Tasted this at a wine dinner at Tunglok Signatures (Orchard Rendezvous Hotel) with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: A good wine for Christmas and the New Year.
A seriously good wine. Beautiful aromatics on the nose with a touch of vegetal or herbal tone. Big ripe plums coupled with blackberries and plums. Dark chocolates, espresso, and a touch of tobacco.
On the palate, all the elements are well integrated and worked harmoniously together to bring out the best of the Chilean wine.
An exceptionally good wine.
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Stunning!! Aromatics of dark raspberry jumping out of the glass, could smell it 5 feet away. Light plum and cherry with leather and mild tobacco on the palate. PNP and poured into glass, then tasted 20 min later. Smooth, long and beautiful! Best bottle of the case so far!
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Decanted off its sediment and served with Morgan Ranch wagyu tri-tip. Shows just a hint of bricking at the meniscus but maintains a dark crimson core. Opens with aromas of black fruit and herbs with rose petal and road tar elements emerging as it opens in the glass. Mixed red and black fruit on the palate with spice and tobacco elements. Fully integrated tannins; this is elegant and very well-balanced. Delightful. This is at peak IMO; drink through 2023. 93 pts for both Domino and me.
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New Years eve wine! Out of the cellar for 12 hours to bring it to room temperature and opened for about an hour before it was ready to drink. When pouring into the glass I was struck with a nose of black cassias, black currants and black fruits. Medium bodied. On the palate taste of black fruit including blackberries and black currants with fine interlaced tannins adding complexity to this well developed, mature wine. Complex and worldly. A fitting wine for year end!
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A pleasant surprise — much better than my first time with this wine. Seems to have shed the earthier and gamier notes. Notes of cassis, plum skin, loamy soil, smoked meats, and truffle. Great texture. In a really good place now.
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Decanted for an hour with a good portion of sediment removed. Harmonious with velvet structure. There is an oily appearance which I quite like, plush and there is a charming vegetal component (bell pepper). Easy drinking, but serious stuff. Can keep more, it is just starting to develop tertiary aromas now.
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Dark, brooding color. Beautiful dark stone fruits, balanced acidity and alcohol. Firm tannins, but yielding - balanced pasture raised ribeye as well as seared scallops with creme fraiche, chives, and sturgeon caviar (surprising). At peak now. Stunning wine!
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Csquared98’s note was spot on in terms of the flavors. This perfectly aged wine is making its best showing. The nose is a little reticent on the and pour, and the initial impression is of a good but restrained old Cab. But within 15 minutes it opens in a huge way and continues to open up for hours. There are no signs of over-oxidation (no pruney essence or flavors), no sediment, no brown edges). What you get is a cross between an old Bordeaux and an old Washington cab. Makes me reevaluate the ability of a Chilean Cab. My 2000 and 2001 Don Melchors were very good but didn’t fare quite this well. I would drink now as this is truly at peak.
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Granted, this 2003 vintage is beyond its ideal drinking window, however it was tasting beautifully tonight with strong notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, and tobacco on the nose giving way to muted blackberry, cassis and currant flavors and ultimately yielding to a lush, lengthy finish that seemingly went on for days. We were a bit more bullish on this wine than previous reviewers and eagerly anticipate our last bottle. Don Melchor is a dynastic operation to be sure!
-Chris and Nicolette Clark & Anthony McClish
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The last bottle and it is showing it’s age. The oak has fallen off to the wayside revealing the under ripe fruit making it a little too green for my taste. For a quarter of the price you can get the same profile in a Washington Cabernet.
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Consistent with the bottle from earlier this year, except this bottle was remarkably free or sediment. Tarry earth, cherry, and lavender. Youngish, younger than I expected. An excellent bottle.
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This Don Melchor vintage 2003 is by now fifteen years old. First day, no aromas closed taste. Second day it opened and it is better. At third day it exploded with aromas and taste of black berries, prunes, tobacco and dark chocolate taste. Round and well balanced.
Unfortunately it was the last bottle...
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Double decanted for lots of sediment, which is needed. Tar and cherry on the nose and in the mouth, which adds some grilled herb. Nice long finish. In good shape, but probably best to drink now or in the next 3-4 years.
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Popped and poured, followed over an hour or so. Plum, dark fruit, cassis, lavender and green herbal aromas. Drying tannins; dark fruit and herb flavors. Showing much younger than I expected, but nicely balanced fruit and tannin. The palate lags slightly behind the bouquet given the tannins, but pretty darn nice overall.
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Dark red, dense, black berries, dry figs, earth and dark chocolate . Tannins subdue. It seems too much extraction. Fielder two times in different fielder and a sense of sediments is still present.
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Inviting like few other vins we've ever enjoyed...
At the pour, the body is immediately evident, it moves slowly, purposefully into the decanter. Its viscosity tell us we'll enjoy complexity with this juice. The legs... It takes a full minute to travel from the top of the swirl back to beverage level... Ohhh yum...
On the nose the fruits hit- blues, blacks, berries, licorice, toffee, life! But wait, there's the earth, the terroir- Chile... 5% Cab Franc may account for this...Then the fruit re-groups and shows it's still there,... the entire experience opens the drinkers' mind to what balance really means, everything is everpresent and high in the glass. Volume is UP in this wine.
A big, bold, not-SO-buttery, but balanced vin indeed...
Then we drink it...
We melt in our chairs.
Complex is an understatement... The flavors change across the palate, the last second of the sip tastes better than the first... We want more!!! We bite a grape and nose the glass... Asiago cheese and nose the glass... Thai, hot, beef and this wine, The Don is so bold & strong, it holds up to the spicy yumminess like few vins could... More velvety than silky because this vin has girth, life, chewiness and body...
Clean... Fresh, heck, this vin even has the positive traits of good white wines... Makes us even wonder whether this vin actually has any tiny percentage of white grapes in it...
It's a stunner.
Delicious.
All the top shelf adjectives.
And we could go on...
This is our first time drinking this juice. We have had a half case of 2012 in our racks for a year but one of our local wine sellers happened to have three of these 2003s for $45 each in its cellar, so we couldn't pass up that price... And we cracked the first same day- TODAY...
And so glad we did!!!
We'll enjoy these 2003s by 2020 and not get into the 2012s for many more years...
Dark ruby with a bouquet that while initially tight opened over an hour to reveal cherry and berry notes with a hint of tobacco. The dark cherry repeats on the tongue - easily the dominate note; but combined with berries, smoke and an interesting woody element that was some combination of oak and cedar. This bottle was fully mature and while it may still evolve and perhaps improve over the next 4-5 years I am going to give my remaining bottle 2 hours of decant and consume this year. Overall - paired nicely with grilled meat; but not memorable.
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Having read previous notes of recent dates I can only assume their bottles are flawed. Mine was in temp control since purchase and it has aged beautifully. Am hour in the decanter only started the wine to open. 2 hours in it is revealing itself fully bold and full yet smooth on the finish. Rum and whisky notes. Graphite and mineral nose. Strong black cherry on the tongue. Terrific wine. In line with the 2004 and very characteristic of the vineyard in general. I have every year since 2001 to 2014. Not disappointed at all in the 2003. I would say it's at it's peak now and should be drunk in the next 12 months.
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Maybe not properly stored, maybe a titch past peak, maybe at its baseline ... don't have the experience to tell. Either way, enjoyable bottle, with mature fruit and fine tannins. Was hoping for a spectacular bottle, instead enjoyed a very good bottle. 89 pts
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This tastes like someone took a dirty gym sock, soaked it in some cheap sherry and squeezed it into a glass. Unfortunately, I have several other bottles. I coravined a sample from another bottle from a different source, and confirmed it is not individual bottle variation. This is going down the drain. Damn.
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This is why they call it a bouquet. Then so easy to drink for such a suave wine. Cavernous but at your service. Medium bodied and still fleshy and muscular with no excess fat. Really a high class wine and probably not what you think of when you think Cabernet. Drink now-2020.
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Sweet spot. Drank with a sommelier friend after a brief decant. Deep ruby/ garnet with slight sediment, this wine is fully mature, with no real deterioration at the rim. Nose of cherry, raspberry, crushed dried flowers and spice. Subtle power is fantastic. Solid 5-10 years of wonderful drinking ahead. If a date, thus was a 35 year old professional (doctor, lawyer etc) who dresses well, keeps fit and is a terrific package. AA++
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Last consumed four months ago. Pretty much the same: " Dark garnet body; opaque; purple-red on the rim. Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, smoke, toasty oak." The tannin now seems more integrated into the wine.
Consumed in memory of LCDR Larry “Mike” Jordan, a fellow U.S. Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War. Mike was returning to the USS Kitty Hawk from the Philippines when his plane, a KA3B aerial tanker, was purportedly shot down on April 12, 1966. His name is listed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, PANEL 6E LINE 106.
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This is my last bottle of the 2003 DM. Considering my sky high expectations, this wine, while good, has been consistently disappointing. This last bottle might be my favorite. So I bid farewell with this note: Opaque dark garnet. Note of blackberry, cassis, and cedar. Medium + bodied wine with silky texture, blackberry, cassis, graphite, garrigue, and black licorice. Very good length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Integrated oak.
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At 14 years this has held up. cork stayed quite intact. One of the thinner corks I've encountered but it worked fine, and it was early stained. Fruit was in hiding for most of the first day. What was present was a fully integrated wine. I've said previously this wine has early Chilean profile different from Napa, Washington, or France. These elements were in earlier tastings noticeable but today they appear really integrated and very nicely. Not a powerhouse wine but perhaps medium bodied. Last glass had fine sediment as noted in previous tastings. The second day the fruit came out. Slightly tangy but perhaps this was some acidity. The wine held it's structure and was age worthy beyond my expectations. I appreciate the developed flavors, as wines are often fruit in their youth, but all the elements present evolve with age, and this one did so. I would drink now and would not hold for more than 5 years more.
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Nose: Wonderful complex, age very well. Oak, fruity. Palate: Thick, mouth watering, chewy, complex. Start with slight sweetness and fruity. Finish: Long finish, and little dry towards the end.
Absolutely stunning wine
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Dark garnet body; opaque; purple-red on the rim. Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, smoke, toasty oak. The tannin is mostly integrated into the wine, but not totally so as there is still a very, very slight acidic feel on the tongue. This abates with food. Smooth in the mouth and finish. Finish is velvety. Great pairing with Icelandic rack of lamb. The wine seems to have a little time left, but I'm going to start drinking my remaining bottles within the new two years.
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I last drank this 2 years ago and it was very good. Still very good and in excellent drinking window. Dark berries, well balanced tannins, medium-long finish. This wine is holding very well in peak drinking window and I don't see it going downhill anytime soon. Drink now or can still hold for a few more years but probably doesn't get better than now.
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Absolutely amazing! Dark fruits, graphite, mocha and green pepper aromas with super silly tannins and still in balance with fruit and acidity. Well rounded. 45 sec finish that keeps delivering different nuances with each trip back to the glass. Drank over 2 hours and kept begging me to come back to the glass for more. Truly spectacular.
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Dark red colour, with slow and tiny leg after a swirl. Dark fruit and savoury nose, with good oaky smell. Taste wise is full body, multi layer, ripe tannin, dry and long finish
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Wow, have not re-visited this producer for a long time and that is a shame. It is a very well put together wine. No need to wait further. It is showing really well after 13 years and just a fantastic cab.
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Multi layered, great balance. Notes of iron and graphite with dark fruits lingering in the background. Great texture with plenty of life left but I don't suspect it will get any better.
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It has been interesting to see how this wine has developed since release . It now is mellowing out and the tannin is fully integrated. It still needs an hour or so to open up and it continued to develop as the night went on. I think I will want to enjoy my final bottle before year's end and really savour the flavour. Or maybe next year. No need to hurry.
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Popped and decanted, no sediment, medium-plus garnet. Pronounced aromas of dark fruits, violet, smoldering embers, parsley flakes, serrano pepper, tilled soil and crushed stones. Medium-plus body. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, mint, herbaceous green and a deeper impression of crushed stones and minerals. Wonderfully dry. The tannins are (still) quite chewy and astringent on the plus close. Although the tannins have barely receded, this is in the zone and shows a wonderfully fresh vibrance; drink now and over the next 5+ years. So distinctive.
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Fully mature and good to go. Plum pudding, fruitcake, and chocolate with a long, long finish.
If a date, this was a 25 year old MBA student who models lingerie part time and can discuss recent Wall Street Journal articles over dinner with insight and authority while you secretly undress her with your thoughts.
Excellent and unlikely to improve with more age.
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No bricking and beautiful garnet color. Dark baking chocolate and cherry on the nose. A little cedar on the palate. While it was very good last night, it was outstanding tonight. Smooth tannins, full-bodied and terrific balance. Could go a bit longer but why wait. Sadly my last bottle.
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Whistle-clean dark ruby , this wine is mature. Beautifully integrated nose of cherry, chocolate and raspberry. Beautiful palate-coating tasting and a long, long finish.
If a date, this is a 38 year old Latina beauty who dazzles you with intellect and conversation in addition to beauty and sex appeal. Currently at it's peak and unlikely to improve.
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Very nice red colour in the glass. Mature characteristics with well integrated tannins. Drinking very nicely now with many years ahead to enjoy this wine
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Just pop and pour. Nice aromas, but, too tied. Rated as 92 Let us see by tomorrow.Much better day two. Tonight I rated it as a 93. Smooth, rounded, Nice but light aromas. I had it with hard cheese including cheese with truffles . It paired very well .
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1 hr decant Took to Christys Everything was in place; this was really a beautiful wine. Typical south American nose, full body smooth chocolate and fruit with long finish. This will probably last another 5-10 years if not more
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Quite good, but not up to par with the prior '03 we so thoroughly enjoyed last year. The tannins have integrated and softened a bit too much for me and seems like this wine is past its optimal drinking window...
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Opened by Allred. Decanted for 30 minutes. Part of a 5 bottle vertical. The lowest scoring of the 5 bottles among the group and my 4th out of 5. Crimson red color. Some alcohol showing on the nose. Full bodied with firm tannins. Notes of mocha and black currant. Give this time. Probably could use more decanting as well. 90-91 points.
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Decanted roughly half an hour before it was served with dinner. When the cork was first pulled this displayed sour citrus and coconut aromas. By the time I got to it, about an hour later, black fruit and herb aromas had taken over. Nicely balanced with softened tannins and flavors of mocha, plum, dark berry jam, fig and herbs. Lengthy finish. Drink from 2017+.
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Opened by Allred. This was my least favorite of the flight. Had a very slight citrus note with black fruits. May have suffered in comparison with the other bottles.
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This one had seen a few days of heat last summer so we intentionally compared it to a well-stored bottle. This slightly cooked bottle seemed a little beat up and stewed compared to the other.
