a great cab.
This seemed nicely on the drinking plateau with no signs at all of it being past peak. Perhaps it'll still improve over the next years, I'd say it'll be great until 2022 at least.
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12/15/2017 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank these a while ago but forgot to remove from inventory.
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10/27/2017 - Vino Me wrote: flawed
Opened by Allred. Part of a 4 bottle vertical. This bottle was flawed. Tasted like stewed fruit.
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9/9/2017 - miadelt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour. Color was dark ruby, beautiful bouquet, smooth, complex flavors, depth and length was a little lacking. I really enjoy the flavors of high end Chilean Cabs and this wine had some of that.
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8/26/2017 - Les Kangas wrote: 90 Points
Followed previous instructions and would not decant for an hour. Stored in correct temp with Reidel glasses. One bottle left but will not air that much
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7/8/2017 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted an hour before drinking. Dark red with a hint of auburn. Lively, ripe black fruit, black current. Little/no tell-tale eucalyptus. Sweet, nicely resolved tannins. Good lift. Lots of life yet.
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7/5/2017 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted 1.5 hours before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
-- 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc --
NOSE: ripe fruit aromas --- more red-fruited than purple-fruited, but it is a mix of the two; a bit sweet; medium sweet oak note.
BODY: some sediment; dark blood red color of great depth with a hint of bricking throughout; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: ripe; oaky; medium-low acidity; soft tannins; non-descript and a bit lush; lacks energy; hint of smoky leather after some time in the glass; maybe better in 5 years?; when paired with steak and a caramelized onion risotto: smoky coffee note emerges; much better with food than without; with the food, this actually turns into an impressive wine --- one that I dare say is a poor man's LLC. gut impression scores: without food: high 80's; with food: low 90's. Because this is still mostly primary, and because of the impressive presentation with food, this continues to be a wine that I should Hold.
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6/30/2017 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning bottle of wine. I would have guessed it was a well-made Napa cab. Seamless texture, integrated tannins, lot of structure. Wish I had more than the one bottle!
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6/25/2017 - fjv3 wrote:
Past it's prime. All leather and stewed fruit.
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6/11/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Anesthesia Dinner (House of Prime Rib, San Francisco): Clear deep ruby with slight bricking; youthful medium intensity aromas with blackberry, spice, plenty of vanilla and oak (French, according to the producer's website); palate is full bodied, blackberry fruit, high tannin but soft and well integrated, medium acidity, fruit fades slightly through the midpalate without much to replace it, minimal secondary character, medium-plus alcohol (14%); medium clean finish but just slightly bitter. Overall seems new world in primary fruit, at its peak but without developing much secondary character, more balanced than my last taste in 2011 (less heat this time), but disappointing for one of the most famous Chilean wines. 89
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6/3/2017 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark purple color, smoky bouquet, smooth tannins, delicious king fruit.
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5/26/2017 - gesusser Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle. Decanted one hour plus Allowed this dark red cab to open up. Minimal sediment. Tannins well tamed nice long legs and great mouth feel. Great finish.
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4/28/2017 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 92 Points
2 hour decant. This wine has really mellowed with 12 years of age. Has edges that are downy pillow soft. Great fruit and enough core to support the lush frame. All tannins resolved. Still a beauty.
I see there is plenty in cellars right now. It's in a good place, so why not drink sooner than later. Don't see a reason to hold too much longer. One left in my own cellar and it will be gone within the next five.
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4/20/2017 - redknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for about 90 min then of to Le Provencale with the boys.
Great wine very distinctive flavor and still somewhat young.
Its been more than a month but I remember being a very good wine
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4/13/2017 - Eventrider Likes this wine: 92 Points
Eucalyptus, chalky, dark garnet with mushroom and coffee notes. Drink now, will not improve with further age.
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3/18/2017 - wculpepper wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted. Notes taken day 2 and the wine appears to have improved over the first day. Garnet color with some bricking. Pleasant nose of blackberries and eucalyptus. Rich full-bodied dark fruit on the palate with good structure from acids and tannins. Pleasing and lengthy finish. Probably will not further improve with age, but should be drinking well for at least five more years.
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3/12/2017 - Marc S wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and raspberry with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a medium finish - Really enjoyed this wine. Well balanced and reached its peak.
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2/8/2017 - sethboy23 wrote: 92 Points
Solid. Value debatable.
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1/14/2017 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Don Melchor 2000-2012 Dinner (My place): Corked
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12/29/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, pepper and berries. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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12/12/2016 - KeithAkers wrote: flawed
Rotating Dinner Series- 2005 Blind Bordeaux Blends from around the world (The Bristol, Chicago IL): This felt like it was flawed. There is a stewy and soy component to it that is hard to miss. While it's been in perfect storage since purchase, I wonder if something was done to this on the way to retail.
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12/12/2016 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
The Rotating Dinners, I.7: 2005 Bordeaux Blends (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind (but it was known this was a 2005 Bordeaux blend). Plummy, overripe, and modern. Not pleasant, with a bit of roasted quality on the finish. Some of us thought this was the victim of bad storage (though this was bought on release and cellared since). Didn't really bother to put down a guess on this wine.
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12/9/2016 - bboard wrote:
PnP consumed over next 2 hours. Getting some black fruits & methanol on the nose. On the palate, med+ body, cassis, currants, sweet (slightly) fruits with some acidity to offset, herbs/medicinal, smooth integrated tannin, bit of mint on the finish, med length finish. Easy drinking but expected a little more complexity. Decent amount of grainy sediments. Can't comment on longevity as first time drinking this wine but it drinks fine now.
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12/7/2016 - asgerG wrote: 91 Points
Den Blinde Hane#3 (Hos Jens Peter): D2h. Dark red, beginning to turn yellow on the rim, 5.5. Classic CS nose dominated by black currants, herbal notes behind. Intense palate with polished mature tannins and dark fruits. Drink now-2025
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11/26/2016 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
My last bottle of a six-bottle case. Great black fruit, good complexity, tannins have smoothed out nicely.
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11/19/2016 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit and licorice. Dry, med body, very smooth tannins, med acidity, spice, black current, and cedar on palate. Nice finish. A great wine, and drinking very well right now. Has many more years left of it. Wish I had more in the cellar.
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11/18/2016 - GFWeaver wrote: 94 Points
Excellent.
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11/16/2016 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet colour. Black licorice bouquet, almost medicinal, but interesting. Big on body. Not fruity like the Aalto and Greenock Creek we had a few days ago, a little more serious I guess, but nice with a good steak. By good steak, I mean not something I grill myself. Take-out beef tenderloin with an olive and feta topping. Interesting variation from 2003 and 2004 vintages.
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10/31/2016 - Bud Kreuzer wrote: 92 Points
Nice color and medium body. Smooth, well balanced, nice finish. Opened with blueberry, moved to blackberry as it opened up. Nice with a New York steak. Nice value at the price.
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10/9/2016 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very nice wine but maybe lacking the depth and complexity that you would expect in a 95+ point wine. Smooth and well balanced but could be starting to fade a little as the tannin structure after a one hour decant is diminished
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10/1/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dense purple. Thick blackberry juice and bramble on the nose. Blueberries up front for a brief period followed by strong blackberry bramble. Tasty, and will live on many more years.
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9/11/2016 - Gustavo Brambila wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. There is light sediment in the bottle.
It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and plum. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, prune and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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9/11/2016 - FredericoWines wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Very fruity and concentrate juice. Tannins are very well integrated. Smooth drinking and long finish inside mouth. Glad to have 4 more bottles. Should last for at least 3-5 years
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9/10/2016 - mdaniel wrote: 92 Points
Paired wonderfully with Guinness marinaded filet mignon and baked potatoes on the 9/11 eve.
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8/27/2016 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 94 Points
3-hour decant; full-bodied, well-balanced and exceptional dark fruit. The wine also brings a great finish with more fruit, subtle cassis and rhubarb notes. Patience is rewarded - last bottle was best by far - 12/12.
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8/25/2016 - WI WineLover Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really nice right now
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8/13/2016 - NY Wino wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple color, nice big nose of dark fruit and earth. The wine has delicious fruit, super smooth tannins, long delicious finish. Drinking great!
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8/7/2016 - FREDERICO VAZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
A little past peak. Oxidized notes with strong tannins still. It was interesting but downhill from the one drunk two years ago.
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8/6/2016 - wetlandwino wrote: 94 Points
Couldn't be much better. Drink now or within the next year.
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7/30/2016 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine: 93 Points
First of a 6-bottle purchase. Pop and pour. It is more lush than the '01. Still a lot of fruit but not over the top. Nose is wonderful with crush dark cherries, wet earth and maybe even forest floor and some dried oregano. The palate is balance with sweet red fruit, some chewy tannin, and acidity that keeps things fresh. The color opaque with very little fading at the edges. I did notice that there were very fine particles when held against a light source, which I have not noticed before in the '01. Very enjoyable and finished an entire bottle between the two us which is not common. 93 pts with potential to improve a few more points.
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7/18/2016 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour and consumed over dinner of Filet and summer vegetables. Dark fruit with a rich mid palate and some tannins on the finish. Overall a very enjoyable Cab that is drinking really well now and has room to age over the next 3-5 years.
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7/1/2016 - gesusser Likes this wine: 94 Points
1.5 hour decent minimal sediment and wow..wow wow wow..totally ready for consumption ..been 3 years since last bottle .smooth nice finish ...a rich Cabernet which worked great with our Italian meal
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6/10/2016 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose of earth, black currants, menthol, and cherries. On the palate, currant, plum, mint. Nice finish, lots of life left. Drink or continue to hold.
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5/27/2016 - Tonythefish wrote: 92 Points
Very approachable and easy drinking
See prior notes
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5/14/2016 - sam_rosato@hotmail.com Likes this wine:
the wine has softened nicely, very enjoyable.
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4/2/2016 - Vmaster007 wrote: 91 Points
Really nice wine! Decanted for about 1 hour and drank over 2 days. It is a joy to drink and can be kept for 5-10 years more. It was even better the next day. Nice dark berries and cherries, plum, tobacco with a good acidity.
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3/14/2016 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark purple color, bouquet of dark fruit with some smokey tar and liquorice notes, the wine still had tons of fruit, with notes of chocolates and smooth tannins. The finish is long and luscious. Drinking beautifully and likely to stay here for some time.
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3/11/2016 - incontrol wrote:
First one. We will see how good it is.
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3/10/2016 - geppetto wrote: flawed
Maderised. Cellared well from purchase, but purchased from Trader Joes, so who knows what happened. I had a bottle a few years ago and it was great (same store, purchased on the same day).
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2/25/2016 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 91 Points
What I had of bottle was very good. Nice red fruits were brighter than I expected, and smooth finish
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2/20/2016 - joet626 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding. Lush and rich. Chocolate notes on the finish. A real mouthful of wine here.
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2/20/2016 - traderspartan Likes this wine: 96 Points
The last of 6 Bottles and the best one of them all, this is why you age wine. I think this wine is at its peak.
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2/13/2016 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
From magnum and from memory: appears to be drinking well with integrated tannins, has some distinctive flavors which made me wish I took better notes, but overall impression was that it was in it's drinking window but with years of life ahead.
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1/30/2016 - tuzlukov Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very tight, but the tannins that lead the way now are sleek and refined, and should easily meld into the huge core of roasted chestnut, black currant paste, warm fig and tar.
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1/17/2016 - jpaul1 wrote:
Purple to garnet in color. Very perfumed nose of cassis, plum, salami, pipe ash, dust, licorice and vanilla. Black fruit with med (-) acid. Fully resolved tannin and a somewhat short finish. The nose has a very interesting depth and quality. I question how long lived this wine is with the low acid and already resolved tannin.
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1/13/2016 - gutt22 Does not like this wine:
Something's amiss here. Not flawed, but it had a reductive note and an unpleasant creosote scent on the nose. Rather vacant and flabby on the palate. A head-scratching miss. C-
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1/12/2016 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs, needed the air to soften the tannins and to become nicely together. Firm body without being aggressive, quality fruit met by a decent freshness. Solid wine, it is heading in a good direction, no rush to drink.
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12/31/2015 - PJHaveron wrote: 91 Points
A bit restrained
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12/27/2015 - valecnik wrote: 88 Points
Night one: Full, velvety body. The dark fruit runs deep and broad. Good acidity. Dusty and loamy. Night two: nose has become very odd, with a sour/industrial character, like pickled axle grease. Also notes of aged cheddar and maybe something floral beneath the surface. That strange aroma carries over to the palate as well. Maybe this is how the fruit is manifesting as it turns stewed? It spent about 48 hours capped in a half bottle between nights. Tannins are still looming large and acidity borders on crackling, so this should have a ton of life left in it. Hard to believe, therefore, that it was on a downhill slide but don't otherwise know how to explain the bizarre shift in flavor.
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12/19/2015 - Bryan004 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was skeptical upon opening from the varied tasting notes. Strong nose, matching palate. Dark chery, roasted fig, plum...ripe fruit, mostly mellowed tannins. My first DM. Only had a hint of the menthol and green that I was expecting. All aspects were well balanced. Very good wine but strangely not too memorable. I could have almost confused if for Napa.
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11/27/2015 - guitarguy Does not like this wine: 88 Points
I thought this was sweet and fruity but with little complexity or more than passing interest. Bad QPR for this bottle.
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11/26/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice rich red and black berry flavors with good depth and nice balance. Performed better than I expected. Crowd pleaser.
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10/29/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
No decant. Drank over two days. The first day it was still a bit closed and tight, but showing promise with a bit of fruit sneaking out through the veil. That fruit was dark cherry and plum. The next day, the harshness of the tannins had disappeared and the rich, round red fruits came forward with a background of earth and spice.
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10/19/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
PNP, last bottle of 6, rubber, band aid, menthol, funky nose. The palate is a bit thin, with dried cherry, prunes, plums, hints of minerals, soft medium finish.
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10/17/2015 - bcc725 wrote:
EWLED's note hits the mark for me. Showing great regional typicity....a beautifully made wine. Nose is not explosive, but it has an interesting sanguine note that hints at savouriness....Then the new world, dried cherry fruit hits the palate with secondary notes of light dustiness and leather. Nice length.
Wine that stands up to its reputation.
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9/20/2015 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours and drank a glass over about 1.5 hours. Rich and more New World than other Don Melchors I've had. It was certainly nice but didn't seem to have much going on. I see that I have a couple bottles of this and I will hold them for at least 2 years before trying again.
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9/19/2015 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as other Melchors. Gravel, red fruits and cedar. Medium finish.
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9/19/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
South American Stars (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color. Decanted for 1.5hrs, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. 97% CS, 3% CF. Very much an enigma tonight as this bottle just didn't show as expected at all. A rather nondescript nose with cedar and dark fruits that gives some nuances after awhile. The palate seems youthful tonight, medium full bodied, cassis, gritty, graphite, dry tannins and showing more wood. Good, but not great, it just seemed like it was tight and in a dumb phase. It didn't really change much over the evening though.
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8/15/2015 - ELH wrote: 91 Points
Smooth and mature, with integrated tannins. Rich, dark fruit with Plums, cassis, and prunes. In a good drinking window.
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7/22/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful expressions of dark, stewed prune, cassis, tobacco, and tar. Fully integrated structurally, this vintage is representing wonderfully the Chilean "Maipo Magic"
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7/16/2015 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
Medium to full bodied. Copious ripe fresh plum and cassis flavors. The tannins are nearly completely integrated. This is smooth as silk and drinking really well at this time.
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7/7/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much more integrated with extended air. Still has that herbal/green/eucalyptus, but much more tolerable as it mixed in the black currant fruit. Lengthy finish. Quite good, more enjoyable with steak.
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6/19/2015 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
3yrs from my last bottle. Some evolution, still with a strong leafy herbal, smoky eucalyptus note that I associate with chile. Some dark red fruit on the palate, spice, with plenty of lift. Moderate finish. I just find the mix of flavors a bit odd and off putting. More personal preference than flaw, as all my bottles have been consistent and so presumably showing terrior.
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6/18/2015 - Poisey Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wood smoke tar and rubber with blackberry fruit. Great balance and so silky smooth on the pallet. Sour dry ashy like finish. Texturally pleasing with integrated silky tannin.
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6/17/2015 - 818wines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Started off a bit closed and surprisingly earthy. But over the course of a couple of hours, opened up beautifully. Wait a while on this or give it some air.
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6/13/2015 - tmhouse Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking great now. Should be in the best window for the next few years.
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6/7/2015 - bin905 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Zesty, pungent pepper, dried herb, plum and kirsch scent. Concentrated, rich, black cherry, fig, mocha, licorice, with ample dusty tannins and a long penetrating finish.
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6/5/2015 - tim m wrote: 93 Points
This is really drinking at peak right now it seems. Decanted for two to three hours. Black fruit, really nice spice notes, super long finish. Wonderful.
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6/3/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Opened by Allred. Decanted for 1 hour. Part of a 5 bottle vertical. This was could benefit from some additional time in bottle although a few hours decanted might suffice. Inky purple color. Tried this early and late in the night. It showed some alcohol early but the faded with time. Notes of black pepper, currant and chocolate. Firm tannins with some raisin notes on the finish. 91 points.
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5/30/2015 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Decanted one hour before dinner. Notes of black fruit, spice and herbs. Still rather primary, with firm, sweet tannins and flavors of black fruit, spice and herbs. Balanced, but in need of time.
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5/30/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Allred. This was my favorite of the vertical, followed by the '97, '02, '04 and '03 in that order. Very plush with black cherry and blackberry. Very nice.
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5/29/2015 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose filled with dusty herbs, graphite and camphor with a tinge of sharp alcohol at the end after a 1hr decant. Blackberries, dark cherries, violets, and a shake of rose bush gush onto the palate framed with gentle minerality. A superb balance of acid and mouth watering fruit. Some might nitpick and say there is a thin mid-palate, but I think this as a very nicely refined bottle in a world of plush. Charcoal laced, ultra-fine, slightly chewy tannin finish that lingers and satisfies. Further improvement into second and third hours signifying hope for future years. This one delivers.
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5/25/2015 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours (optional). Follows my note from '08. Still deep reddish violet. Dark fruits, dried herbs, mocha and slight earth on the nose. Velvety rich fruit that is nicely balanced with tannin and a small dose of acidity. Paired great with grilled steaks, but also did well alone as we all lingered around the table. This is what it's going to be but should hold for several more years.
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5/8/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted to remove the plentiful solids in this wine. It takes a long time to open and shed the Castoria taste that this wine initially presents. After about an hour or more it tasted of deep red fruit, spice, and a bit of cocoa. Very delicious.
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4/17/2015 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
D1h. Dark red, beginning to turn yellow on the rim, 6. Initially one dimensional and a bit green bouquet, but during the evening it opened up into a classic CS showing ripe blackcurrant, mint, spices, and this green herbal character behind it all. Harmonious racy palate, intense dark fruits, still some tannin and a bitter finish that worked well with the food. Drink now -2020. This is certainly much better than the previous bottle I had three weeks ago. If it wasn't for the sun ripe fruit on the palate I could have taken this for a Bdx. This wine is in its early drinking window and will probably stay there for many years.
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4/5/2015 - FREDERICO VAZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very well aged. Very persistent with soft tannins. Drinking at peak.
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3/27/2015 - asgerG wrote: 88 Points
DnP. Dark red, yellow rim, 5.5. Somewhat too old/oxidized mature nose. Racy palate, pronounced tannins. A bit neutral and disappointing. Maybe an off bottle.
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3/2/2015 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
went well with the steak at out of denmark
liked by all the cabernet lovers at the table
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2/15/2015 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Glad I waited five years from my first bottle as the time in the cellar turned this into a classic well bred Cabernet that was an utter joy to drink. Well balanced is the term I would use to capture this wine experience. Great nose, soft tannins, medium to long finish. It lost the vegetal taste I didn't like 5 years ago.
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2/10/2015 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Ready to drinking.It will improve after one hour decant. While decanting appreciate the aromas, even at one foot away.
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1/28/2015 - Bobo N Does not like this wine:
No rating bc something wrong. 2nd bottle this month that had nose of stewed tomato. Disappointing. Other vintages have been great. Must be flawed, but 2 in a row?
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1/19/2015 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
After the last bottle was a bit off, this was a huge relief. Although this was our back-up bottle tonight and did not get the attention it should have, this proved to be a very nice cab indeed. At this point a bit of a decant is in order.
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1/19/2015 - fscov Likes this wine: 93 Points
A minha nota só não foi maior pois não considero o preço do vinho uma boa opção. Há melhores vinhos por valores mais em conta. O vinho é muito bom e após decantar por 1 hora demonstra todas as suas notas.
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1/18/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
The wine was dark with medium tannins an a long finish. I love the added herbal/eucalyptus notes that Don Melchor brings to Cabernet. The wine needed an hour to open and changed throughout the evening. A beautiful vintage of a new world classic. Drinking well now.
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1/5/2015 - sethboy23 wrote:
Need to blow off initial earthy barnyard nose
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12/28/2014 - jdbooth Likes this wine: 86 Points
This wine needs an extended period of decanting. Upon opening the nose is rather pungent and there are notes of crude oil and green pepper. Not pleasant.
Day 2 was much better. No evidence of bricking or oak. This is fairly dense and full-bodied and the fruit is in good shape. Fairly simplistic and monolithic.
Good, not exceptional.
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12/6/2014 - R&R wrote: flawed
Past prime, uncoordinated flavors with green Chilean terrior.
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11/27/2014 - shank wrote: 91 Points
Not as bold as last bottle.
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11/22/2014 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Very dark red color, long and spaciously leg, slowly comedown,brilliant and transparent. Taste harmonious of black berries, prunes and chocolate. Balanced tanning and smooth and complex drinking. Right time to start drinking it.
We had it with s little spicy seafood paella and the match could not be better. Better to let decant for one hour. Cheers !!!
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11/9/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
An evening with friends and a lot of wine (Chris and Renee's Home): I have had this wine many times in the past. Not sure if it is this bottle or the wine, but it appears to be fading a bit. The nose has dust, cassis, fresh cut lumber, and rosemary. On the palate, this is not as vibrant as it used to be. Still has fruit and oak. Not as much complexity as I might have expected but there is some. It is still drinking well, but I might be inclined to drink these sooner than later.
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10/17/2014 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Dark red, full body, aromas of prunes and dried figs, smooth and round, balanced tannins.
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10/12/2014 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
This was the penultimate bottle of a case that I purchased on release. It was incredibly smooth, rich, and complex. I don't do 100-point scales, but if I did, this would be nearly perfect.
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10/8/2014 - Wine Poor wrote:
I think this was an off bottle. Alcohol, prune, no loamy Chilean earth. Will try another soon to check. Not rated.
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10/6/2014 - DonWinspear Likes this wine: 90 Points
Spice, dark fruit, hint of earth, leather. Moderate finish.
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9/23/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted and started drinking. Nice bottle with a nice mix of dark red fruit and charred wood.
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9/20/2014 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Dark Bordeaux color, lots of legs, long and short space among them. Quickly coming down. Aromas of red berries, prunes and figs Too tight at this point. Tannic and high acidity . My wife compared it with stars fruit taste. Recommend at least 5 hours decanting for full taste and aromas.
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9/11/2014 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Thursday Wine Night - Free Style (Extra Space): Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose initially barnyardy bretty funkiness which blows off. Medium+ intensity aromas of soy sauce, dark cherries, plums. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, high tannins, full body. Pronounced flavor intensity, with flavours of dark cherry, plums, soy sauce, tobacco, earth. Slight herbaceousness. Long finish.
I thought this was a Brunello.
Very good quality. Drinking well now. Will continue to improve over the next 5 years.
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9/9/2014 - Ecoenophile wrote: 90 Points
Decanted. First class right away (and second class 2 hrs later) both open wil a little funky (almost corked) aroma. It leaves the class within 10 minutes... then nose is nice - lavender, plum, boysenberry. Palate is somewhat one dimensional, but nice. Same purple fruits and a little tart cherry on the finish. Tannins are a little chewy still - but not over powering - actually add a nice aspect to the finsh. Hoped for more... but a decent showing (after the funk blows off!).
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8/7/2014 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 92 Points
No notes at the time but this was excellent. Lots of licorice, tobacco, black olives and perhaps some raisin. Decant if drinking now but this will keep for quite a while.
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8/4/2014 - shank wrote: 92 Points
Good nose with full mouth and bouquet. Nice long finish.
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7/6/2014 - Sethbo11 wrote: 84 Points
Poor showing for this wine. Upon opening it had a funk that blew off after a half-hour or so. It was basically a wall of tannin and acidity. After an hour or so it opened up a bit but remained fairly flat and one dimensional. I'd suggest a long decant to any one partaking what is normal a great wine...
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6/12/2014 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Clear slight garnet in color. Clean nose if black current, cedar, and tobacco. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, black licorice, black currant, and floral on palate. Nice finish. Great wine drinking well right now
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6/8/2014 - matt182 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank over 2 hours, took time to open up, nose at first is pure black licorice, very one dimensional, then notes of resin, grape soda and tobacco completed the profile. Smooth on the palate, tannins are soft, still fresh, blackberries, grape concentrate, licorice and tobacco. Medium finish, this is ready.
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5/31/2014 - Kdad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Can you say SMOKEY! Wow. However, after about 2 hours opened up nicely.
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5/18/2014 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted blind alongside several top Bordeaux blends from Napa and France.
This wine clearly held its own, and is drinking extremely well now.
Outstanding QPR value for the price.
I've consumed multiple vintages of this wine, and the 2005 is clearly the best vintage I've ever tasted. This wine warrants the press and high scores. Highly recommended.
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5/18/2014 - wren460 wrote: 92 Points
The wine is delicious. It is definitely ready for prime time, does not need any more cellaring time IMHO. Lots of tobaco. The wine is very good but does not make any "top" list. I bought the wine for $60 but I have seen recent vintages close to $100. Make no mistake, the wine is a good buy at $60-$75, but I will not buy a Don Melchor at $100.
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5/18/2014 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Beautiful as it was well integrated with nice earthy and smokey notes. Fleshy body with additional notes of graphite. A little short on the finish, otherwise score would be higher.
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5/3/2014 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious, complex wine with caramel notes, earthiness and definitely a sense of terroir…easily recognizable as Chile. Tannins are smooth and resolved. Not fading at all…no need to drink up but believe it is mature.
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4/30/2014 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux Blends from Around the World Wine Tasting Presented by the Wine Commanders (Paradiso Restaurant, Athens, Greece): I have to admit that this time I did not recognise this as Chilean when served blind, something that rearly happens given the easily recogniseable character of chilean wines. Restrained nose with coffee, leafy aromas, cedar and some rubbery notes that made me think South Africa. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a med+ acidity, medium to long aftertaste. There was nothing wrong about this wine but it received only 2 votes, thanks to the superiority of the other wines alongside which it was served.
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4/30/2014 - Stefanos T. wrote: 88 Points
Sadly the wine did not impress me and seeing other quite positive notes on CT, I am not sure what the matter was.. But nose did not have much to offer, a little ink, plummy fruit and green vegetality, decent but not great. On the palate tannins were still young and it had a pleasant smoky flavor.
Not a bad wine to be sure, but I was expecting more from Don Melchor.
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3/24/2014 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
A better performance than last time. this is the most reticent wine I have ever had. When first tasted, seemed like the fruit was missing. It took a good two hours before it began to change and emerge, and then it became quite nice. Almost came of as a blended wine. Not at all like California or Oregon. Although I have little French cabernet experience, I have to say it's closer to that than American cab. Very pleasing and easy to consume. If you open give a few hours in decanter before evaluating. Seems like 5 years more in bottle wouldn't hurt it at all.