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Le vin commence à se fondre, mais le tout est encore très jeune. La bouche est ample, les tannins fins, la finale longue. C'est dense et concentré mais sans excès. Le bois à commencer à se fondre. L'acidité est bien appuyée, le tout est très équilibré, mais selon mes goûts, il faudrait attendre encore un 10 ans avant d'atteindre le profil souhaité. Les notes secondaires ont commencé à paraître, mais ça reste encore assez massif, tout d'un bloc. Le seul point de comparaison possible selon moi sont les grands cabernets de Napa, c'est pourquoi on parle d'une très grande longévité. Et si on compare aux prix californiens, ce vin était une belle aubaine quand il se vendait eux environs de 50$. Seul tracas: il faut attendre un bon 15-20 ans! Dommage que le prix ait autant augmenté, car on parlait d'un méchant deal pour les esprits patients. Fait notable, on ne remarque pas vraiment de ces notes végétales parfois dérangeantes si communes avec les vins chiliens. C'était ma dernière, dommage! S'il m'en restait, j'attendrais au minimum 5 ans encore. 93+
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After an initial sip, decanted for a few hours. This bottle balanced out very nice. This '03 is enjoyable. dark with toasty oak, mineral, and mixed dark berry fruit. On the palate very smooth with soft tannin and a nice lingering finish. I'm going to try a vertical soon with the '05 that I have. Drink now.
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Drank this last week and did not take notes. Shame on me. This was excellent. I remember an initial Nose of raspberries at first that gave way to darker fruit and earth/spice. Taste was all about cranberry giving way to kirsch. Enough structure to hold it. Really good.
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Robe-cloaked in charcoal and smoke, the ripe raspberry has turned gentle as the tannins have integrated and softened. Likely at the start of a 5+ year plateau.
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Initially quite a bit of blackcurrant, earthy notes, and hints of cedar on the nose. Over the course of the evening, sweeter notes of liquorice and tobacco began to emerge.
On the palate, there's a great balance between fruit, earthy and liquorice notes, acidity, and tannins. Long finish.
Had this with several cheeses, among which the Appenzeller turned out to be an amazing match.
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According to my cellar inventory notes, this wine was bought in 2007 and stored in constant 13C ever since. Based on some tasting notes below that say this is on the down swing, I decided not to air out and just popped and poured. I was wrong.
The bouquet was strong dark berries on opening, very nice. The flavor characteristics are very much like previous DM's I've drank - blackcurrant fruit forward with growing tannins on the finish. This wine started out somewhat muted but 1.5 hrs later, it opened up was singing with medium-longish finish.
This leads me to believe that talk of this wine's demise (past prime, diminished fruit, etc.) is highly exaggerated, at least base on this bottle. On the contrary, I'd say the 2003 remains a fruit forward wine and well balanced with enough backbone to last many more years. In fact, I'd say it's yet to peak and I'm keeping my remaining 2003 in the cellar for another few years.
I mentioned storage above because maybe those who said the 2003 is past prime, possibly it was due to storage conditions were less than ideal?
This bottle is a good lesson in aging. Several points over the last 8 years I was thinking about getting rid of this wine but after this bottle I am glad I have more.
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Elegant, mature and more Old World in style than I remembered. Ruby color, with very little garnet on the rim. The nose is developed, with the black fruit taking a back seat to cedar and leather. Dry, with medium (+) acidity. The tannins have rounded out nicely. It would pair well with a roast or tenderloin; I made the mistake of pairing it with a grilled ribeye with an spicy rub and the wine did not have enough sweet fruit to match. I guess I fall somewhere in between the latest reviewers. I think this is a very good value at $45-$55 for a world class wine, but I agree that I expected a little more fruit and "wow" at only 11 years. Although still just fine now, these are perhaps starting their downhill slide. Drink now.
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Had this not been a very gracious offering from a friend with a widely divergent palate from my own, I would not have gotten past the first few sips. Put simply this is badly made wine, yet another instance of oak treatment being used as some kind of proxy for dick size, and the winemaker decided he wanted 9 inches. The fruit underneath gives some indication of fairly high quality, though this is a speculative assessment given all the dill and sawdust under which it is buried. I do know that whatever fruit is present will succumb before it ever has a hope of eating up all the wood. This is also a textbook wine for pointing and laughing at the critics, though perhaps less the (relatively modest) 93 point score from the palate-dead Bob Parker than the appalling 96 points from Spectator. A substantial cohort of poor newbs no doubt bought this stuff at a ridiculously-inflated tariff based on the rating (and #4 ranking in their 2006 'Top 100' awards) and now have a variable number of moribund oak bombs inexorably giving up the ghost in their cellars. As for more experienced point-chasers I have far less sympathy; you dance with them what brung ya.
Very smooth and well balanced but not much fruit. Definitely at end of its drinking window. Not as great as previus bottles but very good and enjoyable
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Last bottle drunk was March 2013. By now, one year later and eleven years old, this Don Melchior continues to be a great wine. Like most Chileans wine has almost no dicernable aromas. My wife and I just smmarize as crushed red berries. At taste is a different story. Full body, round , smooth and balanced as the best Merlot from Bordeua. Yes it is close to Merlot than to Cab. Tannins subdue and complex taste justify, for me, an amateur a 94 rate.
Rick black fruits, black liquorice, and tobacco. The fruit surprisingly started fading somewhat after a half hour and notes of cedar and oaky tannins began to predominate. Still quite good and in its drinking window, but I question whether it will improve with additional cellaring.
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Beautiful Chilean loam on the nose initially. After an hour breathing a nice anise bouquet came through. Some dark fruit and licorice on the palate. Very nice once allowed to breath.
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Took to Red in Boca. Decanted for 4 hrs. No notes taken but Showed beautifully. Still has plenty of fruit no rush to drink but quite enjoyable at this stage
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Interesting, fun, and different, but still so easy to drink. Plush with twists on dark cherry and exciting with no hard edges. Fruit forward but still regal and sophisticated. Smells as good as it tastes.
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After seeing a couple of recent notes stating that this wine is probably at peak I decided to open my only bottle. Oh how I wish I hadn't. If you like your wines young or have stored this in suboptimal conditions then you may want to drink this soon. For everyone else I think you may want to let this adolescent mature.
Nose of menthol, strawberry and a lttle earth. Red fruit profile continues on the palate with tannins still very present. Continued to evolve while drinking with grilled tenderloin. Eucalyptus flavour subsided with a hint of secondary aromas emerging. Great mouthfeel and very persistent on the finish. Really wish I had more and would definitely hold for another 4 years at least. Great expression of this grape.
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Very well integrated..so much, I was a little disappointed not more fruit in it. Drying tannins at the end. I don't expect this to get any better and likely on the slide...will drink my last bottle very very soon.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (R&C's): Aromas of prune, raisins and black fruit; definitely some VA as well. Pruny on the palate as well, along with stemmy, woody qualities. Finishes rather hot and alcoholic, with a sourness that I don't care for.
I was very surprised when this was unveiled as it has never shown this poorly for me. Likely a flawed bottle. I know some bottles released in the Chicago market were exposed to heat, as I returned a six pack shortly after release because there was obvious damage after I pulled a cork on the first bottle.
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Secondary nose of saddle leather, sour cherries and carmelized sugar. Still deep red without browning in the rim. Flavors are nice but not particularly deep or complex. Cola, tobacco, cracked pepper tingle. Drying cherry filled tannins. I think the tannins will ultimately overwhelm the fruit. Drink by 2014.
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Black fruits, dried tomatoes,dark chocolate, oily, smooth, good structure with velvet tannins, powerful but elegant, this is good stuff now, but easy 10 years ahead.
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Soft beautiful wine. Mellowed significantly since last bottle 2 years ago. Others have been more articulate with flavor profile than I at this point. Some improvement with airtime but it tasted so damn good that we did not follow its maturation. This bottle was ready. Its time.
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Decantado por 2 horas, voltou para a garrafa e foi servido 3 horas mais tarde. Nariz intenso de mirtilos, licor de jabuticaba, café, e um pouco de madeira nova. Na boca é complexo, denso, extraído, com um pouco de álcool e madeira sobrando. Esse estilo de vinho não me agrada.
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This is in a great spot. Not showing any age at all. Was best after 2+ hours of pouring off a glass and letting the bottle sit open. Rich fruit (but not OTT) with nice herbal note to add complexity. Plenty of life left.
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Splash decanted and followed over several hours. Moderately expressive nose with camphor, eucalyptus/mint, and black currants. Palate still has prominent tannin, with a leather and meat/iron note mixed in with the rather dark fruit. Moderate finish with a loam/mineral mix. This is a rather unique expression of Cab, firmly rooted in Chile with a loam/eucalyptus character I don't get anywhere else. Doesn't have the elegance and polish of high end bdx, but is still a world class cab somewhere b/t new and old world. Stepping into it's drinking window with plenty of tannin still to resolve. 92-93
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After sharing SDWineaux's 05 last Friday, decided it was time to try one of these sleeping baby's from cellar. Decanted for an hour plus. Still dark ruby, no bricking no sediment. Secondaries alive n well. Soft mouthfeel with some unresolved tannins. Good structure. In a good drinking window with life there to sit a while. Drank along side a 2000 Cap de Faugeres, both well with BBQ tri tip.
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Russk. WW at JonnyV's Thad's tasting. One of my top 3 in a line up that included verticals of Insignia and Far Niente. This time I could smell the carmenier, from the barrels. Some iron too.
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Decepcionante. Depois de algumas horas respirando no Decanter, o vinho não apresentou nada da complexidade esperada, considerando a marca e os 10 anos de vida. Equilibrado, parece estar ou já ter passado o pico.
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I am specifically calling this an unqualified opinion... very good cab. I don't think the fact that it is from south america makes it different from say a decent sonoma cab.
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This Don Melchior vintage 17 is by now ten years old. At launch was an astonished Chilean wine rated at 96 points. I bought three cases and it is still a very good wine, not a 96 anymore. Very light bouquet as most Chilen wines are. Dark red Bordeaux color, vibrant, long legs visually. Taste dry figs, prunes, cassis and dark berries. Mocha and dark chocolate are also present. Very balanced, lacks spice, a little acidity and tannin. Actually is closed to an outstanding Merlot and similar to Pomerol and saint julien, without mineral tastes, not a Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon anymore. A solid 94 points. Recommended with blue and Gorgonzola cheeses and spicy foods.
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This was juicy raspberry on opening but it faded somewhat rapidly. May have also had just a tiny bit of Brett. Loamy, wet stone nose. After a few hours lean, cassis flavors with ample tannins that seemed to overwhelm. I would put this on a short leash and drink now.
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Had this standing up for a while, finally got around to it with a lamb rack. Interesting wine, the nose was fantastic when we got to it, about an hour after pulling the cork. On the nose, menthol and soil morphs into licorice; tar and smoke - it almost reminded me of lapsang suchong tea. I spent a long time on the nose, it's so good. On the palate, it's almost weightless, not heavy at all; at 10 years, this is much closer to claret than napa cab. Very juicy but finish length a bit short
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My first time with this wine. Earthy and gamy notes of cassis, plum skin, loamy soil, smoked meats, and truffle. The terror certainly comes through, although I'm not sure this is really in my wheelhouse.
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Deep and dense color . Coca Cola, leather, dusty- earthy with hint of resinous cedar nose. Huge wine, black cherries, black currants and dark chocolate on the palate. Tannins seem to get tougher the longer the bottle was open. Too young to drink now in my opinion.. I would wait another 3-5 years at least before trying again .. This wine has the stuffing but didn't seem to have reached it's full potential
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RussK CDC at villagio, Peter brought. My WOTN. Probably the best DM I have had. Foolish me, I thought it was a supertuscan. Know that I know I can taste the dash if cab franc. No Carmenier on the nose. 92-
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May be an off bottle but can't figure out why. Nose is full and expressive of cassis typical of cab sav. Palate is hollow and finishes very short and dry. Disappointing.
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I'm not sure if this bottle was flawed. Decanted for a half hour before tasting and drinking. The nose had a little green pepper while the palate was dominated by it. Some coffee notes were there as well. There was still quite a bit of tannin. The character completely changed with food. I had a marinated hanger steak with red wine demi glace. Combined with the beeef, the green pepper completely disappeared from the palate and was replaced with cassis, dark berrries and leather, a much better experience.
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This wine is really singing now. Classic Don Melchor profile but loamy clay finish and powerful tannins in the young wine are now very well integrated and add complexity without overpowering the more traditional Cabernet flavors. This wine is very Bordeaux-like now after only a short decant. Real elegance. Delicious. And could go for years more I think.
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Consistent with my previous note. This wine is improving and very enjoyable for the palate that appreciates this style of wine. Drinking nice now but has the backbone to hold for another 5-10 years
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I haven't opened a bottle in over 18 months (see 1/4/11 note). Dark garnet, losing it's purple tint. Nose of earth, dust, menthol, blackberry, cassis, plum, and pencil lead. Medium palate of ripe blackberry, blueberry, leather, earth, currant, and a little salinity. Excellent length. Refreshing acidity. Nice minerality. Integrated oak. Still youthful but sweet tannins. As always, New World meets Old Word. Addendum: with time in the glass and over the evening, this just keeps getting better.
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Poured into decanter for 1/2 hour and then returned to bottle prior to heading to family dinner at the in-law's. This one gave off a lot of aroma as it went into the decanter which bode well for the palate that was to follow. A quality wine that that paired well with roast beef tenderloin.
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Ran thru the Vinturi into the decanter. Muted nose of red fruits currant and cherry, detected some black fruit on the back end. Heavy on herbal flavors, acidity, currant/red fruit flavors. Excellent fine grained tannins. Excellent job on the oaking, did not kill the fruit. Wine peaked in the decanter in about 2 hours. Had with some grilled rack of lamb and it was the perfect choice match with the acid/tannins balancing the fatty NZ Lamb. Really enjoyed this choice over a Napa Cab as the Chilean wines tend to have the better acid/tannin/alc balance for food pairings.
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I had the 2004, 2003, 2001 and 200 vintage of the Don Melchor at an offline last night. All wines were decanted for at least three hours. I didn't take notes, but thought this 2003 was showing the best last night. Ripe, plush black fruit flavours, with hints of tobacco and mint in this full bodied wine. The 2004 was my #2, followed by the 2000 and 2001, which had a weaker finish than the others. All very similar, of course, and solid wines. I didn't enjoy them quite as much as a did in an earlier tasting, but the 2003 in particular was an excellent cabernet (A-).
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Friend who opened had concerns about the cork and the surface looked dark but was okay. When opened the cork was infiltrated 2/3 up but seal held. Seemed on the thin and narrow side as well. This wine had almost no taste for me when opened, yet my two friends whom I serve this to both said nice wine. All I could taste was alcohol and some menthol. Very nice bright color in glass also. It wasn't until an hour later when I was on my last glass that the flavor really came out. So my advice is to taste a small sip first to see where this wine is at, and if not yielding much, give some air in decanter perhaps a good. hour. I've had wines that were initially slow to give their flavor up but this one was the most stubborn by far. So my judgement not really fair nor accurate, as I drank this up just when it was starting to show its face. I rate 90 points tonight but I know there is so much more there if given time to breathe, perhaps as much as a day. I have two more and i don't think i'll touch the next until after 2017. It seems to me there is a lot of life remaining.
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My only bottle. This could definitely use more time in the bottle. Opened up in the glass and in the bottle after being popped. Decant if you're going to drink this now.
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Young wine, decanted 6 hours and still not open. Better on day 2. Didn't get pine needle notes that others noted. Will wait another 2-3 years before opening another. Drank with Acheval Ferrer Altamira 2003, both spectacular wines.
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Consumed over two days, and decanted for three plus hours on day one. A very interesting and much changing wine indeed. Initial flavors were of green olives and strong mints, almost eucalyptus-like with a blackberry undertone. As it opened though all were replaced with a stong petrol component, and a tarry taste. It was more offputting than it was complimentary. The last of the wine that was tasted on day two didn't show this petrol flavor and was very enjoyable, with black cherries and sweet prunes throughout. The future evolvement of this version of the Don should definitely prove to be interesting for those with multiple bottles.
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I really like the potential but the wine drank really young and raw. Don't get the pine needle references but it was hot and oaky which overwhelmed the fruit and nuances that I feel are there.
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After the holidays, I save the pine needles from the tree (with the intent to make small pillows -- memories from my youth). I don't need to anymore. A small whiff and taste of this wine brings back all the memories.
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Pulled out a bottle to the 2003 Don Melchor for my birthday dinner - NY Strip, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus. Tight on opening, gave it a trip throught the Vinturi into the decanter. No funk, which I have detected in previous bottles. This one is clean. Muted nose of red fruits. This is not a "creamy" Caymus-like vanilla/oaky/silky cab. More emphasis on herbal flavors, acidity, currant/red fruit flavors. Significant fine grained tannins. Good wine, but where Molesworth got the 96 is beyond me.
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This sucked on opening, fully of barnyard stank and not much else. Really tight, after a few hours it improved a bit, showing some chocolate and alcohol in the nose. This may have had a bit of TCA in it as well. Flavors were lean, framed by a ton of tannins that seemed to be unresolved and overwhelming the 8-year old fruit. Currant, alcohol and chocolate flavors but really, these were knocked a bit loopy by those tannins. For such an old wine (by Chilean standards), I expected more.
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The colors are ruby to the edge with hints of purple and it is opaque, blackish-red down the robe. Scents are like blackberries, floral notes, olive and dark chocolate. The tast is also like blackberries, with currant, coffee, olive, and cherry and chocolate appearing later as it opened a bit. The tannins are fine and satin like and are still pronounced. The finish lingers and let this open up a bit first. Cheers Aunt Patty!
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Don Melchor Night (Rick's & Cris'): Decanted for 3 hours, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another 3+. Notes of loam, dark fruit, grapefruit and cat urine. Full-bodied, with firm, chalky tannins and flavors of red and dark fruits. Still has quite a bit of oak to integrate. Took a long while in the glass for the citrus and cat urine notes to dissipate and let the fruit come through. The furthest from ready...give this 6+ hours in the decanter if drinking now; even better to let it sleep in the cellar for a few years yet.
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Same as last note. Amazing how soft the wine is when it was such a tannic beast a couple of years ago. Still very big with a green streak. Second night still going strong with more tobacco showing up.
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Amazing wine! One of the best this year. Decanted for 2 hours, full bodied with rich black fruit with sophistication. Beautiful notes of Black cherry, cassis, tobacco and earthy tar. Acidity was spot on and finish lingered for over a minute. I will remember this one.
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Massive wine. Not much change prior to previous note in 08. Fruit is hidden amongst dominant tobacco/cedar/cigar, subtle herb, and the scent of the heating oil in your grandparent's old unit in the basement. Really softened over the course of 4+ hours in the decanter - initially its tough.
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Drank over the course of two nights. Decanted for an hour and a half on the first night. Very strong tobacco / cigar box aroma right out of the gate. Also had some coffee scent to it as well, and some forest floor. Taste had dark fruit, maybe some blueberry, but not a lot of it. Quite a bit of acidity here, even on the second night it still hadn't worn off. I think this will last quite a while longer, but with the fruit not being very prominent now, I'm not sure that it will end up paying dividends to hold. Had with filet mignon the first night, then on its own the second night - much better with food.
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Dark red in color, sweet dark fruit, green (herbal), pepper, powdery tannis, subtle smoke, and tobacco. The sweet fruit is delivered on the front palate, nice mid palate with pepper notes and nice acidity, but the finish while a bit short for me does exhibit the powdery tannis.
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Pretty much same as the last couple years. I like the mellowing a bit, the flavors are a bit more integrated, nothing overpowering. A bit hallow, without a very long finish. Enjoyable, drinkable and well made, just nothing special (which tends to sum up these Melchor's).
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Let breathe in the bottle for two hours. Dark purple color. Bouquet of dark plums, spice, some finely crushed rock and granite as well as a distinct petrol quality that's really nice and unique to the terroir. The palate shows equally dark fruit but it's not over extracted at all. There is nice purity to the flavor profile. Dark masculine coal, iron and purple flowers lead to a juicy but constructed finish that is high in well well developed tannins, striking acid and alcohol that improves the weight of the juice. A really nice wine. I want to sample more of this bottling from vintage to vintage.
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Impressive for the distinctive flavors and aromas.
Color: Dark purple red core, vibrant almost, red edges
Nose: Green pepper (good kind), meaty notes - beef jerky like, plum, tar, blackberry and peppercorns. Blind I would have sworn a Syrah.
Palate: The green pepper and meat notes come through with the black fruits of plum, blackberry, spicy notes, big tannins.
Nicely evolved sine the last bottle, but too much of the green pepper for me is somewhat of a flaw, trace notes are fine but this amount does not integrate well with the other aromas and flavors.
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A crazy big wine. Explosive black fruit, lively acidity. A great wine, still very young. Sweet tannins and acidity. Drinking great now, but will last for years.
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Drank at blind tasting. Big and full bodied. Dark glass staining, fruit, black cherry, plums. This wine needs years though. The tannins are big and forward. Can't wait for my next bottle.
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Popped & poured through Vinturi. Drank with grilled steak coated in Montreal Steak Seasoning. Very easy to drink; very hard to stop. A great steak wine.
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Haven't had a bottle of this for 18 months. Dark Purple. Nose of earth, vanilla, menthol, and blackberry. Full palate of ripe dark fruit, earth, leather, graphite, and minerals. Excellent length. Focused acidity. Surprisingly grippy tannins. Elements of both New World and Old World styles.
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No formal notes. Definitely developing the secondary flavors of tobacco, cigar box, smoke and earth. Still has youthful fruit of blueberry and plum. But the earth/eucalyptus/smoke notes are definitely more pronounced. Very Good
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From 750 ml bottle. Not tasted blind. Very fruity nose, full of black currants and under brush. Very good tannin grip in palate, along with great midpalate coverage from ripe mountain fruit. This does not have the telltale Maipo Eucalyptus and wet loam aromas. If tasted blind, I would have had a very tough time identifying origin. Regradless, this is an excellent wine.
De botella de 750 ml. No probado a ciegas. Nariz muy frutal, llena de grosella negra y matorral de bosque. Los taninos capturan con fuerza el paladar. La cobertura de fruta madura cubre el paladar medio totalmente. Su origen no es discernible, pues carece de los aromas típicos del terruño del Maipo Alto, como el eucalipto y limo húmedo. A pesar de ello, es un vino excelente.
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Decanted prior to drinking, with about 30 minutes of aeration. Great wine in my opinion with lots of complexity and balance, but in a subtle way. On the nose it has notes of smoke and bacon to go with the dark berries. On the palate, it lingers and develops with flavors of charcoal and earth. The alcohol is well balanced in the wine, and makes it easy to drink on its own or with food. I've had several Don Melchor wines over the last few years, and really like this style.
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Very rich nose, borderline jammy. A lot of dark/blue fruits with some tar/charcoal notes. Sweet fruit, ripe and smooth tannins. Velvety. It tastes like a technical wine and like it should cost $15, not whatever the current price is.
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very dark violet color, intense dark fruits, a little greenish which was actually attractive. Slightly smoky, dusty tannin, eucalyptus, soy sauce, and definitely a generous body, much more so than the '01 that I remember. Very good indeed but a bit tiresome after a couple of glasses.
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One hour decant, served with filet mignon and chipotle-gorgonzola sauce. Always wonderful...why haven't I been buying this every year to keep my vertical going? Bordeaux-like without the forest floor/barnyard component. I'm not a big fan of the greener vegetal notes, but this is so faint that it rounds out the terroir of this beauty.
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Delicious...........as always. A great blend of Cali like fruit with more Bordeaux like terrior. This wine is always a winner. Best to decant for an hour or two before drinking. Enjoy!!!
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This was decanted for 2 hours. Fading ruby at the edge and smelled like cocoa, smoke, tar and dark fruits. Tastes noted were currants, blackberries, bell pepper, eucalyptus, and cappuccino. The tannins were drying but not coarse and I think this will last another couple of years. The finish was medium to long and there was a little heat. We drank this as the last of 33 Chilean miners was brought to the surface by rescuers. Cheers Chile!
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Flannery Steak Trial Run (The Lew Residence): Fragrant nose of tar, scorched earth, and very strong eucalypts nose with an edge of green pepper. Dark fruit profile, with plum and currants, and a little cassis highlight. Coarse, chewy tannins still prominent. Lengthy finish with a lava rock/scorched earth quality, toast, and coffee. Shows prominent earth flavors, with good fruit underneath, but the greenness kept this from being more enjoyable for me. On day 2 this wine was more integrated, but still dominated by dark earthy flavors. Less green notes and little more meat and leather.
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deep ruby. Cassis, stony fruits, loaminess in the background. Full bodied, rich with a good balance of fruit and savory components. Dark chocolate and stony fruits with casiis and in balance. A bit rustic with good textural mouthfeel. Lithe and simultaneously rich and deep. Early peak and outstanding.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dark fruits and cocoa on the nose. Palate was cassis, loam and a hint of mocha with some spice on the finish. Good but didn't wow me.
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WTF. Tasted from a bottle that had slow o'ed for one day. Nose of cassis, plum, tobacco, mocha, mint. On the palate, black currant, plum, mocha. Clipped finish with drying tannins. Probably the worst DM I have ever tried. Excellent. Drink or hold.
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Tasted double blind. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose was a bit greenish with some added notes of berries. Fairly green on the palate as well with a bit of berries. Light to medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink now. My guess was a California Merlot.
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On the nose there is some funk that blows off quickly. Flavors are layered with well integrated tannins and long finish. Tobacco, cedar, coffee, currants with some Chilean spice of eucalyptus. Very nice. Decant.
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Typical Don Melchor. Nose has telltale Maipo terroir of wet loam, black currant and fresh eucalyptus. In the palate, this seems a bit riper than usual, with lactic flavors and a flavorful finish that shows surprisingly low tannins for its age.
Típico Don Melchor. La nariz es dominada por el terruño del valle del Maipo con limo húmedo, grosella negra y eucalipto. En boca, parece más maduro que otros años, pues exhibe sabores más lácticos. El final es fructuoso y exhibe menos taninos de lo usual para este Cabernet concentrado.
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No formal notes. Decanted for 5+hrs; mouth coating, hints of leather, eucaliptus, bacon and black fruits with a peppery finish. Smooth tannins that need to resolve. Will not open another one for 2-3 years. It will improve. (92-94)
Not much different from my last note on this bottle. Short decant of 30 minutes and it didn't seem closed at all. A little leather and menthol on the nose. The finish was short and a little vegetal but strong flavors of bing cherries and semi-sweet chocolate.
Decanted for three hours and had with porterhouse from the grill. The nose was what I expected; leather and licorice. The wine was elegant much like a wine from Margaux but the finish was a little short. Well balanced with coffee and spice on the palette.
Had the 2004, 2003 and 2002 last night. Didn't take notes, but this was a remarkably consistent and excellent trio of wines. Each weren't quite ready for prime time, even with extending decanting. Blackberries with a slight hint of mint and tar on the noses, and a concentrated, structured similar profile on the full bodied palate. Hard to pick a favourite, although the 2002 was drinking best, but the 2004 was my favourite by a nose, even though it was the most tannic right now. It's not a crime to drink these now, but they have a lot of time left in them, as they have considreable tannins and still a hint of oak. I'd score all these vintages in the 92-93 point range. Great stuff!
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Holiday catch up: I'm not sure I get what all of the hype was about on this wine from WS. To me, seemed much more of a lighter bodied, red fruited cab with a bit more acidity than usual. Might be a style issue since I like my cabs with a bit more tannins and a bit richer. Thankfully I only bought one.
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There we go -- my last bottle and it finally lived up to the hype. Dark fruit, currant, some creamy oak that had a tobacco thing to it. Well structured and balanced, with polished tannins and nice acidity that gives great focus to the ripe fruit. Lots of bottle variation in these. Out of 4, one was too young, but two were just off.
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Having enjoyed other vintages of this wine (2002, 2004x3), I was very disappointed in this. Decanted for an hour. A strong cocoa note dominated the finish...perhaps this was an off bottle as I have read of bottle variation for this wine.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Garnet color. Strong note of cat urine, along with grapefruit, tar and loam qualities. Full-bodied, with very nice balance on the palate. Flavors of tar, dark fruit and herbs with a medium+ length finish. One of tasters nailed this wine double blind.
This was decanted for three hours, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another four+. Now in the awkward stage, showing the urine & sour qualities, though the palate maintains good balance and fruit. This will be outstanding in time. Check back in around 2014/2015.
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Way too tight night one. Vinturi-ed, decanted, swirled...didn't matter.
Night two...opened up a bunch. Nose of cassis, ash and pepper. Heavy, dark fruit highlighted by plum and black cherry on the palate which, at this point, resembles an Aussie shiraz more than a cab. Loads of pepper and coffee on the back end, with decent acidity and sweet, round tannins. Quite high octane, and dominated by the pepper. Definitely needs extended decanting at this point.
40+5+5+16+17+8=91
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opened, poured a glass and then let the rest sit in bottle for 3 hours. At that point, the wine was ready to go. Good dark fruit profile - heavy and extracted. I thought it was a good value and ready to start drinking. It seemed like the tannins still might have a little "resolution" in their future, but I am not sure. Based on this bottle, I would not be afraid to open one up. Open it a little early in case you need to air it out in a decanter.
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Drank with grilled steak. It was a few days ago so excuse the limited notes. Nose was muted even after a 2 hour+ decant. Good fruit, nice integration of the oak. Nice finish. Just did not get near the mid-90s for me. 2nd of 5 bottles.
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Thought I would check up on one of these. Medium deep purple. Nose of charcoal, dark fruits, leather and olive, somewhat reticent. Good dark berry taste on the palate, reasonably well balanced, blackberry liqueur, coffee, cedar and some spice. Really nice as it sits on the mid-palate, with a decent 20+ second finish. Oak in the background. Lets see if it holds up over the hours. Update: does not hold up very well. Gets less interesting in the glass.
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Great Chilean cab. Closed a bit on nose, new world but with some old world flavor in there. Vegetal thing going on, nice minerality, black fruits, currants, cigarbox, still get the oak but not too bad, good finish, good balanced, full bodied, would go well with some lamb we had it with Delmonico steaks which worked out nicely. I still like the 01 Almaviva a bit better, more funk and earth.
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3 Blind Cabs (Reno, NV): #1 Red rim, medium + extraction, moderate + depth of color. On the nose very savory with red > dark fruits that slightly exceed new oak barrique notes and earth. There is a scorched, roasted dark cherry aspect to the fruit that comes with a distinctively herbal note. On the palate the wine has high acidity that is somewhat coarse in nature… a classic Cabernet midpalate that is firm… the wine transitions smoothly into a moderate + to high tannin finish that is of moderate ripeness… tannins are mouthcoating and slightly coarse/unintegrated. Seems to be about 14 to 14.5% alcohol. Average balance, very nice length, good intensity, moderate + complexity. Wine has good finesse, has some textural issues (I think the roughness at the end may get better with time… the roughness at the beginning I don’t think will resolve). Wine is pretty classic for Chilean Cabernet and certainly has the potential to improve over the next 2 to 4 years.