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2/22/2014 - jarospigliosi@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. You can find similar or better Cabernets much better than Don Melchor at half the Price,
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1/5/2014 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark inky hue. Nose smelled of alcohol, tar, dark berries. Once wine had an opportunity to breathe, it was dense, smooth, and velvety. Dark blueberries, very long finish. Complex wine.
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12/25/2013 - mbenz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still with a dark color. Popped and poured. Mint and tobacco on the nose. Classic cab notes. Showed well.
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12/7/2013 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Après un premier verre ou la chauffe et le végétal domine, un bon 24 heures de bouteille debout sans bouchon l`aura aidé un tantinet.
Nez sur l`eucalyptus, le cassis et le boisé.
En bouche, cassis et herbes avec ds tannins rapeux en ce moment. Long mais avec encore un peu de chauffe.
Décevant en ce moment, phase ingratte ou c`est sa signature...prochaine dans 5 ans!
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11/16/2013 - Tom Slick wrote: 95 Points
Enjoyed at Roy's in Anaheim. I don't think there's a better Chilean wine out there. Youthful and very Bordeaux like in it's flavor profile. This wine easily has another 15-20 years ahead of it.
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11/6/2013 - AV2012 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Berlin tasting (Riga): Dark and intense colour.
Nose not very strong, some black mountain ash (aronia).
Taste is very intense - chocolate, olive oil, figs, soft vanilla, multilayered, developing and very interesting. Long finish. Superb wine. WOTN (A-)
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11/4/2013 - pc2006mg wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic!
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10/28/2013 - iamandyc wrote: 91 Points
This would have been outstanding but the finish was unpleasant at times -- a mixture of graphite, olives and coffee. Drank over 7 hours. Deep dark fruits in a complex package highlighted by earthy tones. SOlid structure although sometimes dominated by tannins. Was best at the 1 hour mark -- the finish was degrading by the end.
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10/9/2013 - Tom_B wrote: 85 Points
Still don't get this wine. The pyrazines are almost overpowering and difficult to get past the jalapeño nose. Shows good body, but a bit of an alcoholic burn on the nose. Glad this is the last one in my cellar and I don't have to figure out what people think is so amazing about this wine.
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10/3/2013 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 95 Points
Fruits and oak in perfect harmony, olive oil, earthy components, layers of aromas, stays smooth in the mouth, savory. This is a complex wine, I don't mind enjoying it now but will be getting better and better with time.
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10/1/2013 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 94 Points
A piquant, very richly robed cab; possesses astonishingly fresh fruit and striking tannins for a wine approaching the end of its first decade. Full of lively black cherry, olive tapenade and claylike undertones, it bespeaks of a wonderful future. A memorable finish of velvety dark fruits pushes this into the realm of Melchors that will be called classics. Best to decant for at least four hours,
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9/27/2013 - Marc S wrote: 89 Points
- Ruby color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant and blackberry with a medium body. Coarse texture with a medium finish - Good everyday drinking wine.
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9/8/2013 - gew71walsh wrote: 91 Points
Tradition-drinking for opening day. Started with 2004 in playoffs against Dallas, Green Bay and New England. Drank rest for opening days. Started 2005s in playoffs against Green Bay, San Fran and New England. This is last bottle of 2005 for opening day. Rating before game so no bias. Need to prepare newer vintage for next Super Bowl run.
Drank remainder next day 9/9. Opened nicely, rating maintained.
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9/3/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
This was nice after about thirty minutes. Did not get any green notes that I often associate with Chilean wine. Black cherry, currant and coffee notes on nose and palate. Tannins still present, but integrating nicely. Long finish. In a good place now, but I'll let my remaining bottle sleep for 3 years or so.
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9/2/2013 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
This needed about 30-40 mins to open and show well. Dark fruits with mild acidity and present but smooth tannins. Still a few years away from its peak but very good now with a short decant.
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8/29/2013 - rougeamore Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blueberry, fig, and tanned leather on the nose. Fig more pronounced on the palate with a hint of licorice. Medium duration on the finish but intense upfront. Tannins have softened nicely but perhaps a bit too acidic for the wine that's left behind. Drinking very well now though. Don't think it will improve with age.
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8/3/2013 - Uglypinga wrote:
smoke tar and wood on the nose. the palate is savory and very tarry. ok wine but missing fruit for me. meh.
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7/31/2013 - pmarlo wrote: 90 Points
I did not like this wine as much as back in 2012. I felt it had taken a step back in flavor. the fruit seemed to have dropped off, and that would not have been so bad if other more complex flavors came forward, but that was not the case. Made me wonder if this Chilean wine will go some distance. I reserve a more final judgement for later down the road, but please note this was had at it's 8th birthday. At this point, I notice CT users have consumed about 1/4 of the total bottles in stock.
PSS: Revised above comment, as for some reason i had the 2003 in mind when I mentioned age. Thanks to Zorba for pointing that out.
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7/31/2013 - gesusser wrote: 92 Points
2 hour decant allowed this to open into a very nice easy quaff; just enuff spice to let you know it was not your typical sweet CA cab, but chilian; excellent, not too tannic at all, good feel in the mouth..excellent with grilled steaks... the group loved it;
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7/16/2013 - jtinto wrote: 91 Points
2 1/2 years since my last bottle. Based on my previous notes this has improved greatly. Integrated at this point. Still has a slight herbal touch, but in a good way.
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7/8/2013 - petitblanc wrote: 87 Points
Dark and brooding. Complex nose of chocolate, licorice, roasted coffee, and primary grape notes, spoilt somewhat by alcohol fumes. Juicy dark currants and raisins on the palate, where the unbalanced alcohol moves forward to obliterate all else through the finish. Always an interesting wine, just not a style I love.
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6/29/2013 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Earthy and integrated.
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6/8/2013 - Yiannis wrote: 94 Points
In great shape this time! Dark purple color. Attractive nose of cassis, dark chocolate, ripe fig and scents of cedar. Full-bodied, velvety-textured and complex, with rich, ripe fruit and belancing acidity. Very long, persistent aftertaste. Unmistakeably Chilean but by no means heavy or cloying. Now and over the next 5 years.
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5/19/2013 - Tarrant wrote: 95 Points
Battle of the Chilean icons, this 'against' a '05 Carmin de Peumo Carmenere, and they were both awesome for different reasons but both really amazing wines, you could say that this 'edged' the Carmin as it's about half the price, but both spectacular offerings - Black, full bodied with a classic nose of blackfruit, plum, cigar box, cedar, mocha and vanilla, amazing structure, power and finesse, tannins are softening, complex, smooth, sweet on the palate with terrific length, outstanding (95 Points).
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5/2/2013 - wren460 wrote: 92 Points
Very elegant and nice wine. Oak, vanilla, blueberry, and definitely tobacco. Very dry wine. Delicious !!!
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5/1/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of dust, mint, blackberry, blueberry, and vanilla. Ripe palate of sweet, juicy Cabernet Sauvignon fruit: blackberry, cassis, blueberry, earth, graphite, and espresso. Amazing length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Completely integrated oak.
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4/24/2013 - GuBe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Berja- og sveskjuangan, pennastokkur. Kirsuber, súkkulaði og lakkrís og vanilla. Vottur af taði. Langt og mikið eftirbragð, allmikil tannín koma fram undir lokin.
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4/22/2013 - keelegl Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Ripe fruit with vanilla and oak. Really dry tannins on the finish.
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4/12/2013 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/12/2013 (San Diego): Clear deep garnet color. Fantastic, powerful bouquet of cassis, blackberries, cloves, espresso, charcoal. Full body, great balance, long finish. Very youthful. I ranked it #2 and guessed New World cabernet.
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4/10/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very Bordeaux-like in its understated manner. Gave it a quick decanting and airing, then drank over several hours. Words like balanced, polished , and well made come to mind several days later. Very dark red fruit and some oak for spice also show up in my memory.
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4/7/2013 - Verticalcollector Likes this wine: 93 Points
Small decanter for 40min. Had a taste, still closed. Had something else and came back to it and hour later. Very young and full of fruit. Very enjoyable cab.
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3/11/2013 - Stefanos T. wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby colored.
Expressive nose, definitely new world and with the fig-leaf aroma which I most often find in Chilean wines (Yiannis is the one who first pinpointed this aroma).
Oak is well integrated and plummy fruit is concentrated and on the edge of being jammy but not yet. Present also is some Cabernet typicity like pencil shavings and vegetality.
Palate is surprisingly light on its feet, round with silky yet firm tannins, savoury and sweet flavors and with good length.
Very good wine which combines new world ripeness and sweetness with old world elegance.
Can develop further but I see no reason not to open such a bottle now.
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3/6/2013 - passingshot wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Spice and plum forward, followed by mint and herbal tones.
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3/1/2013 - Wine Nut wrote: 93 Points
This is the 1st of 6 bottles and I am puzzled. The color is a lovely garnet red and the nose is truly intoxicating with pencil lead, graphite, wet earth, roses, blackberry and cassis. The wine fills the palate but does not grip you as you would expect. Black raspberries, plum and tar prominently display themselves as the wine finishes with a presence but not as strong as I would like. This wine should really be MUCH better for its so called professional ratings and its price! Whether this improves at all with more bottle age, only time will tell.
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2/15/2013 - ewsds wrote: 83 Points
I guess I'm missing what most others are loving. Decanted for 3 hours. Very dark in color, with a rustic nose of dark fruits. On the palate it's very rustic, like a well aged Amarone (but not as good), so much so that I can't tell if it's over the hill or just not my style. Almost prune like, and just not to my liking. Can't believe I held onto this so long, only to have this sense of disappointment (and buyer's remorse).
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2/4/2013 - lef wrote:
Drank with prime aged strip steak cooked in fireplace. Medium to full. Herbaceous nose. Dark fruits and earthy tones paired real well with smoky meat. Nice finish. Low 90 ratings seem appropriate.
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1/26/2013 - wren460 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious wine. Hitting it´s peak I think. No heat whatsoever, very ( should I say extremely ? ) well balanced. Chilean no doubt about it. The wine is drinking beautifully. Will kill many $50-$75 Napa cabs mainly because its very beautiful harmony. Have 6 more at the cellar and will most definitelly drink a few this year and some in 2014.
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1/23/2013 - martcouz wrote: 88 Points
Le vin avait passé la nuit à -20 C dans l'auto quelques jours auparavant. Première expérience avec ce vin. À l'aveugle, j'aurais pu difficilement savoir qu'on était au Chili, quoi qu'il y a définitivement un côté "chaud" au vin. Bien équilibré, sans être trop tannique. C'est agréable, sans pour autant être exceptionnel.
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1/12/2013 - parathesis wrote: 92 Points
Great wine wish I had more
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12/18/2012 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice dark purple color with medium clarity. The nose was filled with red fruits, dusty earth and hints of Oak… making the mouth water in anticipation of the first sip.
Well integrated tannin & softened acidity helped the red fruits and subtle oak come though on the palate. Medium finish that could have been longer but this was not the first bottle of the evening so that may have skewed my observation.
This wine has grown over the last several years and I believe hitting its stride now and perhaps for the next couple of years.
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12/14/2012 - Taylor56 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 45 minutes. Very dark garnet/purple in the glass. This wine is starting to really show its stuff - the tannins have softened and taken a step back to reveal a nicely balanced wine with dark red fruit, hints of mint and polish. In a great spot. Drink or hold.
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12/12/2012 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Super dark purple. Very young and needs lots of decanting maybe a week :). On the nose oak notes, young fruit and full of power. On the palate it full bodied, tannic, slight sweet core, fruit, oak, Pretty long finish. Structred wine, huge long wine very new world. We would advise lots of decanting at this stage although note sure it would relax it. Maybe wait a few years. 90 for now.
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11/10/2012 - khmark7 wrote: 89 Points
Very well structured and balanced. Much more obvious Cabernet Sauvignon component in this wine than i have noticed in the past made this somewhat metallic and sharp.....and the smaller wine glasses used didn't help.
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11/6/2012 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. nose - chocolate (faint), leather, tar, some dark cherry, spice. mouth feel - good tannins with good integration, some oak, cassis, leather, good acid balance but just not overly complex. I last opened one of these in 2008 and i it had more to it then. drink now
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10/8/2012 - Ecoenophile wrote: 92 Points
Overall - nice balance of all components. Fruit is present, but not overpowering; tannins present, but soft and integrated, steady finish.
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9/29/2012 - Giggs wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Dark purple color. Concentrated nose of savory, vegetal fruits, tomato and beet, black and red currants, smoky mocha. Palate is similarly packed with fruit, ripe but not sweet, tomato paste, currants, black cherry, cigar tobacco edges on finish. Not very complex, but high quality with powerful fruit.
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9/24/2012 - facchair wrote: 87 Points
This bottle had nothing left!
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9/14/2012 - drgrape wrote: 93 Points
Smooth, big and a long finish. Outstanding!!
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8/25/2012 - pmbohn wrote: 92 Points
Incredible Cab, ripe tannin, berry, earth that goes on forever.
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8/6/2012 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 88 Points
(B) Very disappointing from the pop-n-pour, but transformed dramatically at the 30 minute mark, and continued to improve over 3 hours. Nice tobacco and warm spice emerges to balance the slightly over-ripe black fruit. Ever-so-slightly syrupy, but nothing that detracts from the flavors. A nice food wine.
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7/25/2012 - BarnyardFunk wrote: 93 Points
Opened for 6 hours, decanted two of those hours.
Notes of eastern spices, pepper, smoke and plum on the nose. On the palate, tart cranberries, minty blood notes, dark cherry and graphite.
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7/25/2012 - junglejuice wrote: 91 Points
This has improved greatly since my last bottle in 2009. It absolutely stomped the 2005 Rubicon that was consumed with it.
Opened 4 hours, decanted 2 and consumed over the course of the night, this wine was a dark and brooding beast showing notes of tar, graphite and dark fruits all over the place. It was a nice contrast to the obnoxiously oaked Rubicon and really developed nicely over the course of the evening. I see this wine improving even more in the coming years and if I had another I wouldn't touch it for at least five more years.