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From 375ml. Youthful, deep crimson color. Nose of cassis and currants, but consisting of mainly non-fruit flavors of cedar, vanilla, dark chocolate, roasted coffee and scorched earth. Palate with fine soft tannins, still quite prominent. Plenty of crushed berries, currants on and cassis on the palate, with a seamless transition into a finish of tar, coffee, cigar box, and scorched earth. Complex,balanced, and great concentration w/o being heavy, this is appears to be in the beginning of its drinking window. Next bottle in 2-3 years, should last another 10-15yrs with ease.
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Popped and poured. The tannin has mellowed some and it was good from the start but probably would have benefited from some time in a decanter. A little heat kept the score down.
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Belated impression from a couple weeks ago. Tighter than an 03 Almaviva we had at the same time, less round in the mouth, more tannic (astringent. mostly), notes of licorice and a touch menthol. Not sure what to think, as a bottle I had in summer 08 was much better. Perhaps very low level TCA?
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If I were writing this in a letter, it would read...."Dear Don Melchor, I love you." Beautifully made wine all around. Layers of dark juicy fruits with the right amount of sugar, pipe tobacco, burnt cedar, and natural leather. This wine danced on my tongue and the finish was wonderful and long. This wine should drink well for some time and as young as it is is showing wonderful potential. The next few years might make this incredible. Loving this one!!!
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Drank with flank steak softened by overnight marinade. Didn't take notes. Overall impression: WOW! This was one of the best wines I have had this year. This is the second bottle I have consumed of a half case that has been in the cellar since release. The first bottle was too young and underwhelming. This wine is REALLY singing. Don Melchor wines beautifully blend new and old world styles. There is no flavor profile of an aging wine. It is still very youthful and focused.
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Decanted for one hour. More red than purple in glass. Gorgeous nose of boysenberries and blueberries, with some menthol and bay leaf. Before the wine leaves the bottle, it fills the air with perfume. Blueberry pie on the palate, with notes of cassis, cocoa, pipe tobacco, cedar and chamomile. The taste is good and complex, but not up to the nose at this point. Long finish, but still a bit hot. I'm guessing that it will taste better in the morning, if I manage to leave any over.
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Classic. Very well-balanced, excellent finish. I like the stage this is in right now (decanted), but I will wait a year to try again as it may still improve.
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Clear, full ruby. Clean, medium plus intensity aromas of red fruits, herbs, pencil, tar rubber, smoke. Medium acid, medium tannin. Flavors match aromas with long finish of cassis, plum, red berries, herbs, smoke, pencil. Dramatic improvement since my last bottle.
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Dark garnet to ruby at the rim. Decanter 12 hrs. Captivating nose of cedar and eucalyptus, graphite, spice, little bit of chocolate, red fruit like raspberries coated with just a dash of white pepper. Mouth coating on the attack, raspberries and brambly fruit on the attack, gorgeous acidity rushing straight down the center of the tongue, transitioning into dark powdery cocoa, like a basil/thyme herbal thing that runs right into what some would call heat but comes through clearly as eucalyptus/menthol on the back-end. Finish lasts forever. Unbelievably smooth, flawless balance. Massive presence but full of finess. This wine just clicks as classic and elegant. Speechless. Will hold for another 5-10.
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First of a half case. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Was very good, but didn't get to the mid 90's level for me. Nose was a bit disappointing in that it didn't hit me in the face. Hope my remaining bottles drink more like the WS score. Sorry for the lack of detailed notes...drank this a week ago.
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Decanted for 1/2 hour in am. Delicious chocolate notes then. Unfortunately at Pacific Time we relied on their Bordeaux glasses which reeked of chlorine, and tainted the wine. (Fortunatelywe had brought Spiegelau Pinot glasses with which we drank the Chardonnay, and Pinot Noirs.) The 90 reflects my tasting in the morning. Brought the remaining half home to finish Sunday.
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Pitch Dark in color, with blackberry, currant, scorched earth, tobacco, coffee, and leather exploding from the glass. Full bodied with big soft tannins. The long plush finish keeps pumping out dark fruit. - JD94
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Decanted for an hour. Youthful purple in the glass. Nose of raspberry and eucalyptus. Extremely complex on the palate, with blue fruits, tobacco, bay leaf and cardamom. Long finish. Still very primary and tannic, this will likely reach great heights.
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Dark colour with a nice floral nose, scents of sweet fruit(cassis, and some blackberry), methol/camphor and mint and hints of coffee all well interwoven. The palate is linear, well defined if not a little muted with blackberry, cedar and cassis flavours. The finish is medium length with some sediment thrown in the glass. I believe it may be in a dumb phase as even thought it was structured, it was not a wow wine. It got better over the next 2 hours in my glass so a decant may be been the required course of action. 91-92 for now. Keep cellaring.
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Very young and tight. What a classy wine. It's very elegant yet also hedonistic. The aromas constantly evolve. Nice nose of tobacco, smoke, basil & sage, vanilla, cassis, cooked plum, rose pettles, forrest floor, swamp and cedar. Great structure with lots of not overly ripe fruit to back it up. Spicy on the palate. Nice cinamin, eucalyptus, pepper, chocolate,and black fruit. Great now, but should really evolve with more age. Give this wine 3 hours to decant.
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Black currant, red licorice, fig, earth, cedar on a dark and jammy, but also slightly floral, nose. Plenty of black fruit here, layered and fairly refined, although open-knit and ripe. Blackberry, plum, black currant, and there is a touch of toasted oak on the finish, which is medium to long, and has bittersweet chocolate and black licorice. Despite the obvious new world leanings, there is old world structure and discipline here.
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Popped and poured. Great aromas, cassis, plume, mocha, kirsch, tobacco, and minit. Silkly on the palate with blank currant, plum, blackberry, tobacco, mocha. Long finish with sweet but dry tannins. Drinking well now, probably has some more upside. Outstanding. Great Value. Drink or Hold.
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Dark red, dark ruby edges. Big notes of tobacco and tar. Fruit of blackberry and currants are being blocked out initially by the strong initial aromas. Palate was iron, some pepper and black currant. Some black tea flavors, well tamed tannins, noticeable and drying w/o food. Need food, steak or grilled lamb!. Definitely unique!
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First night: iron and bright. Astringent on side of tongue but that is not a bad thing here. Fruity as well. Very fragrant upon opening, that good luscious cab bouquet. 2nd night: Much better. The sharp edges smoothed out and my tongue doesn't feel like it's being attacked with needles. Tannins evolved and softened yet there is a real nice drying feel in the finish. Now last sip on 1/5/08 as it rested in corked bottle, this wine has completely transformed into a very good wine. Before it was bright and lots of cherry; now it has softened and calmed down. I also taste that Chilean alcohol heat and structure now. The alcohol is not the burning shellac type, rather, I can detect only on exhale. Convinced this wine requires lots of open bottle time if consumed now. Lay off this for 3-6 years for next one. And tannins very fine grained, almost a silt like sediment left in glass left out overnight.
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Much, much better than from 5 months ago. Medium bodied. Medium-Dark purple, great nose of tar, black fruit, socks. A bit shallow mid palate, but great dark and red fruits, with cinnamon and clove, and a decent finish. Very good for the release price. Oak seems in the background, and minor tannins on the finish. Update: Lost quite a bit on day 2.
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Like arthrovine we openned and decanted about 1 hr prior to a boned in ribeye for Christmas dinner. Not a note taking event but I can report this wine is open for business and will certainly get better for a few years and last for a long time. bright purple color , wonderful nose and well integrated tannins to go with the layers of fruit, cherries , herbs and chocolate 92pt
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This is a great bottle of wine. I think arthrovine did a great job of discribing this wine. I am glad to have a bottle left in my cellar. I will try to wait until 2010 to open it.
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Opened and decanted for 1 hour prior to serving with bone-in rib eyes and garlic-mashed at well-known steakhouse. Nose was dark chocolate, cigar, cedar, dark fruit with a bit of heat that mellowed at the last glass. Initial mouth feel was very nice, with tannins coating the palate but not overpowering the dark fruit, tobacco, and cedar notes. Mid-palate also showed tobacco, smoke, dark fruit. Long finish. Tannins present, but not over-powering. Great wine with a fattier cut like the rib-eye. Will not drink another for at least 3 years. Fantastic bottle.
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Opened and decanted at my 40th bday party with the Rungs and Smiths. It was very tight upon opening but opened nicely within 30 mins. I wish I had another bottle or two of this one. No detailed notes as Andy really drank the bottle.
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Opened another and my 96 rating stands... I too, am looking forward to drinking more of these, but will hold out for the special occassions. Still feel the 2003 was Don's best bottle... with only 3 left, I wish I had another case.
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Tasted while comparing Riedels Extreme Vinum and Sommelier Bordeaux stem ware. Knock out nose, well balanced, dark fruit, chocolate, mild complexity, with a hint of vanilla. Excellent medium long fruity finish. Looking forward to enjoying again.
The Riedel Sommelier stem definitely revealed the wines qualities better.
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Decanted 4+ hours. This was MUCH betterthan last bottle we had about a year ago. Nose has some cedar and dark fruits, almost Bordeaux-like. On the palate, chocolate, black fruits, licorice and tobacco. Still very tannic and completely mouth coating. Drinking well but has a long life ahead. I enjoyed this one a lot.
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Upon opening it was all coffee and toast on the palate. Decanted for 2 hours. Expressive nose of red and dark fruits with some cedar. Palate had the same red and dark fruit profile with the coffee and toast more in the background. Nice spicy finish. Day 2...More of a dark fruit profile on the nose now with earth/loam and a hint of cedar. Palate was darker as well with a good mixture of spice and toast. Still young.
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Right now, I just do not get the hype. Decent nose (typical cab nose, though the 'boost' from cab franc does not come out). But simple on the palate. Somewhat closed, so maybe more time could help. Almost bitter, though some decent dark fruit and chocolate. Expected more, and have liked previous vintages (though again not to the level of the professional reviews).
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Really nice bottle, drinking very well; the 18 months since the last of these have been kind. Decanted for 30 mins first then poured - from the get-go, an expressive, rich nose with earth/loam, raspberry and maybe cedar. On the palate, great red fruits (raspberry, cherry, etc) with more chocolate and earth, very bright acidity that lingers into the long finish. Tannins there but not objectionable; in fact, I wouldn't want less tannin - great balance.
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Had immediately after the DM 2002. In comparison, it is much darker, you can barely see through it. There is no sediment left in the bottle. It is also much tighter on the nose. It finally opened up after decanting for 2 hours. There're many more notes of fruit than secondary notes on this one. Black currant, cassis, oak, bitter chocolate, coffee. On the palate it is full and persisten. Its tannins have not yet subsided, as in it's older sibling. There are some great bitter notes and its acidity is even more evident. It's still very young but with a bright future ahead. Great assemblage, nicely extracted, impecable integration, outstanding structure. What a lovely wine this is.
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Simply Awesome. But be aware, even after decanting and allowing to glass aerate, this wine was still tight and not quite ready to go. Prime will be at least another 2-5 years away. Gorgeous color, balance, and texture that one would expect from this wine. No specific notes, just fond memories.
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Vinho muito bem feito, equilibrado, elegante, complexo, ótima acidez e longa persistência. Ponto não tão favorável foi a concentração de sabor em frutas muito maduras, o que o torna muito marcante.
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After grand tour experience with 05's had to revisit this one. This was much more like it. Tannins and acidity have settled nicely and the typical chilean loam and dark chocolate notes take over. Supple in the mouth with very nice dark fruit flavors and a mocha tinged long finish. The loam taste is so distinct.
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Popped and let stand open for about 1 1/2 hours. Nose like a nice bordeaux with a very tarry palate to match. Not as fruity as I remember, but very full and absorbing with a long finish.
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South American Wines (Rios de Sudamerica): Nose has rich, roasted fruit and herbs. Palate is similar to the 2001, but not as showy or integrated -- more low key. Nice crisp, well flavored finish.
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Not bad needs 4 hours of decanting to truly show its power. A bit one dimensional at this time though. Tar, loam, black berries, green bell pepper and spice.
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Just beautiful. Very dark and full-bodied. Plentiful tar, mineral, black fruit and hints of cedar and vanilla. Long and complex finish. Lots going on in this wine. Very good value.
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Finally the first of the last 4 vintages I've tried that I liked. Nice earthy aromas and flavors with berry fruit rounding it out nicely. Excellent body and structure. For the price and the reputation though a disappointment overall still as the other bottles, not a fruit bomb as I wasn't looking for one but just not there with the hype, have tried quite a few other wines that deliver more at this price point.
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Deep and dense color . Coca Cola, leather, dusty- earthy with hint of resinous cedar nose. Huge wine, black cherries, black currants and dark chocolate on the palate. Tannins seem to get tougher the longer the bottle was open. Too young to drink now in my opinion.. I would wait another 3-5 years at least before trying again .. This wine has the stuffing but didn't seem to have reached it's full potential ..
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Danibus is right on. This was disappointing given all the scores, attention, etc. I thought it was a bit "flat" and unexciting (and I say that compared to other really good wines). In it's own league it's very good. However, I was expecting much more. Easy to drink and nice, but not excellent.
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Berries and cassis on the nose. Mouthful of dark fruit, chocolate, plum, and menthol. Huge and extracted. Nice acidity and healthy tannins. Plenty tasty, but primary right now and a bit one-dimensional given all the hype. Excellent, sure, but not at the level I'd expected. Enough quality material, however, that it may improve and develop more complexities over time. 91+
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Decanted for 1 hour, drank over the following 2. Served with prime filet mignon and roasted fingerling potatos. This started singing after about 2 hours time, and was really opening up towards the end. Very complex with notes of tobacco, black cherry, cassis, loam, cedar and a touch of mint (maybe eucalyptus). Tannins are still very strong... I'll let my remaining 3 sleep a while and try another one in a year. 93-95 points.
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After an hour and a half in the decanter, this wine was fantastic. Some tobacco with a bit of dark chocolate and slight cherry scents with an excellent mix of currant and dark berries and an amazingly soft tannin structure that provides an incredible mouthfeel for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Spectator made this the #4 wine of 2006 and it totally deserves that rank. Unfortunately, this was our last 03 and we'll have to move on to the 04's, which may be just as good.
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Tannins have smoothed out some and while very good it is still a little disjointed over just a one hour period. Quite a bit saved for day two. A little smoother on 2nd day and very enjoyable (92pts) but these will continue to improve. Enjoy now with a vigorous decant or hold.
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Opened up after about an hour, showing a nice cedar and spice nose. Leather, licorice and lots of black cherry on the pallate. Rich and smooth, good tannins and balance. Maybe just a little tight still, think some more age will improve this.
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This has been very consistent, but suggest at least 30min decanting. After it opens up it contains smoke, leather and bacon on the tongue. good value in cab.