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7/22/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 64 (RedLoverJim's place in Fort Worth, Texas): WIML91
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, pepper, smoke and plums. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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7/22/2012 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 93 Points
This is a seriously balanced wine but it still needs some time. Notes are still fairly primary. Dark fruits, vanilla and a bit of mint. Silky smooth on the palate and a mid-length finish wrap this into a very enjoyable experience. I'll wait a couple of years to pop open the next one.
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7/19/2012 - phillyboyP wrote: 92 Points
A bit muddled and cloudy in the decanter which concerned me. Right off the bat the nose was tar, cassis, and funk. After 2 hours in the decanter it blew off and turned into cassis and a lovely floral element. Great mouthfeel and classic Chilean cab characteristics of kirsch, tobacco, and rasberry jam. Paired well with seared filets. Drink now - 2015. 92
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7/7/2012 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 98 Points
nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke.
palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums.
squid ink in color.
medium plus tannins.
60 plus second finish.
lovely wine, a classic.
this wine has improved with time, making me smile.
the Don Melchor wines are my favorite from Chile, from anywhere in South America really.
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6/29/2012 - SportstHER wrote: 89 Points
Tasted this after the previous flight was done and I was well into my cups by this time. Didn't stop me from taking some notes though! :D
In the glass: Dark ruby. On the nose: a whiff of petrol, classic Cabernet with a bit of dark fruit. In the mouth: full mouth feel, medium grip of tannins, nice finish. My notes say "smooth, yet cut it with a knife cab". (noticeably smoother than my previous taste of the 2008) Didn't get the retail.
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6/16/2012 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Smooth and drinking well. I like the dark fruit combined with earth and tobacco notes, yet there is a loamy flavour there that's quite typical of Chilean cabs that doesn't excite me. Also slight bitterness on the finish. In the end while I appreciate the outstanding quality of the wine-making, its not a wine I'd seek out again.
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6/9/2012 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
Color is deep purple and fairly opaque. Nose is of Chile, Chile, and more Chile. In other words, raw red meats, good quality jerky and salami, and lots of herbs, particularly Italian herbs, also mint and eucalyptus. The palate is better than the bouquet. The front palate offers the tastes in the bouquet. The middle palate transitions beautifully to elegant tannins and creme de cassis. It also offers loads of musky leather, some barnyard and a little pipe tobacco. The back palate is all about the varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon jumps out and greets you! It also has lots of sweet smokey tobacco, al a my grandfather's pipe. The finish is very long. The most unique part of this wine is the 'sweet' creamy mid palate. It was a very pleasant surprise. There are no harsh edges anywhere and the oak is well integrated. The wine will probably develop additional nuance for three years and soften for another 5 - 7 years. It's beautiful. Bought it for under $35 which makes it an exceptional value.
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6/2/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Double Blind at Mike O's - Embarrassing!; 6/1/2012-6/2/2012 (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): #14 – This was known to me and showed the character I associate with Chile. Meaty, minty nose with currants and leather. Palate was rather soft, but still has some tannin, more currants than cassis, plenty of eucalyptus and leather. Moderate lengthy finish of espresso, toast, mint, earth. Seemed a little muddled and lacking focus. Typical of Chilean cabs for me and rather unimpressive at the price point.
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5/27/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Although this is an excellent wine, this particular bottle lacked the power and concentration of past bottles. Nose of black currant, tobacco, menthol, cedar, and loam. On the palate, blackberry, plum, mocha, mint. A little softer on the finish than expected. Maybe these shut down?
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5/15/2012 - Kriz wrote: 86 Points
Interesting Cabernet nose with plum, smoke and coffee. Boring, one dimensional 'new world' wine. On day two some beautiful cherry-liqeur appeared on the nose and palate which was special.
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5/6/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1hr, currant/cassis, dark plum, dark cherry on nose and palate. Good concentration, richness, dry, tannic finish!
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5/5/2012 - Al-Vino wrote: 91 Points
hitting prime time now!
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4/30/2012 - MB Ben wrote: 94 Points
Really in the zone now IMO. Classy, complex, distinctively Chilean Cab.
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4/24/2012 - mbenz wrote: 94 Points
From a magnum. Popped and poured. Nose opened up with time. Tannins nicely resolved. Velvet finish that went on and on. Cheers! A nice one!
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4/21/2012 - joet626 wrote: 93 Points
Very good. Rich and tasty and smooth. Bordeaux like in texture and body.
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3/15/2012 - JohnOnWine wrote: 96 Points
Yes this is not a Napa style wine but wow does this wine have style. It was difficult to approach initially. The bouquet is at first off putting then turns on you and becomes seductive as the flavor profile takes possession of your pallet. Big flavor with a finish that seduces you into returning. Then it starts all over again. This wine could turn off some. But it will enchant the aficionado.
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3/13/2012 - Gene_Mo wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 3 hours, then back in the bottle. Not my favorite, a bit of a fruit bomb. Not tannic, but not a real pleasurable drink either.
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3/10/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 30 minutes before drinking. Interesting and unique nose. Changed quite a bit over the first hour of drinking. What stands out most on the nose is the smokey char and bacon that has always distinguished this wine for me. Also has some warm earthy scents and dark berries. On the palate it was fairly soft with mild tannins remaining. Easy to drink and well integrated. Balance is nice, with no heavy oak. Could use a touch more acidity for me. Not as good on the second day.
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3/1/2012 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
Deep maroon in color, cork stained dark. Not overpowering bouquet upon opening but present. Nice contrast to California cabs which tend to be denser and more fruit forward. More balanced and structure to this one. Tannins present but not over oaked. Nothing harsh. Was changing in the glass but slowly. Didn't stay around long enough to determine where it was going to end up. Sediment in the last glass, very fine. Has the structure to keep going another 5 years at least and that's when i will try the next one. Very nice and well liked by other two tasters.
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2/24/2012 - cmont75 wrote:
Deep color,not showing age. Big nose with lots of fruit. Loads of fruit on taste with acidic finish. Nice but should be more here. Not much earthiness or cab character. Too young?
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2/18/2012 - gpatramanis wrote: 91 Points
Very nice with a rich ribeye with blue cheese sauce. More character than the 95 SVR also at the table. Drinking well now. Even better with a couple more yrs in the cellar.
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2/17/2012 - Ecoenophile wrote: 90 Points
Very closed and tannis need more time to soften. Wait another year.
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2/12/2012 - Bacchant wrote: 83 Points
Whether past its prime, or in some sort of "dumb phase," this bottle was simply underwhelming in just about every respect. [14% abv.; $33.50].
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1/23/2012 - traderspartan wrote: 95 Points
Massive fruit, still very young I could smell it from 3 feet away. Big fruit but still a little tannic. I think it has at least 10-15 years in it and has not yet peaked.
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1/6/2012 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
More approachable than the last bottle, better red/black fruit, less bitter, shedding its oak while retaining the cocoa, loam. Tannins are much softer and seems like its entering its drinking window.
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12/29/2011 - unrelenting wrote: 88 Points
disappointingly made; drink now (if ever)
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12/12/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
Mortons dinner by the glass. Opened at the table, 30 USD per glass, ouch. Wanted to rey this and it was worth it. Really really good stuff as the notes below capture well. Glad I have had a chance. Would buy this going forward.
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12/9/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Very smooth and balanced. Cassis and red fruits, a bit of tobacco on finish. A nice middle ground between Cali and Bordeaux CS. Decent QPR.
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11/30/2011 - Joelene wrote: 93 Points
Was a bit disappointed with this at first, only decanted about 45 min.
But as the night went only this kept getting better and better. The last drops really impressing.
This wine to me did not seem harsh or tannic at all, but tonight revealed a subtle elegance and balance.
Medium well integrated tannins, soft black cherry fruit, balanced wood and veg play. and some grape stem and seed thing going on, also some leather eucalyptus and hierba buena and clove or nutmeg my head is spinning trying to put my finger on it.
With a little old world character that crept in more and more as the wine got more air.
This should continue to improve in the cellar. Next time I'll decant for 4-5 hours.
well made. 93-95
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11/26/2011 - ptelgenh wrote: 90 Points
Started to fade a little, less fruit and more wood now. Drink up
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11/17/2011 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 92 Points
Developing nicely. Hold 2 more years.
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11/14/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
I was in the mood for a young cab last night and this fit the bill. Popped and poured. Nose of blackberry, loam, mint, cedar, anise, mocha, On the palate, black fruits, mocha, mint, vanilla, anise, cedar. Strong tannins on the finish. Drink with a decant or continue to hold.
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10/30/2011 - Wink wrote: 95 Points
Wow. This is outstanding. Purple with a brick tint. Nose of blackberry, currant, vanilla, and anise. Ripe palate of blackberry, currant, graphite, fig, and a little licorice. Outstanding length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Terrific balance, complexity, and finesse. I don't know if I have ever had a better Chilean wine. I think this has an edge over the '03.
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10/1/2011 - LesterKwong wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby red with blueish hue. Tons of wood notes with some graphite and a bit of alcohol on the nose. Lush full-body wine with dark ripe fruits but also a heavy vanillin/oakiness to it. Nice lengthy finish.
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9/10/2011 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Don Melchor Night (Rick's & Cris'): Decanted for about three hours and allowed to slow-o in bottle for another 3+. Upon opening, it displayed that citrus/grapefruit aroma that young Chilean wines have. Notes of loam, green/weedy vegetables, hebrs and eucalyptus. Balanced, with oak spices and a terrific mix of red and dark fruit on the palate. Got better over the course of the evening and the weedy/green qualities blew off. Still needs quite a bit of time to come into its window. Check back in 2015+. 92-93 pts now, with a good decant.
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9/5/2011 - JimN wrote: 92 Points
Such an incredible Cabernet. If this said Napa on the label it would command twice the price. My second bottle and this is just starting to come together and show what it already is and will be even more so over the next ten years. Just so silky in the mouth. A French nose, but has lots of dark fruit and then some tobacco and chocolate at the end. Quite complex for such an expensive wine. Worth a buy every year.
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8/29/2011 - nogohawk wrote: 94 Points
dark purple color; currant & blackberry; good body with nice finish; opened up a bit after 30 mins; drinking well now
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8/27/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 97 Points
A beast in the best of ways. Spices and wood on the nose. Very full bodied. Tannins nicely integrated. A mouth full of tobacco, smoked meat, and that earthy taste that I associate with Chilean Cabernet. This wine is not for the Pinot Noir drinkers amongst us (at least not without some rich food to tame it), but is heavenly for those with hair on their chest (even if it is grey hair!).
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8/22/2011 - Stumpy wrote: flawed
Flawed
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8/13/2011 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2/5) Still too young. Disjointed with a fair amount of heat and oak. With some air it improved quite a bit which gives me hope that this will blossom over the next few years.
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8/1/2011 - colekmmj wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful. Perfect with our fillets.
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7/31/2011 - 2bottles wrote: 91 Points
Good first night 91
Much better after sitting in decanter covered overnight. 93+
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7/23/2011 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 94 Points
Second taste, 2 years after the first, and this is coming along nicely. No longer feels as tight, even when paired with some gentler cabs. Went great with filet mignon, fingerling potatoes and a strawberry balsamic salad. Still getting currants, mushrooms at the for front.
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7/21/2011 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 94 Points
A powerful Cabernet with tiers of sweet currant, cassis, leather, loam, melted fig, and mineral. This is so dense and layered with firm but ultra-smooth round tannins keeping everything in place. A beautiful example of how good Cabernet from Chile can be. (Drink 2011 - 2022)
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7/8/2011 - tthrew wrote: 95 Points
had this with Paul at Flemings with a great filet before going to the padre game. Wonderful wine that had a nice long finish and lots of stuff going on with it. Glad I waited a while to drink it and look forward to the 07 some day.
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7/1/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Color is really deep and lush, purple-red. Aerated only and drank over one hour. The nose is excellent with rich aromas of coffee, spices, black currant, and tobacco, with some wet grass, oak and blackberry. The palate is caressing with excellent balance of black fruit, a little earth, spice and oak with round tannins and a medium plus finish. Classy stuff. I have not had this for about a year and I really like where it's at. Nothing green in there to me at all. 94pts.
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6/28/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
The Palomars of Veleta Wines visits Dallas (Grailey's Fine Wines, Dallas, TX): WIML90? 91?
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Served from magnum.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, talc, dried herbs, berries and a hint of petrol towards the finish. Flavors of berries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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6/25/2011 - Seo wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour and followed over a few hours. Bellpepper on the nose. More on the palate with some dark fruit and a lot of tannin. Ridiculously long finish. Not my style due to the bellpepper but the body and finish bring me back for more. Can needs a long secant or a few more years in the cellar.
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6/21/2011 - Patas wrote: 93 Points
Great dark fruits, earth and notes of balsamic vinegar/soy sauce.
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6/17/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 87 Points
Bonham's and Butterfield Pre-auction tasting (San Francisco): A bit hot, still fresh, good balance but no complexity. 87-88
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6/11/2011 - pikemasterflash wrote: 93 Points
Bubbling ruby almost algae-like as I poured it into the decanter. Sweet nose with a tone of almost syrup. My wife describes it as too plummy but I would say delicious. My benchmark Chilean wine is the '03 Almaviva--this was good, but not as good.
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5/29/2011 - Guilherme Barreto wrote: 85 Points
Ainda nao esta pronto. Depois de 1h decantando amassiou. 28/5/2011
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5/22/2011 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Opened and decanted; then poured back into the bottle. This has a nice green mint and green olive element. Nice cherry and plum flavors; a hint of oak on the finish. A bit of fresh tobacco too. Well balanced and elegant.
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5/6/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Saturdays at One does Argentinian Empanadas (Empa Mundio, Irving, Texas): WIML92+?
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of brett(?), white pepper, dried herbs, smoke, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink over the next 5-7 years plus or minus.
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5/1/2011 - Jmartin wrote:
Not as good as some of the 2003's I've had (glad I still have a few more) but still quite good. this bottle probably didn't get the attention it deserved as it was a busy evening cooking and things went later than they should have.