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Decanted for 3 hours.. Great nose and good fruit, long finish, bit still quite tannic. On the second day the fruit still held up but the tannins had not softened as much as expected. I'm not going to touch another bottle for 3 years.
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After experiencing a flawed bottle of this vintage I decided to pop open another one to make sure I didn't get a bad case. Thankfully, it was only the one which was flawed. This wine is spectacular. I truly enjoy this wine everytime. The rest I will save for a special occassion as this is a wine for wine lovers. I'm sure as this wine ages it will be even better. Decanted the wine through a filtered funnel and let sit for about 1 - 2 hours, this opened up the aromas and flavors. Very smooth, powerful wine; is best paired with filet mignon or a good spanish dish. Its a favorite among many...and is worth finding.
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Dark chocolate, dark berries, but a nasty metallic-ness. Tasted blind and lease favorite of 4 wines. Did WS really give this 96 points? Tasted alone, it might be a good wine but if you compare this to some others, it is not that good. 2nd dissapointing bottle. I just don't get this wine.
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Very nice effort, and wonderful wine to pair with a flavorful steak and good friends. The story here is the mouthfeel, texture, and taste of the wine. Honestly, I would probally rate this wine an 87-89 based on the aromas, beyond the dark fruit profile, I really started to pick up on some green bell pepper (which is not my favorite). However, on the palate the wine made a great recovery(probably a 93-94), with concentrated fruit flavors, a nice balance of acidity and structure, and most of all a creamyness that was outstanding. The wine also seams pretty young right now and I think it has better days ahead of it.
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WS NYWE Top Ten tasting (Marriott Marquis): Medium purple color. Forward sharp nose of red raspberry and spice - notes of lignified stems. Big bold ripe black fruit on a sturdy tannin/acid frame. Puckering, but not giving up all that much at this point.
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2006 WS Top Ten Tasting (NYC): Ranked #4. $47. Represented on the dais by winemaster Enrique Tirado, who noted that his goal is to make Don Melchor a “concentrated and expressive wine with finesse and balance.” The 282-acre vineyard is divided into small parcels and farmed by hand. It has stony soil and temperatures that fall dramatically at night. In 2003, they had spectacular weather. The blend is 95% Cab Sauvignon and 5% Cab Franc. This was an enjoyable cab, with blackberry, mint and cassis notes, supple tannins and decent length and depth. HS said it was “Lively blend of cab sauvignon and vineyard. A New World wine with Old World antecedents.” BS noted its “cedary tobacco and coffee flavors. Distinctively Chilean with a loamy minerality.” Enjoyable now, but should also age well for another 5-7 years.
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Ripe, full of cherry, currant, smooth finish, integreated tanins, wonderful wine.Drank with some friends always a room pleaser. I will hold the last two bottles.
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Don Melchor vertical 1995-2004 (Monterrey, Mexico): Darkest purple of all wines tasted tonight. This is the ripest of all Don Melchors tasted tonight and, as expected, exhibits riper aromas of caramel and melted butter, dark fruits and a creamy, lactic aroma. Full to medium bodied, tannic and offering a drier finish than others.
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Honestly drank this early this summer and remember little. I think I gave it 90-92. Remember thinking that it drank well but maybe I wasn't exposed enough to chilean wines to truly appreciate what I should be looking for. I'll have to get another bottle.
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It never has disapointed, full of cherry, currant, integreated tanins a friend suggested this could even be drank at the end of the evening with some dark chocolate or desert. wonderful wine. let it open up for more enjoyment.
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This bottle of wine was a very interesting experience. The first night we took it out of the cellar, opened it and poured a couple of glasses which we let sit while it came up to room temperature. Even after sitting for about an hour, the wine was still all over the place. We enjoyed a glass each and then stuck the cork back in the bottle and left it on the counter. The next night we went back and tried it again and it was completely different. Everything was wonderfully integrated, balanced and smooth with nice fruit mixed with dark chocolate on the nose and a great finish.
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Deep crimson-purple; intense black currants, blackberries, wet stones; dark berry, medium-full body, good balance, good structure, firm ripe tannins, long finish. Decanted 4 hrs. Rich and structured Cab. Sauv. that developed complexity throughout the evening. This will improve over the next 5-10 yrs. Excellent with medium-rare striploin.
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A very complex and interesting wine, changing over the course of 5 hours being open. I would have wished for a better nose on this wine, but the body and flavor profile are amazing - intense dark fruits, slightly charred, seasoned meats, green pepper (that goes away after airing), and a spectacular finish that goes on for about a minute and disappears in a whisper.
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Again thick and rich with some tar flavor. On the first night after 8 hours of air it was enjoyable but tannic. Night two - the tannis are still there but much softer. Very nice.
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Decanted two bottle of this for several hours and this wine was fantastic, I took the other bottle home and finished it off 24 hours later Really a wonderful wine.
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Taken and drank at my favorite restaurant, however just opened and poured. VERY smoky for about an hour and I really think we did the wine a disservice by not decanting it. Upon the final pour, the smokiness subsided and the wine showed massive black fruit and was absolutely great. Don't get me wrong, it evolved a lot in the first hour, but that last glass was a different animal. Definately splash decant it now for at least an hour before drinking. You'll be rewarded!!
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Much better than last time. I am really surprised at how much better this is. Rich, deep fruit with excellent acidity and a very smooth finish. The nose has a Châteauneuf-du-Pape quality to it. I should have saved this for a more special occasion. 93+Pts this time.
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Decanted 5 hrs, consumed with Brazilian Pichana and Asperagus. Part of a little 03 around the world with some friends (03 Pintas, 03Talbot, 03 Turnbull, 03 DM). This was the 2nd best overall wine of the night right behind the Turnbull, but for me it was the most profound. A lot of structre, as one would expect, but plenty of black fruit, road tar and tobacco--amazing. Very full in the mouth with good acidity and a long 60+ second finish. The lofty achohol was not noticable. I would love to try this in 20 years but my stock will never last that long; get it if you can find it.
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Dark garnet color. Herbaceous aroma of eucalyptus and cedar. Flavor of tobacco and earth. Almost no fruit. Tight, forceful tannins. 2 hours in decanter before tasting. Long finish
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Púrpura. Aromas intensos, potentes e exuberantes de framboesa, cassis, tostado, fruta madura, envolta por eucalipto e baunilha. Taninos muito numerosos, firmes ainda, com acidez média e final muito longo. Grande concentração e potencial. Bastante diferente do Maximiano da mesma safra, provado recentemente, apresentando mais fruta e estrutura. 92+pts O/E.
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Closed up tight. Day two showed great promise, but I am not touching one of these for at least a year. Great potential. No score, but could live up to the WS 96 in time. Hold.
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The nose was quintessentially Chilean with a dominant loamy note that was complemented by a eucalyptus/ minty note. The latter note has been proclaimed dead by many )among them James Molesworth from Wine Spectatar), but I still find it. I was expecting good things in the palate, but was dissapointed. The density is there, as is a nice texture, but this is lacking in the mid palate and in fruit purity. Aside from an atractive scorched earth note, this wine falls short on the fruit.
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Dark inky purple color. Nose of blackberries, cherries, smoke, earth and mocha. Flavors of cherries, raspberries, mocha, and light tobbacco. Medium to full bodied wine with excellent mouthfeel and a long finish. This is so much better than the 02 vintage that was much more tarry and dirty in comparison to this highly focused wine. What a pleasure to drink this bottle among friends.
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I love this wine, full of surprices with hints of tar, licorice, cherry, berry, structure throughout the long finish. If I could only hold em instead of enjoying them today. Decanting improves
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Best Melchor I've had. It's young with heady fruit up front, more prominent than the tar and ketone smell I have objected to in past vintages. Tannins are firm but under control making it drinkable now. More oak and vanilla with raspberry and currant on the palate. Finishes long and warm.
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Much better than the 2001 at the same stage of development. Aromas of kirsch, cassis, plum, & mocha. Silky feel in the mouth with dark berry flavors and dark currants. Long finish with dry tannins. Drinking beautifully now and has the structure to age well.
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Bottle had dropped tons of sediment and tasted like dirt, with some green mint or euaclyptus also showing out of whack. 2 hours decanting didn't change.
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Enjoyed this wine, but was a little disappointed based on somewhat high expectations. Definite cassis, herbal, and cocoa notes. Hope this one improves with age.
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Opened this a day in advance because of previous tastings but poured a glass to try and it was very good. The tannins were much more resolved that the last bottle and it was very enjoyable with just a little bit of air. Day 2 and a little left for Day 3 were both very good as well.
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I was hoping for and expecting so much more. I tasted it with a Quilceda Creek Red Wine and was finding it vastly inferior. Decent, but nothing to write home about.
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Decanted for 4 hours. On the nose, red fruit, spice, tobacco and leather. Still somewhat tight, but I think will be incredible in 5 years. I think it has the potential to go for 10-20 years. Glad I have more.
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Opened, decanted, drank; initial impression--tasted like a good cali-cab, very little on the nose. After an hour the Chilean characteristics began to show through; black fruit driven with hints of tobacco, mint and white pepper. The wine has enough tannin and acidity to keep the alchohol under wraps while the wine evolves over the next 10 years or so. Good QPR by todays standards.
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Decanted 2 hours. Strong dark fruit flavors with some mint or spice notes. Heavily tannic with not enough fruit to support it. I fell I opened this one way too early and will not open the other for at least 3 or 4 years.
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Opened to compare with the 2003 Catena Alta Malbec. On the ruby side of the spectrum, showing the tell tale bull's blood color of Don Melchor. Upon opening, he nose is overly earthy and the euaclyptus notes too overwhelming. Full to medium bodied, mono dimensional and with slightly coarser tannin. This is not nearly as attractive as the Catena. I am getting disspointed from this Wine Spectator 96 points.
DAY 2. Wow, this wine has improved! It retains the wet earth and menthol notes, but they are more in the background now, giving way to laser like black currant and smoke. Full to medium body and persistent tannin that has a distinctively dusty quality. This wine could lose some tannin to become more pleasant. This is much better than last night. It is shier, not as extroverted as the lusciously fruity Catena, but may be the most interesting wine in 5 years.
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Wow!..decanted..after 1 hour, inky deep red-purple (stained my wife's lips), muted nose but a hint of menthol, easy palate entry, full body, pure, smooth and focused. Tannins are mouthcoating but not at all harsh. Primary dark fruits. Long, long finish. This went VERY well with a meal, but no doubt will be outstanding in a few more years. Won't touch another bottle for a year.. Its now 6hrs after decanting; lovely cigar-limestone nose, blackcurrants coming through on the palate and a delicious finish. Love it. I'm upgrading to 96 points
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w/pan seared ribeye. Decanted and waited 30 min; should have waited 2 hours. Best at 3 hours, was still changing through 4. This is the bar for pure expression of cab sauv. Not ready to drink the rest, serve '00 for Cab night
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88-89pts?..Dissapointed with this showing. I knew it was not getting GREAT reviews but they were averaging out in the 92-93 range so I decided to take a chance. This lacks the fruit and depth to score it much higher. Nowhere near a $70 wine which is the current price. Very Nice nose that reminds me of a bordeaux..Some mint some Beringer like oak and a fading of the fruit into acidity. In simple terms, This is more earth & oak and acid and less fruit than I would have hoped for. Although I could enjoy it after a few hours of air (mainly from the nose) I would not buy again. Wine Spectator screwed the pooch on his one.
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Drank better than the 95 Beringer Private Reserve that was also on the table. Decanted about 3 hours before drinking. Nice minty/menthol notes. Tannins significant but not distracting. Went well with my lamb and my wife's Kobe beef.
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Bright red color, stained my decanter. Rich nose, silky mouthfeel. Well balanced with cassis, cranberry, earth and chocolate with a touch of herb/mint in there. Nice length, fine tannins. For $35, you can't go wrong.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Decanted for 4 hours and then poured back in the bottle and recorked for about two hours before being served double blind at the November Blind Drunks tasting. I was slightly concerned about this bottle as it was obviously exposed to some heat, judging by the wine found under the capsule and stained up the side of the cork. Deep garnet color. Ripe dark fruit, mint and eucalyptus notes. Chewy tannins, with dark fruit and oak flavors. Long finish. Drinking very well, despite the obvious heat that this particular bottle was exposed to.
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Second Bottle I have had now. Still a tasty bottle of wine. Easy to drink. good structure. Nice mix of black and red fruits. Blue berries on the nose and pure cassis on the palate. Nice wine. 96 pts? no. Woty? no. But a deal for sub 50 bucks. yes!
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Decided to pop a bottle since this did not win wine of the year. Deep purple in the glass. Decanted 1 hour. Nose of cocoa, oak and currant. Slightly tannic. Opened up more over another hour and half to reveal black cherry and hints of mint. May not be the WOTY but I am glad I speculated on 6 @ $38. Outstanding and will improve with time.
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Drank at an offline. Definitely needs decanting time of an hour or so before it shows it's true colors. Aromas of roasted nuts and coffee and palate of chocolate, more roasted coffee. mocha and a long finish. Some drying tannins that will go away with time.
Try and refrain from opening for at least 2 years.
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Purpura escuro. Saltam aromas bastante intensos de fruta madura, cereja preta, chocolate e tabaco. Na boca é sedoso com numerosos taninos doces, acidez razoável e um persistente e agradável final. Marca o meio de boca com a medeira apresentando café e tabaco, fruta madura bem concentrada, algo verdeal ao fundo (menta,eucalipto). Nota-se claramente que ainda está novo e que puxa pra o "novo mundo" mas com elegância. Acredito que evolua bem dada à concentração de fruta, boa estrutura e acidez presente. Difícil falar da longevidade. Um vinho com certeza muito bem feito e marcado pela intensidade. Fundo de taça trazendo novamente o tabaco doce. Excelente. 92+
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De modo geral, a impressão anterior se mantém. Comparados com os outros Don Melchor que já tomei, esse é o mais 'novo mundo'. Muita fruta madura, levemente adocicado, acidez boa mas não alta. Difícil prever se irá ganhar complexidade e integrar o álcool. Para meu gosto pessoal, só melhoraria se a 'doçura' desse lugar a algo mais austero e complexo, mas por enquanto não acredito nisso. A qualidade, porém, é inegável -- e deve agradar quem gosta do estilo. Abrir o próximo só em 2009. 92+pts. O.
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Decantado por 30 min, devolvido à garrafa (onde ficou por 1 hora) e então decantado novamente no restaurante por mais 1 hora. Intenso perfume saltou do decanter logo que o líquido foi vertido. Muito marcante, então, o misto de aromas indicativos do longo estágio em barrica (14 meses – carvalho francês) e de fruta madura, somado ao álcool, bastante presente. Com o tempo, a sensação de madeira diminuiu de intensidade, mas sempre se destacando, às vezes quase encobrindo a fruta. Sedoso, taninos muito numerosos e macios, boa acidez, tabaco, chocolate, licor de cereja e fruta mais madura do que eu particularmente gostaria. Não se deu bem com a comida (pappardelle ao ragù de coelho e, depois, codorna recheada com cogumelos e legumes). Ao menos por ora, não é problema de má harmonização, mas do perfil do vinho, que não se mostra muito receptivo à comida. Final muito longo e fundo de copo agradável. Melhora muito se provado sozinho. Muito jovem, reunindo ótimas condições para evoluir, embora um pouco mais de acidez não fizesse mal. A avaliação mais justa seria pontuá-lo com um genérico 91-94 pts (aliás, qualquer nota dentro desse parâmetro me parece aceitável, dependendo do critério utilizado). Por ora, 91+, com potencial para bater nos 94pts. O.
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Opened and decanted for about 30 minutes. Has smell of dark chocolate, mocha, and a very unique chalky, smokey smell to it. On the palate, the wine shows dark rasberries and the same mocha and chalk that I smelled. It has a nice sweetness to it and the finish is medium/long. I might have opened this bottle too soon to fully enjoy it but it's a nice wine. It doesn't strike me as an extraordinary wine but this is very nice wine. I think I'll let it decant a lil longer while I make my Asian Shortribs...
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Decanted and poured. Should have decanted a while. Very young, dark inky stuff. Lots of mint and chocolate with some obvious tannins in the finish. Not touching the other 2 bottles I have for a couple years. Will keep drinking the 2000's for a while in place of this one.
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Needs alot of air. Opened at 11am and served at 6pm but sips throughout the day show that this is much more approachable than the 2001. My guess is it will eventually shut down (like the 01) but for now it is very good. Day 2 - has really opened up. This is a very nice wine. 95 today.
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Aerated and decanted one hour before consuming (left in the decanter as consumed over 2.5 hour period). Nice concentrated fruit and complexity. Medium to full bodied (seemed to gain weight over 2.5 hr period). Black Cherry, blackberry notes. Noticed some nice vegetal notes later on (in a good way) and faint chocolate on the nose early on (this subsided). Sweet tannins. This will improve with a couple years, but its definitely accessible now. Glad I have another bottle. Great QPR at 37.99. This was served with filet topped with panko and maytag blue, with shallot, garlic, red wine and beef broth reduction.
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Drazi - I agree with your notes almost to the letter. Surprisingly good. Honestly, better than I expected by a margin. MUCH better than the 2001 - no brett or barnyard. Lacks a bit of grip and a touch of depth that it needed to get up to 96 pts IMHO, but worth every penny. WOTY??? Maybe
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Decanted 2 hr’s. Good nose of dark currants with some cherry at the core and hints of tar that follow through nicely on the palate with additional notes of leather and mocha along with a persistent mineral quality and a mint flavor component. Light acidity on the consistent palate with fine, solid tannins, reasonable depth and a polished edge all leading to a lingering finish. Terrific Cabernet value that continued to open up after 2+ hr’s decant time.
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Don Melchor - Vertical (La Brasserie Erik Jacquin - SP): Percebe-se que está fechado. No nariz tem ameixa, tostado, café. Na boca realmente amarrado, mas com muita concentração de fruta, boa acidez e madeira não integrada. Acredito que vai ser um vinhão pela acidez e fruta que tem. Coloração púrpura/violácea bem escura. 93+
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3/24/2024 - AllRed wrote: flawed
One of the heat damaged Chicago Wine Merchant bottles. Too bad.
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12/20/2023 - stayhappy21 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted this at a wine dinner at Tunglok Signatures (Orchard Rendezvous Hotel) with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: A good wine for Christmas and the New Year.
A seriously good wine. Beautiful aromatics on the nose with a touch of vegetal or herbal tone. Big ripe plums coupled with blackberries and plums. Dark chocolates, espresso, and a touch of tobacco.
On the palate, all the elements are well integrated and worked harmoniously together to bring out the best of the Chilean wine.
An exceptionally good wine.
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7/28/2023 - kvls08@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Still drinking very well, but would comsume in the next 2 years before it starts.to fade.
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11/5/2022 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle and on peak form. A old meet new world cab that rewarded the patience of almost 2 decades. Started fading on day 2. Drink now.
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4/23/2022 - traxxx Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning!! Aromatics of dark raspberry jumping out of the glass, could smell it 5 feet away. Light plum and cherry with leather and mild tobacco on the palate. PNP and poured into glass, then tasted 20 min later. Smooth, long and beautiful! Best bottle of the case so far!
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1/8/2022 - bankermd wrote: 94 Points
I’m Bordeaux, MONTELENA, Dunn guy. In that company, this was an exceptional Cabernet.
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3/22/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Decanted off its sediment and served with Morgan Ranch wagyu tri-tip. Shows just a hint of bricking at the meniscus but maintains a dark crimson core. Opens with aromas of black fruit and herbs with rose petal and road tar elements emerging as it opens in the glass. Mixed red and black fruit on the palate with spice and tobacco elements. Fully integrated tannins; this is elegant and very well-balanced. Delightful. This is at peak IMO; drink through 2023. 93 pts for both Domino and me.
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2/21/2021 - Castle Peak wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful. Balance of ripe berries fruits, floral notes, light cocoa and mild oak. Loved it.
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1/1/2021 - Haroldz7 Likes this wine: 91 Points
New Years eve wine! Out of the cellar for 12 hours to bring it to room temperature and opened for about an hour before it was ready to drink. When pouring into the glass I was struck with a nose of black cassias, black currants and black fruits. Medium bodied. On the palate taste of black fruit including blackberries and black currants with fine interlaced tannins adding complexity to this well developed, mature wine. Complex and worldly. A fitting wine for year end!
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10/12/2020 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
A pleasant surprise — much better than my first time with this wine. Seems to have shed the earthier and gamier notes. Notes of cassis, plum skin, loamy soil, smoked meats, and truffle. Great texture. In a really good place now.
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8/17/2020 - Lyubomir Lefterov Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour with a good portion of sediment removed. Harmonious with velvet structure. There is an oily appearance which I quite like, plush and there is a charming vegetal component (bell pepper). Easy drinking, but serious stuff. Can keep more, it is just starting to develop tertiary aromas now.
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7/12/2020 - NeuroWine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark, brooding color. Beautiful dark stone fruits, balanced acidity and alcohol. Firm tannins, but yielding - balanced pasture raised ribeye as well as seared scallops with creme fraiche, chives, and sturgeon caviar (surprising). At peak now. Stunning wine!
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6/8/2020 - Brad T Likes this wine: 96 Points
Csquared98’s note was spot on in terms of the flavors. This perfectly aged wine is making its best showing. The nose is a little reticent on the and pour, and the initial impression is of a good but restrained old Cab. But within 15 minutes it opens in a huge way and continues to open up for hours. There are no signs of over-oxidation (no pruney essence or flavors), no sediment, no brown edges). What you get is a cross between an old Bordeaux and an old Washington cab. Makes me reevaluate the ability of a Chilean Cab. My 2000 and 2001 Don Melchors were very good but didn’t fare quite this well. I would drink now as this is truly at peak.
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5/25/2020 - Time traveller wrote: 91 Points
Lost a little of its oakiness but still very round on the palate and enjoyable drinking well but best to drink up!
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5/24/2020 - csquared1978 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Granted, this 2003 vintage is beyond its ideal drinking window, however it was tasting beautifully tonight with strong notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, and tobacco on the nose giving way to muted blackberry, cassis and currant flavors and ultimately yielding to a lush, lengthy finish that seemingly went on for days. We were a bit more bullish on this wine than previous reviewers and eagerly anticipate our last bottle. Don Melchor is a dynastic operation to be sure!
-Chris and Nicolette Clark & Anthony McClish
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4/15/2020 - SoCal wrote:
The last bottle and it is showing it’s age. The oak has fallen off to the wayside revealing the under ripe fruit making it a little too green for my taste. For a quarter of the price you can get the same profile in a Washington Cabernet.
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3/30/2020 - Eventrider wrote: 82 Points
Mature, past prime.
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6/29/2019 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Great combination of fruit, oak and tannins. Great representation of Cabernet Sauvignon
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4/24/2019 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
See prior notes. Fully mature. Last bottle of this wine.
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3/27/2019 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Tannin has settled.
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12/25/2018 - pgm wrote:
Integrated black fruit and earthy aromas and flavors. Definitely not young anymore, but still drinking very well. Drink before 2021.
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12/24/2018 - fatsdmx Likes this wine:
Holding up really well. Enjoyable (which I find typical for this product-producer), with a long finish. Should continue to age gracefully.
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11/18/2018 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Took to friends' house for a big lunch. See prior notes.
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11/7/2018 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with the bottle from earlier this year, except this bottle was remarkably free or sediment. Tarry earth, cherry, and lavender. Youngish, younger than I expected. An excellent bottle.
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10/5/2018 - libero wrote: 93 Points
This Don Melchor vintage 2003 is by now fifteen years old. First day, no aromas closed taste. Second day it opened and it is better. At third day it exploded with aromas and taste of black berries, prunes, tobacco and dark chocolate taste. Round and well balanced.
Unfortunately it was the last bottle...
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8/18/2018 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Still very good
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6/13/2018 - Wine Poor wrote: 89 Points
This was my last bottle and it was enjoyed by all
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5/18/2018 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted for lots of sediment, which is needed.
Tar and cherry on the nose and in the mouth, which adds some grilled herb. Nice long finish. In good shape, but probably best to drink now or in the next 3-4 years.
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5/11/2018 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured, followed over an hour or so. Plum, dark fruit, cassis, lavender and green herbal aromas. Drying tannins; dark fruit and herb flavors. Showing much younger than I expected, but nicely balanced fruit and tannin. The palate lags slightly behind the bouquet given the tannins, but pretty darn nice overall.
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2/24/2018 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Dark red, dense, black berries, dry figs, earth and dark chocolate . Tannins subdue. It seems too much extraction. Fielder two times in different fielder and a sense of sediments is still present.
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2/20/2018 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Good wine
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2/17/2018 - Bin707LoversDetroit Likes this wine: 94 Points
Inviting like few other vins we've ever enjoyed...
At the pour, the body is immediately evident, it moves slowly, purposefully into the decanter. Its viscosity tell us we'll enjoy complexity with this juice. The legs... It takes a full minute to travel from the top of the swirl back to beverage level... Ohhh yum...
On the nose the fruits hit- blues, blacks, berries, licorice, toffee, life! But wait, there's the earth, the terroir- Chile... 5% Cab Franc may account for this...Then the fruit re-groups and shows it's still there,... the entire experience opens the drinkers' mind to what balance really means, everything is everpresent and high in the glass. Volume is UP in this wine.
A big, bold, not-SO-buttery, but balanced vin indeed...
Then we drink it...
We melt in our chairs.
Complex is an understatement... The flavors change across the palate, the last second of the sip tastes better than the first... We want more!!! We bite a grape and nose the glass... Asiago cheese and nose the glass... Thai, hot, beef and this wine, The Don is so bold & strong, it holds up to the spicy yumminess like few vins could... More velvety than silky because this vin has girth, life, chewiness and body...
Clean... Fresh, heck, this vin even has the positive traits of good white wines... Makes us even wonder whether this vin actually has any tiny percentage of white grapes in it...
It's a stunner.
Delicious.
All the top shelf adjectives.
And we could go on...
This is our first time drinking this juice. We have had a half case of 2012 in our racks for a year but one of our local wine sellers happened to have three of these 2003s for $45 each in its cellar, so we couldn't pass up that price... And we cracked the first same day- TODAY...
And so glad we did!!!
We'll enjoy these 2003s by 2020 and not get into the 2012s for many more years...
A top three wine for us- of all time.
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1/24/2018 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
See prior notes.
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11/23/2017 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
See my prior notes of 5-29-17 and 1-22-17. God pairing with turkey, not not a good a pairing as the 2003 Malescot St. Exupery we also consumed.
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11/18/2017 - CMz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby with a bouquet that while initially tight opened over an hour to reveal cherry and berry notes with a hint of tobacco. The dark cherry repeats on the tongue - easily the dominate note; but combined with berries, smoke and an interesting woody element that was some combination of oak and cedar. This bottle was fully mature and while it may still evolve and perhaps improve over the next 4-5 years I am going to give my remaining bottle 2 hours of decant and consume this year. Overall - paired nicely with grilled meat; but not memorable.
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11/17/2017 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Stull tight
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10/27/2017 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Opened by Allred. No formal notes. 2nd time I have had this wine. 90 points.
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10/4/2017 - WAstateToDC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly now. Decanted for 30 minutes.
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10/4/2017 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Still good, but began down hill.
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9/30/2017 - TRodrigu70 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Having read previous notes of recent dates I can only assume their bottles are flawed.
Mine was in temp control since purchase and it has aged beautifully. Am hour in the decanter only started the wine to open. 2 hours in it is revealing itself fully bold and full yet smooth on the finish. Rum and whisky notes. Graphite and mineral nose. Strong black cherry on the tongue. Terrific wine. In line with the 2004 and very characteristic of the vineyard in general. I have every year since 2001 to 2014. Not disappointed at all in the 2003. I would say it's at it's peak now and should be drunk in the next 12 months.
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9/17/2017 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe not properly stored, maybe a titch past peak, maybe at its baseline ... don't have the experience to tell. Either way, enjoyable bottle, with mature fruit and fine tannins. Was hoping for a spectacular bottle, instead enjoyed a very good bottle. 89 pts
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9/4/2017 - Tannic Monster Does not like this wine: 80 Points
This tastes like someone took a dirty gym sock, soaked it in some cheap sherry and squeezed it into a glass. Unfortunately, I have several other bottles. I coravined a sample from another bottle from a different source, and confirmed it is not individual bottle variation. This is going down the drain. Damn.
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7/14/2017 - tb76 wrote: flawed
Flawed
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6/20/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
This is why they call it a bouquet. Then so easy to drink for such a suave wine. Cavernous but at your service. Medium bodied and still fleshy and muscular with no excess fat. Really a high class wine and probably not what you think of when you think Cabernet. Drink now-2020.
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6/20/2017 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet spot. Drank with a sommelier friend after a brief decant. Deep ruby/ garnet with slight sediment, this wine is fully mature, with no real deterioration at the rim. Nose of cherry, raspberry, crushed dried flowers and spice. Subtle power is fantastic. Solid 5-10 years of wonderful drinking ahead.
If a date, thus was a 35 year old professional (doctor, lawyer etc) who dresses well, keeps fit and is a terrific package. AA++
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5/29/2017 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Last consumed four months ago. Pretty much the same: " Dark garnet body; opaque; purple-red on the rim. Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, smoke, toasty oak." The tannin now seems more integrated into the wine.
Consumed in memory of LCDR Larry “Mike” Jordan, a fellow U.S. Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War. Mike was returning to the USS Kitty Hawk from the Philippines when his plane, a KA3B aerial tanker, was purportedly shot down on April 12, 1966. His name is listed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, PANEL 6E LINE 106.
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5/16/2017 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is my last bottle of the 2003 DM. Considering my sky high expectations, this wine, while good, has been consistently disappointing. This last bottle might be my favorite. So I bid farewell with this note: Opaque dark garnet. Note of blackberry, cassis, and cedar. Medium + bodied wine with silky texture, blackberry, cassis, graphite, garrigue, and black licorice. Very good length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. Integrated oak.