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5/1/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2hrs, smoke, blackberries and earth in the nose. Quite rich on the palate with currants, cassis, blackberry, vanilla and mint. A little sweet, but not jammy, went wel with a grilled bone in rib eye. Outstanding!!
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4/27/2011 - robertdtwo wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful inky darkness spoke of tobacco, brief cherry, plums, candied...something, and chocolate cola with a nod to menthol to round it out. Supple tannins and balanced acidity. If the finish were longer, this would enter the rarified realm of 95-point wines. It didn't hurt that this paired perfectly with the pound of morels my wife scored from one of our favorite restaurants and stuffed into center-cut filet mignon...
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4/26/2011 - jto3 wrote: 92 Points
Took about an hour in the decanter to open up, had faded somewhat by second day.
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4/23/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Very bold wine. Dark purple color with an alcoholic nose that masks the fruit upon initial pouring. The body is full and masculine with hints of tobacco, jammy fig and darkly toasted pine nut. The wine can stand on its own, it may be paired with a variety of food. Drink from 2011 up to 2020.
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4/22/2011 - bistro wrote: 94 Points
Tobacco, black fruit, cassis and amazing length. Really really good.
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4/17/2011 - Taylor56 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 60 minutes. Dark garnet in the glass. Very full nose of dark fruit, cola and eucalyptus. Medium weight and a fruit forward style (cherry, black raspberry) and a distinct anise note. Needs time. Hold.
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4/3/2011 - PASimon wrote: 92 Points
Somewhat muted nose even after an hour of air contact. But this wine wad fantastic on the palate! Deep flavors of leather, oak, black fruit and cassis. A solid and long finish that lasted 45 seconds to a minute. Paired with braised rabbit and slow roasted duck leg very nicely!
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3/21/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very big aromas and flavors of black fruit. Accessible now and drinking well. Soft tannins on the finish.
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3/6/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Still very primary with a nose of blackberry, mint, pencil shavings, anise, mocha. On the palate, blackberry, mint, anise, mocha, boysenberry. Very sweet and thick on the mouthfeel, finishes with strong tannins. Needs more time.
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3/4/2011 - traderspartan wrote: 91 Points
Nice, but just not as bold as I remember it.
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2/28/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple with a black core. Extremely complex nose with liquorice, dark chocolate, ink, ripe blackberries, fig, graphite and hints of cedar. Full-bodied, very dense with sweetness, velvety tannins, ultra-rich fruit and balancing acidity. Very long. Voluptuous wine.
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2/20/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for a few hours, but had a taste prior to decanting. Very dark cocoa on the nose, and dark fruit taste. Also had quite a bit of earthiness in the taste, reminded me of Bordeaux. After a couple hours, the taste started to fade, perhaps this doesn't need as long in the decanter as I thought.
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2/5/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for six hours. Powerfull blackberry and mixed berry palate with a finish toward tobacco with rose petal. Nose shows a bit of tobacco with nice minerality as well. overripe fruit on the palate is surprising and a disappointment. Tannins drive the strong lengthy finish. Well built, but for the overripe fruit. This cab has plenty of age left, about three years to get to its peak, and could be spectacular if the fruit finds balance.
Drank one of these from same supplier, purchased together, two years ago. That bottle had very little fruit with mostly earth and tobacco so it seems to be coming around now. Cellar tracker ratings seem to be escalting recently so I thought i'd crack this open.
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1/26/2011 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 96 Points
Third bottle tasted of the vintage and it's simply getting better each time. Great BALANCE- has begun to manage the early tannins nicely and in process the viscosity has become even more powerful. Great big, complex nose of dark and lush black cherries, espresso cocoa and cigar wrapper. Awesome mouthfeel of black cherry cola and a wonderful back-up olive tapenade component. Split over two days and on second day had mellowed enough to warrant the addiitonal point from my last tasting. As good as it is now, should be even more rewarding in the next one or two years. I'm convinced if this wine wasn't lableled as Chile it would be even more well received by cab lovers.
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1/22/2011 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 91 Points
the nose compared to the wine wasn't fully integrated. drank one 11/2/08 and it had potential but it doesn't seem to have come together yet. nose is a 92-94 but the taste needs air. after 2 hours it came together. consistent with previous notes of green, eucalyptus, graphite, slate, minerality, boysenberry, hints of strawberry and raspberry. good acidity. sweetness on the 30+ second finish. drink now or hold for 10 years
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1/21/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
---
COLOR: Opaque garnet w/med ruby rim
NOTE: Raspberry reduction nose w/leather, black pepper, mildly pungent heat. Mouth is med-hvy black & red fruits, nicely ripened & sweet tannins, dried strawberry. Foinish is lots of 60% cocoa powder on more red spectrum fruits, a little harsh & hot, but nice. 2004 was better.
DECANT: 2 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.2+
COST: 60
VALUE: 7.1
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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1/20/2011 - wmccone54 wrote: 95 Points
A very soft Cabernet with plenty of plum, dark cherry and cassis. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine. Very finely integrated and smooth tannins. Great long finish. This wine lives up to all the hype plus some. Enjoyed with a grilled Ribeye steak.
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1/16/2011 - jtinto wrote: 88 Points
very good wine. Just couldn't get around the vegetal, green, eucalyptus component in this bottle. Overwhelmed for me. The 2003 far outshines. Drank over two days and did not resolve.
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1/1/2011 - nogohawk wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple color bursting with loads of fruit; cherry and oak with a nice long finish - better than some other Don Melchors I have had in the past.
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12/21/2010 - nietzschephilosopher wrote: 87 Points
Very disappointing. All you get is a lot of oak and overripe fruit. Secondary characteristics are starting to show but they aren't in harmony as the fruit is all out of wack. No balance.
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12/11/2010 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle followed a 2005 Clos Apalta 05 (#1 WOTY 2008) and could not compete. Not sure if my rating is reliable here!
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12/11/2010 - Solombra wrote: 95 Points
This has evolved nicely. The bouquet has lost a significant amount of the dark fruits noted in the first bottle and developed baked bread and earthy fragrance. After two hours picked up cocoa/coffee and mushroom-like scents. To the taste had enough acidity to keep it relatively light but still had earthy mineral elements to ground it. Tannins are still present but rounder and contribute to a medium-long finish. A fantastic dinner wine that balanced well with a prime ribeye, grilled white onion & asparagus and portabella & cremini mushrooms a la Julia Child. Very excited for the last bottle! 94-95
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12/10/2010 - blockboy wrote: 92 Points
color med purple
nose, blackberries, currant, jam
taste a meaty cab, almost chewable, long aftertaste.
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12/5/2010 - herberto wrote: 88 Points
Dusty, with wood. Decent fruit, but not exciting.
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11/29/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 89 Points
I read my old notes on this wine but don't quite understand my previous enthusiasm for it. It is still a well-made, refined wine. It still has dark fruit, rich concentration, some leather ... characteristics that I love in a wine. But the strongly bitter chocolate finish was a little off-putting to me. I had same impression with both the pop and poured glass as well as the second-day glass.
Day 3 – (note, the bottle was vacuum pumped after pouring each glass) A flat wine tonight, lost most of its structure.
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11/25/2010 - traderspartan wrote: 93 Points
Bluberries, raspberries, minerals... very good wine.
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11/16/2010 - twelch wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple teeth staining thickness still. This is still just a baby but it is starting to show some more complex notes than previous. Had a tiny bit of green pepper and eucalyptus but the dark fruit was very hedonistic and overpowered those green notes. I really enjoy these a lot. Went great with a little Prime NY.
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10/26/2010 - Tri Wine wrote: 93 Points
I've always been a fan of this wine and this bottle didn't disappoint. Popped and poured with friends (non wine snobs like I) who were also impressed. Big dark fruit flavors, cherry, leather, medium tannins and loam-tinged 30 second finish. The first time I had this wine (mid '08) I probably would've given that bottle a 96. It's a wine that if you drink by itself, with nothing else before or during, can really be appreciated for it's complexity of flavors. Very different from a Cali cab in many respects, but very good juice nonetheless.
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10/3/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 87 Points
I was disappointed in this wine given the reviews and pedigree. This was decanted for 2 hours and while it had the proper Cabernet cassis aromas I was put off by a vegetal bell pepper taste. I served this blind for dinner guests (who know good wines) and did not get any reaction. I will hold my last bottle for a few years to see if it develops in the cellar.
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9/30/2010 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 95 Points
I’ve had a number of vintages of Don Melchor and you never know what you’re going to get—no matter how high the rating. Sometimes it will positively reek of barnyard aromas and leather. It can have tannins that dry your mouth out. That said this is probably the best bottle I’ve ever had. The aroma was of dark fruits, but there was a mix of cherry. Also some coffee and earth. The taste was perfectly balanced, the tannins were there, but muted down to give a slight punch to the wine. At times I would just keep it in my mouth and swish and chew to get every taste out of the wine. Perhaps blackberry was the main fruit taste noted. Sad to say it was my last bottle.
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9/29/2010 - daver852 wrote: 94 Points
My kind of wine. Dark, brooding and in your face. Deep-flavored, hedonistic stuff, with great depth and marvellous finish. Not too complex, but very concentrated and pure. Just wonderful. Worth the price, in my opinion.
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9/23/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 96 Points
Stunning wine, from the inky purple color to the intense cherry, tar and leathery palate. A very soft wine much like a well worn baseball glove with freshly applied saddle soap. The mouth coating fruit and velvety tannins linger for what seems like forever. Quintissential Melchor.
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9/22/2010 - Khamen wrote: 88 Points
Very pure and "correct" cassis cabernet nose somewhat masked by masses of oak. A little spirity - don't sniff too hard or you may evaporate a sinus.Very full bodied. Big, mouth-filling black fruit attack backed by strong dark cocoa and earthy notes. Fierce tannins soon get a hold and ride right through the grippy finish. There is some nice terroir-driven complexity in here, but you need to look hard. I can see why it gets rave reviews - quality is evident - but all that dark, bitter chocolate and earth needs a bit of sweetness to balance out. Still drinking like a barrel sample, but little clue as to where it's going and how long it will take to get there. Brooding, dark, and more than a little aloof and distant. 88 with a tentative "+"
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9/4/2010 - jakuda wrote:
From memory. Pop-n-pour. Dusty tannins, fruit is a bit muted. Does not get much more complex in the mouth. Not much more development with air time in the glass. There is class evident, but I don't think worth the $55 bucks charged.
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8/29/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: 91 Points
true to the varietal, very cabernet, characterized by lots of cocoa, dark fruit, fig, a little muddy and telltale pepper that lessened on day two
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8/26/2010 - Alcide23 wrote: 87 Points
Dark concentrated, inky, too much oak/vanilla, artificial burnt plastic taste. Cannot understand the interest behind this wine. Unfortunate that I have to drink 2 more bottles. I do not think age will improve this bottle. Poor QPR
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8/14/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Blind Tasting (Edina Country Club): Raspberry, cherry, minerals and spices. Fruit forward overall with some nice minerality on the palate. Certainly will age and improve over time.
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8/14/2010 - mariolanza wrote: 87 Points
Good wine, nice and evolved, nothing spectacular, lots of alcohol and heat
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8/8/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 88 Points
Happy to say that I've finally had a good bottle of 05 Don Melchor. Not nearly as green as the previous 05s I've had and whether that's come from simple bottle age or some other factor, I can't say but this was certainly much more palatable. Yes, there is still a bit of a herbaceous note at midpalate that mixes with the dark fruits and coffee notes but it doesn't dominate the wine like I've seen in the past. Perhaps even some more time in the bottle will mellow this out a bit more.
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7/13/2010 - gbm wrote: 90 Points
Wine and Cheese; 7/13/2010-7/14/2010: This had been opened and poured about thirty minutes prior to drinking. Dark, opaque purple. Huge nose of earth, tobacco, coffee and some hints of mint and maybe cherries. Palate was mostly graphite and earth with a little black cherry. Maybe even a little green which detracts slightly. The tannins were sharp, especially on the finish. It was very nice, but could use time in a decanter or a cellar. Even then, I'm not sure it's worth what it sells for. I'll probably buy a few bottles to see how it stands up over time, but it won't be a regular purchase for me - because of QPR, not because it's not a very good wine. (4+13+16+7)
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6/26/2010 - tvmama wrote: 90 Points
very strong
too much oak??
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5/17/2010 - UROMD wrote: 92 Points
opened the next day. Very closed with notes of chocolate and coffee, no decanting, Jamie did not smell. 88
Improved dramatically the second day. 92
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5/8/2010 - skifree wrote: 88 Points
Tasted and immediately decanted, very closed and tight with firm tannins on the finish. Never did open up the first first night, mid-eighties at best. Second night had some menthol, cassis, dark fruit, and a riper and more open set of flavors. Score reflects the second night. Either this wine is asleep right now, or I made a poor choice in buying.
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5/4/2010 - prasm wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured (room temperature - 75 degrees). Nose: Red fruit and barnyard scents. Palate: Medium bodied, tart red fruit, white pepper. Finish: Medium length, dominated by tart red fruit. Serving at 75 degrees prevented this wine from showing its best I believe.
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5/1/2010 - Paul S wrote: 89 Points
Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Didn't think this was all that good, especially when one considers the price point. A decent new world Cab I would say, but nothing to shout about. Nose was rather sweet. Cassis, macerated cherries and just a touch of oak mingled with oaky vanilla scents. Palate had more sweet candy, a darker cassis tone. some spice and smoky tobacco flavours. I thought there was good depth and texture. However, the whole palate seemed to be haunted by a certain elusive stalkiness that was just very distracting. Finish was decent - firmish, with tight tannins and a toss of earth. Not bad, very new, new world, clearly well made, just nothing that really caught my imagination though. Should get a little better with time, but I am not sure this will be a long-term ager.