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4/30/2017 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
At 14 years this has held up. cork stayed quite intact. One of the thinner corks I've encountered but it worked fine, and it was early stained. Fruit was in hiding for most of the first day. What was present was a fully integrated wine. I've said previously this wine has early Chilean profile different from Napa, Washington, or France. These elements were in earlier tastings noticeable but today they appear really integrated and very nicely. Not a powerhouse wine but perhaps medium bodied. Last glass had fine sediment as noted in previous tastings. The second day the fruit came out. Slightly tangy but perhaps this was some acidity. The wine held it's structure and was age worthy beyond my expectations. I appreciate the developed flavors, as wines are often fruit in their youth, but all the elements present evolve with age, and this one did so. I would drink now and would not hold for more than 5 years more.
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3/10/2017 - jeig Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: Wonderful complex, age very well. Oak, fruity.
Palate: Thick, mouth watering, chewy, complex. Start with slight sweetness and fruity.
Finish: Long finish, and little dry towards the end.
Absolutely stunning wine
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1/22/2017 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Dark garnet body; opaque; purple-red on the rim. Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, smoke, toasty oak. The tannin is mostly integrated into the wine, but not totally so as there is still a very, very slight acidic feel on the tongue. This abates with food. Smooth in the mouth and finish. Finish is velvety. Great pairing with Icelandic rack of lamb. The wine seems to have a little time left, but I'm going to start drinking my remaining bottles within the new two years.
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1/18/2017 - thelostverse wrote: flawed
Opened by Allred. Stewed.
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1/18/2017 - AllRed wrote: flawed
Cooked.
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1/8/2017 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and muscular with layers of damp tobacco, cherry, blueberry, and toasted almond, terminating with a long finish suggesting cherry cola.
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12/29/2016 - davidrh1 wrote: 93 Points
Rich and velvety, nice smoky nose and luxurious red berry and currants. Really drinking well.
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11/27/2016 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Simply superb. Complex with lingering after taste. It is very well rounded wine. Drink now
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10/21/2016 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow, still has it Excellent dark fruit, mid-palate and nice pencil-lead finish
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10/17/2016 - doctorj1 wrote: 90 Points
I expected more given the previous comments. Not a great QPR. Too one dimensional.
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10/7/2016 - jlanzmo wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic Juice and drinking SO well now
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7/21/2016 - Stevey Likes this wine: 94 Points
I last drank this 2 years ago and it was very good. Still very good and in excellent drinking window. Dark berries, well balanced tannins, medium-long finish. This wine is holding very well in peak drinking window and I don't see it going downhill anytime soon. Drink now or can still hold for a few more years but probably doesn't get better than now.
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7/9/2016 - Thief Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely amazing! Dark fruits, graphite, mocha and green pepper aromas with super silly tannins and still in balance with fruit and acidity. Well rounded. 45 sec finish that keeps delivering different nuances with each trip back to the glass. Drank over 2 hours and kept begging me to come back to the glass for more. Truly spectacular.
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7/1/2016 - jeig Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red colour, with slow and tiny leg after a swirl. Dark fruit and savoury nose, with good oaky smell. Taste wise is full body, multi layer, ripe tannin, dry and long finish
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6/13/2016 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
Wow, have not re-visited this producer for a long time and that is a shame. It is a very well put together wine. No need to wait further. It is showing really well after 13 years and just a fantastic cab.
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4/27/2016 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multi layered, great balance. Notes of iron and graphite with dark fruits lingering in the background. Great texture with plenty of life left but I don't suspect it will get any better.
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3/16/2016 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
It has been interesting to see how this wine has developed since release . It now is mellowing out and the tannin is fully integrated. It still needs an hour or so to open up and it continued to develop as the night went on. I think I will want to enjoy my final bottle before year's end and really savour the flavour. Or maybe next year. No need to hurry.
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2/28/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
Blew away a bunch of great wines tonight. Not just in depth, balance, saturation, and length, but for its class and intrigue.
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1/16/2016 - SoCal wrote:
Drinking well now and I am not sure it will get better. I would suggest drink now.
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1/14/2016 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and decanted, no sediment, medium-plus garnet. Pronounced aromas of dark fruits, violet, smoldering embers, parsley flakes, serrano pepper, tilled soil and crushed stones. Medium-plus body. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, mint, herbaceous green and a deeper impression of crushed stones and minerals. Wonderfully dry. The tannins are (still) quite chewy and astringent on the plus close.
Although the tannins have barely receded, this is in the zone and shows a wonderfully fresh vibrance; drink now and over the next 5+ years. So distinctive.
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1/12/2016 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fully mature and good to go. Plum pudding, fruitcake, and chocolate with a long, long finish.
If a date, this was a 25 year old MBA student who models lingerie part time and can discuss recent Wall Street Journal articles over dinner with insight and authority while you secretly undress her with your thoughts.
Excellent and unlikely to improve with more age.
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12/5/2015 - NuTricks wrote: 94 Points
No bricking and beautiful garnet color. Dark baking chocolate and cherry on the nose. A little cedar on the palate. While it was very good last night, it was outstanding tonight. Smooth tannins, full-bodied and terrific balance. Could go a bit longer but why wait. Sadly my last bottle.
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11/5/2015 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Whistle-clean dark ruby , this wine is mature. Beautifully integrated nose of cherry, chocolate and raspberry. Beautiful palate-coating tasting and a long, long finish.
If a date, this is a 38 year old Latina beauty who dazzles you with intellect and conversation in addition to beauty and sex appeal. Currently at it's peak and unlikely to improve.
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10/17/2015 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Took about an hour to open, but near the end of the bottle 3-4 hours after opening began to fade and oxidize. Drink this one up in my opinion.
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9/23/2015 - libero wrote: 92 Points
First day too tied. Second day nice bouquet with pronounceD chocolate taste.
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9/16/2015 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice red colour in the glass.
Mature characteristics with well integrated tannins.
Drinking very nicely now with many years ahead to enjoy this wine
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9/7/2015 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Just pop and pour. Nice aromas, but, too tied. Rated as 92 Let us see by tomorrow.Much better day two. Tonight I rated it as a 93.
Smooth, rounded, Nice but light aromas. I had it with hard cheese including cheese with truffles . It paired very well .
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7/18/2015 - redknife wrote: 96 Points
1 hr decant
Took to Christys
Everything was in place; this was really a beautiful wine. Typical south American nose, full body smooth chocolate and fruit with long finish. This will probably last another 5-10 years if not more
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7/12/2015 - folsomarndt wrote: 93 Points
Quite good, but not up to par with the prior '03 we so thoroughly enjoyed last year. The tannins have integrated and softened a bit too much for me and seems like this wine is past its optimal drinking window...
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6/3/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Opened by Allred. Decanted for 30 minutes. Part of a 5 bottle vertical. The lowest scoring of the 5 bottles among the group and my 4th out of 5. Crimson red color. Some alcohol showing on the nose. Full bodied with firm tannins. Notes of mocha and black currant. Give this time. Probably could use more decanting as well. 90-91 points.
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5/30/2015 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Decanted roughly half an hour before it was served with dinner. When the cork was first pulled this displayed sour citrus and coconut aromas. By the time I got to it, about an hour later, black fruit and herb aromas had taken over. Nicely balanced with softened tannins and flavors of mocha, plum, dark berry jam, fig and herbs. Lengthy finish. Drink from 2017+.
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5/30/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 89 Points
Opened by Allred. This was my least favorite of the flight. Had a very slight citrus note with black fruits. May have suffered in comparison with the other bottles.
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5/25/2015 - Rollerball wrote: flawed
This one had seen a few days of heat last summer so we intentionally compared it to a well-stored bottle. This slightly cooked bottle seemed a little beat up and stewed compared to the other.
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5/25/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully with a decant right now. Deep but with great range and finer, delicate notes.
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5/10/2015 - Villon wrote: 93 Points
Le vin commence à se fondre, mais le tout est encore très jeune. La bouche est ample, les tannins fins, la finale longue. C'est dense et concentré mais sans excès. Le bois à commencer à se fondre. L'acidité est bien appuyée, le tout est très équilibré, mais selon mes goûts, il faudrait attendre encore un 10 ans avant d'atteindre le profil souhaité. Les notes secondaires ont commencé à paraître, mais ça reste encore assez massif, tout d'un bloc. Le seul point de comparaison possible selon moi sont les grands cabernets de Napa, c'est pourquoi on parle d'une très grande longévité. Et si on compare aux prix californiens, ce vin était une belle aubaine quand il se vendait eux environs de 50$. Seul tracas: il faut attendre un bon 15-20 ans! Dommage que le prix ait autant augmenté, car on parlait d'un méchant deal pour les esprits patients. Fait notable, on ne remarque pas vraiment de ces notes végétales parfois dérangeantes si communes avec les vins chiliens. C'était ma dernière, dommage! S'il m'en restait, j'attendrais au minimum 5 ans encore. 93+
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5/2/2015 - libero wrote: 93 Points
In Progress
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4/14/2015 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Dark red Bordeaux , heavy body, light but nice bouquet, at taste dark chocolate, earth, medium tannin. Long after taste
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2/26/2015 - vintman Likes this wine: 92 Points
After an initial sip, decanted for a few hours. This bottle balanced out very nice. This '03 is enjoyable. dark with toasty oak, mineral, and mixed dark berry fruit. On the palate very smooth with soft tannin and a nice lingering finish. I'm going to try a vertical soon with the '05 that I have. Drink now.
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2/23/2015 - libero wrote: 91 Points
This particular bottle was not as outstanding like the others. It may indicate that the time to drinking it up is approaching.
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1/30/2015 - WI WineLover Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink Now!!!!
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12/29/2014 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. Dark red beautiful colour. Interesting nose of sweet chocolate and menthol. Delicious.
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12/16/2014 - Zingrrl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank this last week and did not take notes. Shame on me. This was excellent. I remember an initial Nose of raspberries at first that gave way to darker fruit and earth/spice. Taste was all about cranberry giving way to kirsch. Enough structure to hold it. Really good.
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11/1/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Robe-cloaked in charcoal and smoke, the ripe raspberry has turned gentle as the tannins have integrated and softened. Likely at the start of a 5+ year plateau.
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10/27/2014 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding taste with nice but light aromas.
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9/19/2014 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding taste with light aromas as most Chilean wines are.
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9/19/2014 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Nice but light aromas and strong, full body, delicious, complex taste.
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9/14/2014 - folsomarndt wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful nose, very well balanced and complex, with black berries, cedar, rounded tannins and a lovely lingering finish.
Surpringly good and kept improving as the night went on...
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8/21/2014 - MatthijsVisser Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially quite a bit of blackcurrant, earthy notes, and hints of cedar on the nose. Over the course of the evening, sweeter notes of liquorice and tobacco began to emerge.
On the palate, there's a great balance between fruit, earthy and liquorice notes, acidity, and tannins. Long finish.
Had this with several cheeses, among which the Appenzeller turned out to be an amazing match.
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8/1/2014 - libero wrote: 94 Points
This 11 years old Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile gets better every year. Delicious.
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7/19/2014 - Stevey Likes this wine: 93 Points
According to my cellar inventory notes, this wine was bought in 2007 and stored in constant 13C ever since. Based on some tasting notes below that say this is on the down swing, I decided not to air out and just popped and poured. I was wrong.
The bouquet was strong dark berries on opening, very nice. The flavor characteristics are very much like previous DM's I've drank - blackcurrant fruit forward with growing tannins on the finish. This wine started out somewhat muted but 1.5 hrs later, it opened up was singing with medium-longish finish.
This leads me to believe that talk of this wine's demise (past prime, diminished fruit, etc.) is highly exaggerated, at least base on this bottle. On the contrary, I'd say the 2003 remains a fruit forward wine and well balanced with enough backbone to last many more years. In fact, I'd say it's yet to peak and I'm keeping my remaining 2003 in the cellar for another few years.
I mentioned storage above because maybe those who said the 2003 is past prime, possibly it was due to storage conditions were less than ideal?
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7/7/2014 - SoCal wrote:
This bottle is a good lesson in aging. Several points over the last 8 years I was thinking about getting rid of this wine but after this bottle I am glad I have more.
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5/4/2014 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant, mature and more Old World in style than I remembered. Ruby color, with very little garnet on the rim. The nose is developed, with the black fruit taking a back seat to cedar and leather. Dry, with medium (+) acidity. The tannins have rounded out nicely. It would pair well with a roast or tenderloin; I made the mistake of pairing it with a grilled ribeye with an spicy rub and the wine did not have enough sweet fruit to match. I guess I fall somewhere in between the latest reviewers. I think this is a very good value at $45-$55 for a world class wine, but I agree that I expected a little more fruit and "wow" at only 11 years. Although still just fine now, these are perhaps starting their downhill slide. Drink now.
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4/28/2014 - libero wrote: 93 Points
To me a solid 94!but my guests think it is a 92. I decided to rate by the average
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4/6/2014 - Arinbraghe Does not like this wine:
Had this not been a very gracious offering from a friend with a widely divergent palate from my own, I would not have gotten past the first few sips. Put simply this is badly made wine, yet another instance of oak treatment being used as some kind of proxy for dick size, and the winemaker decided he wanted 9 inches. The fruit underneath gives some indication of fairly high quality, though this is a speculative assessment given all the dill and sawdust under which it is buried. I do know that whatever fruit is present will succumb before it ever has a hope of eating up all the wood. This is also a textbook wine for pointing and laughing at the critics, though perhaps less the (relatively modest) 93 point score from the palate-dead Bob Parker than the appalling 96 points from Spectator. A substantial cohort of poor newbs no doubt bought this stuff at a ridiculously-inflated tariff based on the rating (and #4 ranking in their 2006 'Top 100' awards) and now have a variable number of moribund oak bombs inexorably giving up the ghost in their cellars. As for more experienced point-chasers I have far less sympathy; you dance with them what brung ya.
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4/5/2014 - joet626 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very smooth and well balanced but not much fruit. Definitely at end of its drinking window. Not as great as previus bottles but very good and enjoyable
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3/24/2014 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Last bottle drunk was March 2013. By now, one year later and eleven years old, this Don Melchior continues to be a great wine. Like most Chileans wine has almost no dicernable aromas. My wife and I just smmarize as crushed red berries. At taste is a different story. Full body, round , smooth and balanced as the best Merlot from Bordeua. Yes it is close to Merlot than to Cab. Tannins subdue and complex taste justify, for me, an amateur a 94 rate.
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3/22/2014 - StainedGlass wrote: 91 Points
Rick black fruits, black liquorice, and tobacco. The fruit surprisingly started fading somewhat after a half hour and notes of cedar and oaky tannins began to predominate. Still quite good and in its drinking window, but I question whether it will improve with additional cellaring.
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2/24/2014 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful Chilean loam on the nose initially. After an hour breathing a nice anise bouquet came through. Some dark fruit and licorice on the palate. Very nice once allowed to breath.
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2/16/2014 - redknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
Took to Red in Boca. Decanted for 4 hrs. No notes taken but Showed beautifully. Still has plenty of fruit no rush to drink but quite enjoyable at this stage
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2/12/2014 - KenPlace Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Angus Barn. Well developed and smooth tannins. Very good bottle.
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2/5/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of licorice and spice initially, then some reluctant fruit. We decanted this bottle, but it was very slow to show too much.
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1/11/2014 - rsazima Likes this wine: 96 Points
Absolutely fantastic! Aged extremely well!
One of the best chilean wines I ever had, hand in hand with the 2001 Almaviva, although in a different style.
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12/21/2013 - erush Likes this wine: 95 Points
loved it!