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4/25/2010 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
I find Melchor in general to be well made, decent QPR's. Never spectacular, never horrible, always mostly boring. I do not mean that as negatively as it sounds, the wine is consistently good to drink without having to break the bank. It is just you do not get that nervous anticipation when opening it...and when drinking you think to yourself "decent stuff" but your world is not rocked. Having said all of that, it fits this wine perfectly. Well made. Good, yet young, seemingly better than many previous vintages at this stage. You will like it, you will not love it. Ok guys, you produce a decent wine, now take some risks and get this to the next level.
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4/1/2010 - fekfouri wrote: 91 Points
Complex, fresh red fruit, toasty, earthy aroma. Full-bodied. Good smooth tannins, long finish. A bit closed. To keep for a few more years.
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3/31/2010 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 90 Points
great potential great dark cherry nose and about 30 mins into the glass there is a gigantic waft of pizza dough, which i love and find completely fascinating. a little over oaked at this point but i think another 3-4 years will really help this wine. a good bit of dark chocolate coming though on the finish. 93+ potential with proper aging
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3/29/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club South America (Gail's House): Medium purple. Nose spice, cigar, coffee, and earth. On the palate dirt, spice, cigar, coffee, cranberries. Medium finish and good structure. Should improve with five more years in the cellar.
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3/21/2010 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 95 Points
Kicking it, with a big blast of DA STUFF. Compared to where this wine was upon release about 20 months ago, it's now singing a full ranged aria. It wasn't too big, wasn't too tannic and certainly wasn't lacking a wonderful integrated expression of cabernet soul and substance. Just looking at the wine in glass, it had a beautiful consistency of purple, silky mud. But it didn't carry any of those profiles (muddled) onto the tongue, where it was a enchanting mix of tobacco and dark cherry overtures, along with a tantalizing blend of graphite, some creme de mint and even occasional chocolate expresso flavors of tiramasu. It flowed soft as silk and glided over the tongue, tannins softened but still having the character of rich alabaster. Okay, maybe it wasn't so magical in its expression, but I really like where the wine is at less than two years in bottle. I have big hopes for its future - would give the drink window at least another 10-12 years at this level, then probably a nice glide into a great and gentle decline of another 20 before it's ready for its final coda. I think it will indeed be a memorable wine from these fine folks at Concha/Toro.
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3/20/2010 - rho wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before dinner with friends. Full bodied, dark fruits and coffee leads to a long finish. Out of balance and lack the complexity I was looking for. I have serious doubt on how well this wine will turn out. Will need to re-visit in 5 years.
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3/15/2010 - Stevenwashuta wrote: 93 Points
Decanter one hour. Tight nose, killer midpalate and finish.
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2/28/2010 - Pinot Evil wrote: 95 Points
Vinturi decant then about an hour in the decanter and this wine was open and drinking well, black fruits chocolate and soft tannins.
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2/20/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
-- double - decanted for 6 hours before tasting --
-- tasted 3 hours after the 6 hour decant --
Nose is a bit green, oaky, and roasted/smoky. Dark fruits, earth, and oak on the palate. Very tight right now. Needs at least 5 more years.
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2/14/2010 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 93 Points
Deisel, leather and dark fruit.
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2/13/2010 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Decanted through vinturi aerator and then 45 minutes in a decanter. I think it helps but not much ( an no sorry.. we have no patience to wait 24h for this wine)
Unsurprisingly very new world. Big & alchoholic, lots of fruit and nose. Yet it all feels a bit overdone and out of balance. Lacks finesse at this stage. Will revisit again in a few years but def not there at the moment.
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2/9/2010 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
Still great.
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2/8/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: 92 Points
50+5+13+16+8
Popped and poured. Gigantic nose (think Durante) of coffee, tar, dark fruits, diesel and chocolate. The taste was similar to the palate. This is an excellent cabernet, although completely different than any cabernet that I've tried. Smooth, long finish.
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2/1/2010 - Khamen wrote: 87 Points
So the excuse is this is the first time I've got a glass of this in front of me for a TN rather than from memory or being slightly worse for wear..
No decant for this viscous, deep-garnet fluid this time. Nose shows powerful cassis, dark chocolate mint creams and a little spicy oak. Very brawny stewed dark fruit with some robust earthy tannins sliding into a minty, dusty and extremely grippy dry finish. Very tight and clammed up. Will leave to open and pop back to this after an hour or so in glass.
EDIT: Even after 3 hours this hasn't budged a whole lot. Will revisit in 24 hrs
EDIT 2: Seconds out, round 2... +24 hours loosely recorked in bottle. Nose has taken on a voluptuous note of eucalyptus mingling with the cassis and mint. Has opened well, much broader on the palate with cocoa and a little lavender lingering in the background. Still has those massively grippy tannins back end. Not sure I "get" it. There are hints of good complexity and future promise in here but it's all WHAM-fruit, BAM-tannin at the moment. You know that bit when a big firework goes up? Once the explosive flash and the bang have gone it's the tiny residual stars of colour and smoke that are interesting, but by then nobody's paying attention. The complexities here are those dying stars - definitely there but fleeting and shy. Don't get me wrong, this IS good wine, but worth the hype? Well not right now.
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1/31/2010 - elbosco wrote: 93 Points
Dark crimson. Suprisingly lush aromatics after brief decant. Tannins beginning to resolve and noticably more approachable than prior tastings in 2008 and 2009. Multi-layered palate of damp loam, cassis and tobacco, yet not heavy bodied. Tounge coating black fruits, mocha and licorice provide extended finish. Still not quite altogether yet but on its way. Revisit periodically over the next 10 years. 93-94.
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1/30/2010 - slippytoad wrote: 90 Points
Started astringent but mellowed into a nice drink after an hour
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1/23/2010 - vinopa wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours...Nose: Dark coffee bean jumps out of the glass, dark fruit, chocalate and smoke...The aromatics improved as the night moved on..Palate: Mocha and dark coffee bean stands out along with dark ripe berries, cigar box and loam notes. Medium+ bodied...Well balanced with good acidity..The tannins are grippy but still appealing to my palate..This is drinking well now but will get better with another 5 years or so of aging to mellow those tannins...Cheers!!!
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1/15/2010 - Dtjohnson wrote: 92 Points
A tale of two wines? Unpon opeing and waiting 1 hr, the wine was tight with tastes of rasin and green peper. Would have been in the 87pt range. After 24 hrs, it was showing much more like a beautiful cab with blackberry and leather notes. Will wait 2-3 years before opening another bottle.
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12/30/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Very dark color. Not much fruit on the nose. Dark chocolate, coffee and some blackberry on taste, mostly on the back end. Medium finish.
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12/27/2009 - lumpkins wrote: 92 Points
dark, powerhouse with long finish. lush, full bodied, none of the typical vegetal, over-oaked notes that I typically find in Chilean cabs.
dark fruit, mocha, cigar box and loam notes predominate
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12/26/2009 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 97 Points
nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke.
palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums.
squid ink in color.
medium plus tannins.
long finish.
lovely wine, a classic.
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12/25/2009 - MountainMak wrote: 93 Points
great bottle as the night went on. had with filet m, great bottle of wine.
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12/24/2009 - Opusone99 wrote: 90 Points
À l'oeil, la robe est très foncée, rubis très sombre. Semble assez dense. Au nez, les plants de tomates sont un peu trop présents à mon goût, assez végétal à ce stade-ci. Après, 3 heures de carafe cet aspect c'est quelque peu assagi mais persiste tout de même. La bouche offre des tannins serrés, l'ensemble est d'un seul bloc pratiquement et l'expression se fait attendre. La bouche est soyeuse, rien agresse, la finale est d'une belle longueur. Le potentiel y est sans aucun doute. À revoir dans 5-7 ans au minimum, le tout devrait être plus plaisant.
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12/22/2009 - Schiffy wrote: 96 Points
Smooth, lush and tasty! This wine opened up beautifully after 45 minutes into a complex, wonderful array of berry fruit. This is a very different wine from the delicious Napa Cab fruit bombs. This is much more restrained, but has terrific flavors.
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12/1/2009 - OTTnMIA wrote: 90 Points
I have never written two notes on the same wine, but this time I had to... as seen below, I drank this in July of 2009 and it absolutely blew me away! Recently had it again - strangely, after a glass of its cheaper cousin the "Marques de Concha Casa" (2006) - and although it was enjoyable, it was not nearly as moving as last time. The nose was distinctly chocolate-covered cherry, with a blueberry pie and whipped cream note. The palette was heavy, with strong initial notes of leather and coffee, yet almost muted in a way, blood-like in texture. I don't know, still a good wine, but to not BLOW AWAY an $18 kind of similar cab next to it dissapointed us. So much so I felt it warranted another note and score.... yet still a delicious wine!
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11/23/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote:
Cocoa, coffee and some slight minty earth notes on the nose. Seems to be pretty tight on the palate and a lot of the Don Melchor I've been having lately has had a little bit of a vegetal green streak running through it that isn't really appealing to me. I much preferred the 01-03 vintages of this wine over the 04-05 that I have had. Can't say that I am overly impressed with this 05. It did improve a bit on the second night but not enough for me to be very excited about the other bottle I have. I'll probably lose that one in the back of the cellar and see if I can try it again in about 5 or more years.
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11/22/2009 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Deep crimson color. Notes of chocolate, mushroom, prune and mint. Well-balanced, with blackberry, plum and herbal/spice tones on the palate. Long finish. 91-92 pts.
This was decanted for an hour, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another eight+ before tasting. Hold until 2016+.
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11/20/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Opened up after an hour in the decanter. A little unyielding and struggles to express itself, but i love the dark mocha coffee flavours along with its powerful weight. Tannins are strong but smooth albeit slightly bitter. Have a glass left will check back later ...
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11/20/2009 - drgrape wrote: 91 Points
This is a nice Cab. Maybe a little more oak than necessary, but a pretty long smooth finish.
$60...?? I don't know.
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11/12/2009 - James Bornn wrote:
Nose on this wine is the essence of cabernet - juicy black currents with faint whiffs of tobacco and eucalyptus. The palate doesn't have the same liveliness, instead it is a monolithic block of very concentrated charred earth notes. If you want to know what this tastes like without blowing 60 bucks, put a Nestle Aero bar on the back of your tongue and let it melt. Isn't wine supposed to be refreshing?
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11/11/2009 - lano wrote: 93 Points
Dark garnet color in the glass. Lovely, but not particularly expressive nose. Supple, smooth, seamless, just a real quality wine. Not incredibly complex, but just very impressive. Enjoyed this one over three days, but air didn't really change my opinion. Really, really glad I have another and several other vintages still resting comfortably for another day.
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10/27/2009 - WineForRob wrote: 94 Points
Little tighter on the nose than my last experiences but still no slouch. Very distinct smokey note with black currant and some oak. Supple mouth feel with an endless finish. Drinking very nicely right now but not quite as complex as i remember.
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10/25/2009 - Eduhersp wrote: 95 Points
Although the nose is a bit closed, minimal decanting, it is very delicious, impeccably balanced and drinking real real well. I had two very satisfying glasses with dinner. At this point it was a better experience than the last. The finsh is absolutelly marvelous. It is hard to think of a wine that is better made for the money spent. One extra point for QPR.
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10/24/2009 - vinaigre wrote: 94 Points
Inky black, Nice nose of smoke, earth and dark fruits: Plums, blackberries figs... Nice smooth texture with well balanced acidity. Nice medium to long finish of cocoa, coffee and more dark fruits. Did not seem closed or restrained. Seem approachable now with a long life ahead.
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10/16/2009 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
My first high-end chilean cab, and it was an interesting experience. A new world style in that the flavors are intense and the alcohol seems fairly high -- but a different new world style than California. Dark berries and chocolate on the nose. Crushed red berry, cherry, plum , and chocolate flavors on the palate along with a strong oak component and some tar and earth. Neither particularly acidic nor especially tannic. Seems ready to drink.
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9/28/2009 - Eduhersp wrote: 94 Points
I have been waiting to try this wine for a while and it did not dissapoint. Not decanted.
Nose: A little closed at first but it opened nicely in 40 minutes. Luscious smoky nose with dark fruits, maybe blueberries, and some nice touches of sweet oak. This wine is very aromatic and prominent with sweet fruit and oak. Good start.
Taste: At first, this wine surprised me on how balanced and smooth it was for not being decanted. Not overly sweet and with a nice acidic backbone, with dark berries and oaky scents. Delicious. This wine has a very velvety and silky mouthfeel resembling pahlmeyer's blend or Togni's. The wine gains weight and develops more fruit and oak as the night progresses. The finish is sensational and satisfying. Excellent wine. The best part is that I found this being sold in a SF restaurant for $35/bottle. What a steal. Do not call the cops! Extra point for QPR.
Salud!
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9/25/2009 - winesteward wrote: 90 Points
A bit of a dishrag smell which blew off after a bit. Very closed and difficult to appreciate at first. After 30 minutes, much better. Meaty, plump ripe fruit, plums. Very flavorful but still primary.
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9/16/2009 - Khamen wrote:
Bit of a departure from the norm. A JOINT TN from both Khamen & pjaines. Please bear in mind before this we drank Ornellaia and Ch Margaux so discussion
pjaines: It's kind of South African-y profile with a sort of burnt rubber note. Don't think it's a long term wine but I like it. Tangy chocotltey peppery. Very grippy
Khamen: Grippy, young, chocolate, we have a very old port up next so an abbreviated note. Very good. Over to Paul
paines : I think this tastes more carmenere than varietal cab sauv. Not that different from...hang on I'll clean my palate. You have a Winnie thre Poo cup!
Khamen: get back to the wine pls Paul
Pjaines : it's slurpy, chocolatey, not sure where this is going. Another 5 years to mellow?
Khamen : And thank you Paul. In my honest opiion it's very open cab with plenty of cocoa and good oak treatment. 2 hour decant for now or leave it on the shelf for 2-3 years.
Paul does'nt score but Khamen goes 91
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9/2/2009 - asgerG wrote: 90 Points
Very dark berry red, 6. Intense rather sweetish blackcurrant nose with plenty (too much?) of new oak as well. Massive taste with good tannins, fruit and oak notes. Drank the last half of the bottle after five days and it was still fresh and in fact more approachable! I will cellar this for some years before I tuch it again. Then it will most likely earn a higher rating. Now it is just for fans of the new oak notes on top of fresh fruit!!
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9/2/2009 - Gene_Mo wrote: 90 Points
Maybe it was the pairing, maybe it was the competition. Just seemed to be overwhelmed by some mediterranan food and a good Walla Walla cab blend. The wine finishes well, but seems to be a bit to faint .
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8/29/2009 - wallstreet wrote: 90 Points
It was good, but not sure if it will improve iin the bottle, which in my opinion is requred.
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8/23/2009 - jamscreator wrote: 93 Points
Dark as midnight in the glass. Absolutely as smooth as silk on the throat with a nice memorable finish. Earth and bold, but in check and well balanced by the dark chocolate, cedar, raspberry and wet stone flavors. I really love this young wine and will look for more. Great stuff and not over-powering on the fruit.
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8/23/2009 - Khamen wrote:
Deep and dark with an interesting earth and coca component coming through strongly on the nose. A little tight but a good depth of flavours come through on the attack - notably chocolate, and a rich loamy chewiness. Good dark fruit accentuated by some well-integrated oak. The earthy character continues on the mid-palate and adds to the overall appeal. Good grip and a long drying finish. Drinking nicely no with a 2 hour decant but will be interesting to see how it ages. Certainly won't be kicking it out of the cellar. QPR is good in the £22-26 area.
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8/14/2009 - sterin wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely delicious. Can't wait to see what my other bottle tastes like in another 5 years.
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8/9/2009 - sjk7 wrote: 93 Points
Excellent
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8/9/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
a bit weak, flabby and not very interesting
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8/8/2009 - dssmith wrote: 90 Points
A classic bordeaux style wine from a well known, very large wine maker. The wine had a deep red color, it was fruit forward, very plumy with a nice tannic base. The oak was subdued. A pleasant but not great wine.
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8/3/2009 - jmull wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about three hours, and it was positively singing by the time the peppery ribeyes were ready to pair with it. Eucalyptus, fig, raspberry ganache, and spicy pepper on the back end. Mouthfeel is pure glycerin, just gliding across and coating the palate, and the silky tannin doesn't really reveal itself until they grip the back of the palate and don't let go for quite awhile. Delicious now, possibly better later. Worthy of the hype, imo. 95-96.
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8/3/2009 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely wonderful. Not tight as feared.
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8/2/2009 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 92 Points
This went head to head with the 2005 Rubicon Cask, and while very good, the Rubicon scored slightly higher. This wine still feels a little tight relative to the Rubicon, and probably will last in the cellar easily another 5 yrs. Good mushroom flavors followed by currants.
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7/26/2009 - botrytisvirtuoso1819 wrote: 96 Points
nose; cassis, tar, lead pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and campfire smoke.
palate; dark chocolate, blueberries, black currants, mocha, and plums.
squid ink in color.
medium plus tannins.
long finish.
lovely wine, a classic.
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7/24/2009 - S. Lorin wrote: 92 Points
Thick, meaty, oily texture; dark fruit dominated by black cherries, currant and mocha finishes with some heat, bell pepper and a clump of dark moist dirt. Maintained a strong showing 3 days later retaining its density and fruit. While modern, this has an earthy terroir that distinguishes it. This was better than my first bottle 6 months ago.
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7/18/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 89 Points
A lot less impressed with this bottle, while deep, tasty and powerful, it didn't have the explosion of flavours of my previous bottles. The finish was drying and clipped. Perhaps its shutting down?
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7/17/2009 - OTTnMIA wrote: 92 Points
What a wine! Can't add much that the notes below haven't hit on, but this was THE most amazing display of the unique Chilean terrior I have ever experienced. Huge, rich, complex, interesting wine which just exploded from the glass and had a finish that lasted a minute, easy. Dominated by mocha, dark fruit, fig, and earthy notes. This was such a refined and elegant wine, but yet still maintained the unique flavor and ruggedness of the region. Awesome stuff, a true wine experience! (NOTE: Needs a good 30mins+ decant to come alive, was nowhere near it's potential when first popped)
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7/11/2009 - geppetto wrote: 94 Points
Wow! This was an awesome bottle but I am a little too intoxicated to give a really thorough tasting note.
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6/30/2009 - junglejuice wrote: 88 Points
At first this wine was amazing and exploded from the glass with huge luscious aromas of cherry, kirsch liquor and minty earthy undertones. It then closed down immensely after being in open for about 30 min and it never fully came back out over the course of 2 days. The palate at its best displayed youthful sweet tannins, dark fruit, cassis, and dirty oaky fig. Overall a bit of a disappointment and I am kicking myself for opening this infant early. The Melchor, at this stage, is above average at best and considering the big press it has received makes me question the overall ageability and quality. I still, however, have high hopes for my remaining bottle
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6/13/2009 - lator wrote: 89 Points
Color: Dark Red, almost Black. Nose: Liquorice, Ripe Cherry, a little muted even with 4 hours decanting. Palate: Sour Cherry, Malt, Red Currant. Finish: Long, a little alcoholic and hollow. Tannins: Strong, a tad bitter as well, needs more cellaring. Alcohol: 14.5 % showing a little heat especially in the finish. Very lush and smooth mouthfeel. This is not ready just yet in my opinion. Minor flaws here and there keep me from giving a higher score.
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6/12/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 93 Points
Pop and poured. I loved the deep full and smooth taste with quite heavy chilean soil, as good as my first bottle. Seemed to thin out a little with air though. Dad didn't like it so much and said it was too bitter, which I disagree with.
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6/8/2009 - Hecht_Pede wrote: 93 Points
drank this as a celebration after denmarks win over sweden the 6/6/2009, the color was bold dark red, on the nose lot of cassis and oak, it started of with a powerfull peppar dominating note on the palate and after that I don`t remember that much cause i was high from the weed i smoked and I could not taste the wine probably after i had smoked but after 3-4 hours this one started to burst some other sweet plum and fruity flavours but it`s way too young at this point wait at least 3 years for this but would`nt hurt if you waited like 5-8 years im sure it wiil be a treat and gain a point or 2
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6/5/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 93 Points
Chocolate, coffee, plums, blueberries, spice,...is there a wine in there? Many complex flavors, touch of hollowness on the late palate, good finish. Tasty and clearly high quality, but not a palette of flavors that I'm fond of. Maybe just needs time?
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5/29/2009 - ChinonRouge wrote: 90 Points
Drinkable.
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5/9/2009 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2009 (Borgata -- Atlantic City, NJ): much better showing than the 06 a week back. lots of dark fruit, plum, chocolate, and coffee. long finish leaves a peppery coffee flavor behind that is quite nice. 93+
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5/1/2009 - shank wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and compared with the 2004. The 04 was more approachable and had more red fruit on the nose. The 05 was bolder, darker fruit, and tannic. Over the next 2 hours, the wines were hard to distinguish from each other. Both were outstanding.
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5/1/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Very similiar notes to my last bottle in June of last year. Seems to have gained some serious weight, richness and has definitely smoothed out some. Impeccable fruit, with notes of cassis, smoke, a touch of licorice and green bell pepper. Tannins have softened, although still noticeable. I think this will has many miles ahead of it, but excellent now with aeration.
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4/30/2009 - Zeca Rocha wrote: 92 Points
Zeca, Sady, Octavio e Layette. Maravilhoso.
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3/26/2009 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
See previous notes
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3/21/2009 - unrelenting wrote: 91 Points
big, rustic wine
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3/21/2009 - gdm1 wrote: 94 Points
I've had every vintage since 2001... Smells great, tastes great...get a bottle... of the 2003 vintage. 2005 is excellent, but the masterpiece is the 2003 vintage. 2005 still needs to sleep but its improving (92-94)
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3/14/2009 - gmbdds wrote: 88 Points
Tasted single blind. Decanted over three hours prior to tasting. Dark fruit notes came out on the nose. Black fruit with bacon on the palate with a gritty moutfeel. I am scoring this lower than the experts but would certainly allow that this may have been closed or just didn't amaze me tonight. Look forward to trying again.
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3/13/2009 - Taylor56 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. This is a wonderful young wine with hugh potential to go up a point or two. Full bodied with great structure and balance. Deep, dark cherry fruit complimented by notes of milk chocolate in the mid-palate and ends with a bit of smoked bacon/meatiness. Good length that should gain as it matures. A bit of heat on the finish. Would try another in 2-3 years.
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2/26/2009 - demarestwines wrote: 93 Points
Dark oaky chocolate!!! What can I say to this wonderful glamorous $80 bottle wine?! Its a 3-dimensional full bodied fruitful yet tannic and mellow absolutely entertaining wine for special occassions. Get it and cellar it for a decade and it will be worth more!
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2/1/2009 - caeleric wrote: 94 Points
Almost entirely closed on the first pour, but opened nicely after 24+ hours of decanting. Dense and opaque in the glass with beautiful concentration. After the lengthy decanting, the nose was wonderfully ripe and fruity, with a mouthwatering sweetness. The entry generously displays the darker fruits and the focused flavors tumble nicely in the mouth. Interestingly, I preferred the finish prior to decanting; it lasted forever! I bought two bottles, so I'll probably lay the other bottle down for 2-3 more years.
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1/24/2009 - Ryan D wrote:
Upon opening, this was like drinking a barrel of wood - abrasive. After decanting for 4 hours, this really opened up and became much more approachable. A hefty wine and certainly cellar-worthy.
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1/24/2009 - robertdtwo wrote: 93 Points
No decanter; poured into oversized bordeaux glasses 2 hours prior to dinner. Initial cherry on the nose quickly blew off & seemed closed for first 45 minutes, opening to reveal tobacco, mocha, and dark fruit. Tried first sip 1 hour after opening; mostly-integrated tannins melted away to show a very brief touch of heat on the finish...so brief that it couldn't be considered a detriment, but it was still there. Gorgeous mouthfeel at 2 hours, touch of vanilla emerged. A great bottle, but I'll wait before opening the next one, as I think this will improve a couple of points with time. Day 2: vacuvin overnight, poured into glass & waited until it came to cellar temperature... leather & cherry jumped out of the glass this time; I'd say it tastes like 94/100 after a night in the fridge...
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1/13/2009 - LelouchViBritannia wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 15 minutes: HUGE mocha, roast coffee, and ripe cherry. 40+ seconds finish. 95 pts. My first guess is that it is very open.
Decanted 2 hrs: Less impressive aroma. Calming down but mocha still covering everything. Softer Tannin than before. 92-95 pts.
Decanted 4 hrs: Starting to taste more tobacco, cigar box, heavier on mid palate. Bitter chocolate finish. Changing in the glass Just starting to show. 96 points.
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1/7/2009 - ColinR wrote: 93 Points
Garnet/crimson; black currants, earth, mushrooms, wet stones; concentrated berry, earthy, full body, good balance, good structure, firm ripe tannins, long finish.
Decanted 3 hrs. Good complexity and roundness for a Cab. Sauv. A bit closed being so young with obvious ageabillity. Similar to the '03. Delicious with t-bone.
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1/2/2009 - enosnob wrote: 96 Points
1/02/09:Double decanted and then sat for two hours. Dark and almost back purple color and a nose of toasted bread, big black fruit, oak and dirt. The tastes are of blackberry, spice, great vegetation, chocolate and drying tannin that will need some time to polymerize and soften. Incredible structiure and balance with only the tannins needing some time to sort themselves out. The finish is drying but with nice earthy and black fruit and vanilla. Wait for a few years and this is going to be a great wine to savor for two decades.
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12/31/2008 - Outplaying wrote: 92 Points
New Years at Scott's (The Scotts (Landenberg, PA)): Dark, complex wine with bell pepper, coffee, earthy components. Great wine.
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12/29/2008 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Brigitte Birthday Dinner (Denver, CO): Decanted 4 hours. Served along side the '05 Almaviva. Dark violet red. Very nice nose of dark cherries, cassis, coffee, tobacco and a slight bell pepper component. Rich, dark palate that had an almost chocolaty feel to it. Plenty of tannins, but they were more forgiving and less firm than the Almaviva's. Finished with good length. Most at the table preferred this because it was sexy and more approachable.
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12/28/2008 - shrhee wrote: 95 Points
Better than Almaviva 2005
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12/27/2008 - Linda wrote: 89 Points
A- decanted. At first I was getting nothing but tobacco/cigar box on the nose. After about an hour, started getting funky propane nose, along with the cigar box. Later finally started getting some fruit along with the other stuff.
T- Haven't had this in several years, but not quite as good as I remember. Took a while in the decanter to start getting fruit- at first I was only getting the cigar box that I was getting on the nose. Finally after about an hour+ in the decanter, started getting some sweet raspberry fruit along with the cigar box. Just not as complex as it used to be- might gain this with time. Good acidity (pH- 3.56) and slightly astringent tannins.
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12/25/2008 - Grinder wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes taken and not decanted, but this was lovely. Very young, tannic and a touch hot. Give this another 2 years at least. 93+
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12/23/2008 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. Aromas of dark fruit and mint with a subtle loamy note. Full bodied, with firm but slightly sweet tannins. Vibrant fruit on the palate, with flavors of blackberry, currant, vanilla and spice.
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12/19/2008 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
Still great.
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12/12/2008 - mye wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 mins before drinking. Did a quick taste upon opening.
Smooth, rich, plush. had nose of berries, earth, and coffee. Spectacular balance of acidity and ripe tannins. Heavy weight, and gained with air - Commented to my partner that it almost feels buttery/creamy in your mouth.
Long smooth finish. Great wine to drink now.
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12/6/2008 - Outplaying wrote: 92 Points
AWS White Clay Chapter Cabernets (Brett and Carols): While the rest of the group was oohing and aahing over the nose on this wine, I was getting something really funky like petrol or rubber. I don't know what it was but i didn't like it. After swirling the glass for a bit it blew off and I was able to get black pepper, bell pepper and smokey fruits. In the mouth it was really nice. Black fruits, coffee, good structure and lots of complexity. I would like to try this again.
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11/24/2008 - rstark wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruits and evident oak ... very new world. The finish certainly has some herbal notes. It reminded me of a well-made Santa Cruz Mtn Cab. Pretty one-dimensional, though. The people on this site that said it had lots of tobacco and leather must not drink much Bordeaux ... they are there, but only lightly. Not worth more than $50 to me.
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11/21/2008 - wynruit wrote: 95 Points
As the cork unseated the nose was immediately evident. Nose of dark fruit, coffee, tobacco and leather. In the mouth it is rich and nicely plush with well integrated tannins - at times it feels like you are holding cream in your mouth. The finish is equal to the task and the black fruit flavor stays with it. This wine has no real weakness. Drank over 24 hours, it had lost a little lustre primarily on the nose and finsih but was still very enjoyable. Will be having the next bottle with red meat.
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11/2/2008 - twelch wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured last night. Nose of dark fruit, coffee, oil, tobacco, earth. In the mouth very plush, rich wine with much smoother and well integrated tannins than I expected at this point. Very dark brooding fruit that hasn't come to the forefront quite yet but is there. Dark chocolate, earth, mocha and coffee flavors were all very persistent. Drank over about 2 hours. I'm very impressed! If I had to score I'd say 95+ WOW!
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10/21/2008 - Phin wrote: 94 Points
Red and plum fruits with great ripe tannins that carry a smooth soft finish.
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10/20/2008 - ptelgenh wrote: 95 Points
This is one of my favorites. Extremely dense and rich with black currant. Extremely long finish. Will improve even more with short term cellaring.
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9/30/2008 - Tom_B wrote: 90 Points
A nice, deep ruby color, clear with great intensity. A dense nose, with tar, stem, spice and black currant. Medium bodied, very well balanced. While a solid wine, I am not ure what the allure of this wine really is.
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9/17/2008 - gdm1 wrote: 92 Points
Definitely needs to age much more...
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9/15/2008 - bigkhna wrote:
This wine needs time to open preferably 2-3 hours or even a day. Will age very well....and be a great addition to any collection.
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9/9/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 93 Points
12 AMIGOS - 12 VINHOS (Aguzzo): Excelente/Excepcional. 93+
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9/7/2008 - tvinoronquillo wrote:
A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc from 20 year old vines from the vineyard Puente Alto which is in the highest, coolest region of the Maipo Valley. Wine Speculator gave this wine 96 points. $54 US. This wine This wine spends 14 months in French oak (60% new and 40% used) and an additional 12 months in bottle before release. This wine was very typical for a Cab and frankly I wasn't too impressed. It could have been made in California for all I know, I was just expecting a lot more individuality considering this was suppose to be one of the best Chilean reds on the market. Definitely a crowd pleaser for the Napa Cab crowd but lacking the pizazz and personality of truly great wines. Who knows maybe it was an off bottle... I just think its overrated. 2.5/5
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8/28/2008 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Dense aromatic nose. Silky smooth, balanced and a lovely drink, but thinner than the last bottle.
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8/24/2008 - dannyk8232 wrote: 91 Points
Needs time. Has the stuffing for a real superstar wine.
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8/16/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(1) Awesome. Wonderful nose, very complex on the pallet and a very nice finish. Just a little “hot” - I’m certain this will get better in time.
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8/13/2008 - Gfritzh wrote: 92 Points
Consumed at a fine steak house where the wine was poured immediately after opening and allowed to breath in the glass for about 15 minutes. The color is almost black with a medium heavy body. The wine was approachable almost immediately with silky smooth tannins, black cherry, vanilla and slight herbal notes on the palate with a long, pleasant herbal notes on the finish. The wine is drinking very well right now and the flavors should continue to integrate and develop with a few years of cellar time.
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8/11/2008 - slippytoad wrote: 91 Points
Didn't impress on opening, nose and mid-palate not exhibiting much. On the 2nd and 3rd day was way more impressive. Loved the moch and dark fruit flavours. Not really ready though.
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8/9/2008 - pitt71 wrote: 94 Points
Was still very tight after an hour decant time. Revisited after two and it was singing. Dark fruits with licorice. Silky smooth tannins suptle and balanced. Improved over the night. A case of infanticide but wanted to taste it before I picked up more. Even with this years price increase one of the best values for cab in the world.
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7/26/2008 - BSteffes wrote: 95 Points
Opened and let breathe for a full 12 hours. This wine is beautiful and is definitely one of my favorite Cabs now. The 12 hours helped let the fruit emerge and blend nicely with the licorice and hints of dark chocolate. The nose was full of dark fruit, licorice, and coffee. The mouth feel was very smooth and silky...with the tannins leading the way....but integrated perfectly. The finish is a blend of coffee and dark chocolate. Can't wait to let this wine age a little to take on an even more complex character. Definetly think this will be WOTY or top 10 by WS.
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7/19/2008 - SMG wrote: 94 Points
Decanted upon opening and drank over 3 hours. This wine was open and drinking very well immediately upon popping the cork. Big nose of cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, vanilla, coffee and herbs with nice structure to carry this for a few years yet the tannins are not hard or even noticable. This is very young but very approachable and enjoyable now. The finish is about 25+ seconds.
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7/12/2008 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Consumed over two nights, and as you would expect, this was a better wine on the second night. Inky garnet color, with aromas of plum, loam, dark fruit and herbs. Full-bodied, with sweet tannins and flavors of plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice. Some mocha and eucalyptus tones on the second night, and the palate was much more open and lush, with plenty of rich dark fruit. Decant at least 6 hours if drinking now.
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7/12/2008 - brettlaurvick wrote: 88 Points
Not sure about all the hype on this Cab. Had at Gibson's in Chicago. The 2004 was on their wine list, but sold out and probably should have ordered something with a little more bottle age. This was tight and tannic. Youthful, yes, but I was expecting more. $83 on their menu which made it fairly priced for a restaurant purchase. Would certainly revisit in a few years when this melds and comes into what it should be. 88-90
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7/7/2008 - cormyr wrote: 94 Points
dark clear purple red. intoxicating complex nose. smoke and tar which will undoubtedly many years from now integrate into a most amazing bouquet. full bodied. thick ,dark, smokey, blackberry and tar yet with a good balance of boldness and finesse. copious soft ripe tannins and a finish that goes on all night. far too young now. will last decades. 94+
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7/4/2008 - Terkel wrote: 92 Points
Bacchus blindtasting (Finn's appartment): Dark red color with a purple hue. Warm fruit, black currant and other dark berries, some marzipan and oak on the nose. On the palate clear warm climate fruit, black currant and plum, but very clear on the black currant note. Great licorise and espresso on the midpalate. The fruit follows through on the finish together with youthful tannins. Good mouth fill and intensity, but seems a bit one dimensional at the moment. Expect this to improved with several years of cellaring.
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6/22/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
14% alcohol. 3% cab franc. decanted for 2 hours up to the point of this writing. thick oak and tannin; of course, it's too young, but i have no experience with this wine, at least to memory, from any vintage, and i was intrigued by it's massive appeal, plus the perpetual chest thumping from winespectator. taken at face value, i believe this will be the WS WOTY (you heard it here first). 96 points, $51 (from costco), 18,000+ cases made, previous top 10 listings, it fits the profile. and tasting it tonight, i can recognize it's appeal. nevertheless, to quote chris rock, "i understand it, but i don't condone it." this is a classic cabernet from everyville, of little distinction except it is made with care in fairly large quantities. let's compare it to...phelps insignia, except i'd rather drink insignia any day of the week (i know, insignia is twice the price. get over it). here's it's real value: it will make a nice, moderately priced christmas gift.
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6/22/2008 - z_willus_d wrote: 93 Points
Tasting note taken blind; 3+ hour decant; deep red color; nose: charred marshmallow, bubble gum, a little confectionery, burnt caramel, cafe latte. Palate: cherry, cranberry, coffee bean; decent tannins that picked up after the 5th hour along with additional bitterness and vegital aspects. This was very elegant, well balanced and smooth at first tasting -- will check back on day two. 92-93 right now. Day3 (stored vacuumed at cellar-temp): just as heavy and loaded; it took another 2-3 hours in the decanter to open-up. The wine had lost nothing while picking up more coffee grind, earthy flavors, plum and touch of cassis. This is an outstanding Cabernet that I believe will improve greatly with time.
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6/21/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Upon pop and pour quintessential cabernet nose with the distinctly chilean loam in a very tight package. In the mouth, great balance and a touch of tartness. There some substantial tannins underlying the abundant rasberry fruit. The wine was decanted and it seemed to gain weight with air. I also got some subtle notes of oak that complemented the wine nicely. The 94 is for now with some definite room for improvement. I'm going to check back at day 2.
Day 2
Much of the same as day 1, although it gained some weight and I picked up notes of tobacco and spice on the finish. Trying this wine the second day reinforced to me this wine should age well. Held up impeccably.
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6/20/2008 - Squirreljam wrote: 94 Points
Nice wine. From the pop, great nose with rich raspberry ganache, licorice, earth and petroleum. Initially the palate was more reticent but after maybe an hour, it opened right up and enriched. All the above notes plus plum, dark berry and cedar/tobacco. Nice long finish of more than 30 secs. Mouthfeel is medium to light but still rich; tannins are there, but they add support and structure instead of astringency.
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6/20/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 96 Points
This wine blows me away. Black currant cola and that chilean earthy loam thing they got goin on in thier. Totally seemless wine with a silky mouth feel and more black fruits present. With air became more dense and showed the sheer power but the tannins and acidity were buffered perfectly by fruit and some oak. Absolutely no rough edges. Best Melchor I have had.
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6/17/2008 - Hazeo wrote: 93 Points
Even though I'm not used to the Chilean earth taste (and haven't acquired that taste), this is a very well-built wine. Great concentration and balance. Heavy decanting is recommended but even with high tannins the lush fruit shows no sign of fading. Will revisit the rest of my bottles in a few years.
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6/8/2008 - GreenDrazi wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2½ hr’s. Nose of dark currants, tar, game and loam. Silky mouthfeel with meaty, roasted tannins that are forefront now followed by dense flavors of black currants, tar, cedar and the signature Melchor mint. Mineral quality and dark spices increasing towards the finish. Very primary now, this needs time for the fruit to hopefully take a more prominent role.
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6/7/2008 - jgreen wrote: 91 Points
Showing surprisingly well fora young cab. Chilean funk on the nose. Nice red fruit balanced by earth and a bitof gaminess. A very nice wine but not sure worth the $50-$60 price tag.
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5/26/2008 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Big, rich nose of cherry, plum, and tar, lifted by red currant and mint. In the mouth, there's ample fruit, again in the cherry, plum, and currant range, and adding fig and earthy, mushroomy notes. A very creamy mouthfeel. Tar comes back on the finish along with the classic Chilean earthy notes. Nice long finish. Tannins are present but already seem fairly soft and integrated. The only thing it's lacking right now is delineation, perhaps a little more acidity to provide a little more lightness and balance.
The Don Melchor is making good on all the accolades it has received for years; it deserves them more and more. I think this is the best Don Melchor yet, representing a significant improvement on the '03 and '04, which were themselves a big step up from the '00 and '01. What's great about it is that it's also the most distinctively Chilean one yet. It doesn't get lost in imitating Bordeaux or Napa, it shows the earthy loam and minty herbal character of a real Chilean terroir.
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5/25/2008 - dionysis wrote: 94 Points
Definitely not a wine for the fruit-loving Cab addicts (ie, my wife did not prefer it at all) -- full of cedar, oak and smoky earthy notes, and though there is some fruit hidden beneath the forest, it took a while to come out and was not at the forefront of the palate. A bit rough, but softened over the several ours we drank and was much better the second night.
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5/7/2008 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
South American Wines (Rios de Sudamerica): Singing, wide open nose has rich, ripe currant fruits, smoke, toasty oak and sweet herbs. Opulent and richly textured palate. Loads of fruit cloak underlying tannins. A baby, but oh so tasty already.
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5/4/2008 - whynblog wrote: 97 Points
The color is a very deep purple that fades a little toward the rim. Because this wine is so young the nose is a bit closed right now but it does give some hints of black fruit and spice box. The flavors are a harmonious mix of currant, tobacco, and plumb. The finish is tannic now and full of cedar but will soften over time. Overall this wine is very complex, very well put together and may be the best Don Melchor ever. It needs additional bottle time so resist the temptation and lay this one down for at least a year. Exceptional!
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5/3/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 96 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour (Las Vegas): Wine of the Night with the Saffredi. Huge dark fruit and chocolate mocha flavors. Huge silky mouth feel with beautifully integrated acidity and tannins. Could just gulp this down. Will buy up all the Chilean 05's.
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4/26/2008 - gotapex wrote: 92 Points
Way WAY too young and primary still. Nose dominated by vanilla from the oak, and sweet fruit. Enough tannins to go the distance.
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4/19/2008 - yoming wrote: 88 Points
Drank at kevin's place, with crab cake salad, salmon, lamb, and sausages. Decanted but never really opened up over 4 hrs. Good nose of vanilla and some dark fruit, sweet almost like a mid-priced california cab. Definitely new world. Mid palate not very full. A little lacking of fruit, with heat coming out very prominently. Ending also a little hot. Fine tannins, but alcohol didn't integrate too well. Should be better with 5 more years of bottle age to mellow out. I was expecting more from a WS96 pointer. Didn't show well tonight.
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4/19/2008 - mmurry wrote: 92 Points
Big Dogs and Bargains (Farpointe Cellar): A lovely nose of toasted almonds, black currant, and a little fig at the end. The palate was soft and had black currant, mocha, chocolate, and finished with a little fig.
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4/17/2008 - Siggy wrote: 86 Points
Winestreet Does Chile & Argentina (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): Plush, almost buttery texture. Smoky dark fruit. A touch heavy. Showing plenty of oak. Good concentration.
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4/11/2008 - Vinho wrote: 93 Points
PI. E.
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3/24/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. TOOK 40 MINUTES TO OPEN UP, NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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2/19/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 94 Points
93-94+
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