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12/15/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Interesting, fun, and different, but still so easy to drink. Plush with twists on dark cherry and exciting with no hard edges. Fruit forward but still regal and sophisticated. Smells as good as it tastes.
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12/8/2013 - kota8 wrote:
Meltons
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11/23/2013 - cob Likes this wine: 92 Points
After seeing a couple of recent notes stating that this wine is probably at peak I decided to open my only bottle. Oh how I wish I hadn't. If you like your wines young or have stored this in suboptimal conditions then you may want to drink this soon. For everyone else I think you may want to let this adolescent mature.
Nose of menthol, strawberry and a lttle earth. Red fruit profile continues on the palate with tannins still very present. Continued to evolve while drinking with grilled tenderloin. Eucalyptus flavour subsided with a hint of secondary aromas emerging. Great mouthfeel and very persistent on the finish. Really wish I had more and would definitely hold for another 4 years at least. Great expression of this grape.
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11/20/2013 - gf2182 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very well integrated..so much, I was a little disappointed not more fruit in it. Drying tannins at the end. I don't expect this to get any better and likely on the slide...will drink my last bottle very very soon.
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11/16/2013 - AllRed wrote:
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (R&C's): Aromas of prune, raisins and black fruit; definitely some VA as well. Pruny on the palate as well, along with stemmy, woody qualities. Finishes rather hot and alcoholic, with a sourness that I don't care for.
I was very surprised when this was unveiled as it has never shown this poorly for me. Likely a flawed bottle. I know some bottles released in the Chicago market were exposed to heat, as I returned a six pack shortly after release because there was obvious damage after I pulled a cork on the first bottle.
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10/15/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Secondary nose of saddle leather, sour cherries and carmelized sugar. Still deep red without browning in the rim. Flavors are nice but not particularly deep or complex. Cola, tobacco, cracked pepper tingle. Drying cherry filled tannins. I think the tannins will ultimately overwhelm the fruit. Drink by 2014.
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10/12/2013 - rojoloco wrote: 91 Points
Fair, after 2-3 hours. Ok on opening but then tightened up. Ok through dinner with steaks off the grill, but not as much as I was hoping.
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10/3/2013 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 94 Points
Black fruits, dried tomatoes,dark chocolate, oily, smooth, good structure with velvet tannins, powerful but elegant, this is good stuff now, but easy 10 years ahead.
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9/7/2013 - ludwigbpm wrote: 89 Points
Sans note
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8/29/2013 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Soft beautiful wine. Mellowed significantly since last bottle 2 years ago. Others have been more articulate with flavor profile than I at this point. Some improvement with airtime but it tasted so damn good that we did not follow its maturation. This bottle was ready. Its time.
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8/9/2013 - Magno Does not like this wine:
Decantado por 2 horas, voltou para a garrafa e foi servido 3 horas mais tarde. Nariz intenso de mirtilos, licor de jabuticaba, café, e um pouco de madeira nova. Na boca é complexo, denso, extraído, com um pouco de álcool e madeira sobrando. Esse estilo de vinho não me agrada.
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8/9/2013 - meatman Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is in a great spot. Not showing any age at all. Was best after 2+ hours of pouring off a glass and letting the bottle sit open. Rich fruit (but not OTT) with nice herbal note to add complexity. Plenty of life left.
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6/10/2013 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic wine...All the right stuff...Great way to accompany rosemary chicken!
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5/10/2013 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
Splash decanted and followed over several hours. Moderately expressive nose with camphor, eucalyptus/mint, and black currants. Palate still has prominent tannin, with a leather and meat/iron note mixed in with the rather dark fruit. Moderate finish with a loam/mineral mix. This is a rather unique expression of Cab, firmly rooted in Chile with a loam/eucalyptus character I don't get anywhere else. Doesn't have the elegance and polish of high end bdx, but is still a world class cab somewhere b/t new and old world. Stepping into it's drinking window with plenty of tannin still to resolve. 92-93
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5/4/2013 - Flemboy wrote: 92 Points
Ready to drink, need to decant prior to consumption. Very approachable with earth tones. Color; dark red, no brick.
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4/19/2013 - Whine-oh wrote: 90 Points
After sharing SDWineaux's 05 last Friday, decided it was time to try one of these sleeping baby's from cellar. Decanted for an hour plus. Still dark ruby, no bricking no sediment. Secondaries alive n well. Soft mouthfeel with some unresolved tannins. Good structure. In a good drinking window with life there to sit a while. Drank along side a 2000 Cap de Faugeres, both well with BBQ tri tip.
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4/17/2013 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. WW at JonnyV's Thad's tasting. One of my top 3 in a line up that included verticals of Insignia and Far Niente. This time I could smell the carmenier, from the barrels. Some iron too.
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4/16/2013 - Katznery wrote:
Decepcionante. Depois de algumas horas respirando no Decanter, o vinho não apresentou nada da complexidade esperada, considerando a marca e os 10 anos de vida. Equilibrado, parece estar ou já ter passado o pico.
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3/21/2013 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
I am specifically calling this an unqualified opinion... very good cab. I don't think the fact that it is from south america makes it different from say a decent sonoma cab.
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3/20/2013 - libero wrote: 94 Points
This Don Melchior vintage 17 is by now ten years old. At launch was an astonished Chilean wine rated at 96 points. I bought three cases and it is still a very good wine, not a 96 anymore. Very light bouquet as most Chilen wines are. Dark red Bordeaux color, vibrant, long legs visually. Taste dry figs, prunes, cassis and dark berries. Mocha and dark chocolate are also present. Very balanced, lacks spice, a little acidity and tannin. Actually is closed to an outstanding Merlot and similar to Pomerol and saint julien, without mineral tastes, not a Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon anymore. A solid 94 points. Recommended with blue and Gorgonzola cheeses and spicy foods.
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2/22/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
This was juicy raspberry on opening but it faded somewhat rapidly. May have also had just a tiny bit of Brett. Loamy, wet stone nose. After a few hours lean, cassis flavors with ample tannins that seemed to overwhelm. I would put this on a short leash and drink now.
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2/21/2013 - mrpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Still pretty tight. Nice though. Excellent fruit, acid, long finish.
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2/1/2013 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 92 Points
matt182 nails it below. In a very good place right now. Drink up.
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1/29/2013 - matt182 wrote: 92 Points
Great wine, complex, still a bit tannic, nice dark fruit with eucalyptus adding freshness, some dark tobacco and a touch of green pepper.
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1/16/2013 - Squirreljam Likes this wine:
Had this standing up for a while, finally got around to it with a lamb rack. Interesting wine, the nose was fantastic when we got to it, about an hour after pulling the cork. On the nose, menthol and soil morphs into licorice; tar and smoke - it almost reminded me of lapsang suchong tea. I spent a long time on the nose, it's so good. On the palate, it's almost weightless, not heavy at all; at 10 years, this is much closer to claret than napa cab. Very juicy but finish length a bit short
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12/22/2012 - jtinto wrote: 90 Points
No brett in this bottle. Nicely integrated and showing the classic Chilean profile. I would say it has entered its prime and will go for 10 years.
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12/7/2012 - Paul Lin wrote: 86 Points
My first time with this wine. Earthy and gamy notes of cassis, plum skin, loamy soil, smoked meats, and truffle. The terror certainly comes through, although I'm not sure this is really in my wheelhouse.
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12/5/2012 - profiler54 wrote: 93 Points
Deep and dense color . Coca Cola, leather, dusty- earthy with hint of resinous cedar nose. Huge wine, black cherries, black currants and dark chocolate on the palate. Tannins seem to get tougher the longer the bottle was open. Too young to drink now in my opinion.. I would wait another 3-5 years at least before trying again .. This wine has the stuffing but didn't seem to have reached it's full potential
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12/3/2012 - Castle Peak wrote: 94 Points
Opened for 4 hours prior to drinking. Perfect pairing with lamb shoulder. Marvelous.
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11/30/2012 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RussK CDC at villagio, Peter brought. My WOTN. Probably the best DM I have had. Foolish me, I thought it was a supertuscan. Know that I know I can taste the dash if cab franc. No Carmenier on the nose. 92-
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11/27/2012 - fatsdmx wrote: flawed
May be an off bottle but can't figure out why. Nose is full and expressive of cassis typical of cab sav. Palate is hollow and finishes very short and dry. Disappointing.
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10/28/2012 - Border Boss wrote: 88 Points
I'm not sure if this bottle was flawed. Decanted for a half hour before tasting and drinking. The nose had a little green pepper while the palate was dominated by it. Some coffee notes were there as well. There was still quite a bit of tannin. The character completely changed with food. I had a marinated hanger steak with red wine demi glace. Combined with the beeef, the green pepper completely disappeared from the palate and was replaced with cassis, dark berrries and leather, a much better experience.
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10/27/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes. Like a very good St Julien.
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10/6/2012 - MB Ben wrote: 94 Points
This wine is really singing now. Classic Don Melchor profile but loamy clay finish and powerful tannins in the young wine are now very well integrated and add complexity without overpowering the more traditional Cabernet flavors. This wine is very Bordeaux-like now after only a short decant. Real elegance. Delicious. And could go for years more I think.
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8/15/2012 - redknife wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my previous note. This wine is improving and very enjoyable for the palate that appreciates this style of wine. Drinking nice now but has the backbone to hold for another 5-10 years
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8/1/2012 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with my prior notes.
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7/19/2012 - Wink wrote: 93 Points
I haven't opened a bottle in over 18 months (see 1/4/11 note). Dark garnet, losing it's purple tint. Nose of earth, dust, menthol, blackberry, cassis, plum, and pencil lead. Medium palate of ripe blackberry, blueberry, leather, earth, currant, and a little salinity. Excellent length. Refreshing acidity. Nice minerality. Integrated oak. Still youthful but sweet tannins. As always, New World meets Old Word. Addendum: with time in the glass and over the evening, this just keeps getting better.
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6/26/2012 - joet626 wrote: 94 Points
This was very good. Still plenty of fruit with chocolateon the finish. Continues to be very good. Could drink this forever!
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6/17/2012 - brooklynJ&O wrote: 87 Points
ok. I get it. slight medicinal edge. some call it pine needles. I like it and think it might be great in a few years. right now, just very good.
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6/16/2012 - bwillia wrote: 86 Points
Very green!
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6/13/2012 - Wine Poor wrote: 93 Points
Poured into decanter for 1/2 hour and then returned to bottle prior to heading to family dinner at the in-law's. This one gave off a lot of aroma as it went into the decanter which bode well for the palate that was to follow. A quality wine that that paired well with roast beef tenderloin.
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6/7/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind; 6/6/2012-6/7/2012 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - Purple color with medium forming legs. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Bob R's wine.
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4/22/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Raspberry nose with juicy berry nose and a hint of black pepper. Good, not great,
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4/22/2012 - toneb wrote: 92 Points
Ran thru the Vinturi into the decanter. Muted nose of red fruits currant and cherry, detected some black fruit on the back end. Heavy on herbal flavors, acidity, currant/red fruit flavors. Excellent fine grained tannins. Excellent job on the oaking, did not kill the fruit. Wine peaked in the decanter in about 2 hours. Had with some grilled rack of lamb and it was the perfect choice match with the acid/tannins balancing the fatty NZ Lamb. Really enjoyed this choice over a Napa Cab as the Chilean wines tend to have the better acid/tannin/alc balance for food pairings.
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4/4/2012 - eSchrag wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking very nicely. I would decant for at least two hours. This wine still has many more years left. Enjoy!!!
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2/28/2012 - JohnSh wrote: 92 Points
I had the 2004, 2003, 2001 and 200 vintage of the Don Melchor at an offline last night. All wines were decanted for at least three hours. I didn't take notes, but thought this 2003 was showing the best last night. Ripe, plush black fruit flavours, with hints of tobacco and mint in this full bodied wine. The 2004 was my #2, followed by the 2000 and 2001, which had a weaker finish than the others. All very similar, of course, and solid wines. I didn't enjoy them quite as much as a did in an earlier tasting, but the 2003 in particular was an excellent cabernet (A-).
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2/5/2012 - pmarlo wrote: 90 Points
Friend who opened had concerns about the cork and the surface looked dark but was okay. When opened the cork was infiltrated 2/3 up but seal held. Seemed on the thin and narrow side as well. This wine had almost no taste for me when opened, yet my two friends whom I serve this to both said nice wine. All I could taste was alcohol and some menthol. Very nice bright color in glass also. It wasn't until an hour later when I was on my last glass that the flavor really came out. So my advice is to taste a small sip first to see where this wine is at, and if not yielding much, give some air in decanter perhaps a good. hour. I've had wines that were initially slow to give their flavor up but this one was the most stubborn by far. So my judgement not really fair nor accurate, as I drank this up just when it was starting to show its face. I rate 90 points tonight but I know there is so much more there if given time to breathe, perhaps as much as a day. I have two more and i don't think i'll touch the next until after 2017. It seems to me there is a lot of life remaining.
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1/20/2012 - JayAAllen wrote: 87 Points
My only bottle. This could definitely use more time in the bottle. Opened up in the glass and in the bottle after being popped. Decant if you're going to drink this now.
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1/1/2012 - floating_cellar wrote: 92 Points
Young wine, decanted 6 hours and still not open. Better on day 2. Didn't get pine needle notes that others noted. Will wait another 2-3 years before opening another. Drank with Acheval Ferrer Altamira 2003, both spectacular wines.
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12/26/2011 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 92 Points
Consumed over two days, and decanted for three plus hours on day one. A very interesting and much changing wine indeed. Initial flavors were of green olives and strong mints, almost eucalyptus-like with a blackberry undertone. As it opened though all were replaced with a stong petrol component, and a tarry taste. It was more offputting than it was complimentary. The last of the wine that was tasted on day two didn't show this petrol flavor and was very enjoyable, with black cherries and sweet prunes throughout. The future evolvement of this version of the Don should definitely prove to be interesting for those with multiple bottles.
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12/23/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
I really like the potential but the wine drank really young and raw. Don't get the pine needle references but it was hot and oaky which overwhelmed the fruit and nuances that I feel are there.
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12/3/2011 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 85 Points
After the holidays, I save the pine needles from the tree (with the intent to make small pillows -- memories from my youth). I don't need to anymore. A small whiff and taste of this wine brings back all the memories.
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11/20/2011 - syrahz wrote: 92 Points
A little tight upon opening in spite of aeration. Much better on day 2. Patience is needed to get the most out of this one.
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10/17/2011 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 90 Points
Pulled out a bottle to the 2003 Don Melchor for my birthday dinner - NY Strip, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus. Tight on opening, gave it a trip throught the Vinturi into the decanter. No funk, which I have detected in previous bottles. This one is clean. Muted nose of red fruits. This is not a "creamy" Caymus-like vanilla/oaky/silky cab. More emphasis on herbal flavors, acidity, currant/red fruit flavors. Significant fine grained tannins. Good wine, but where Molesworth got the 96 is beyond me.
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10/11/2011 - guitarguy wrote: 84 Points
This sucked on opening, fully of barnyard stank and not much else. Really tight, after a few hours it improved a bit, showing some chocolate and alcohol in the nose. This may have had a bit of TCA in it as well. Flavors were lean, framed by a ton of tannins that seemed to be unresolved and overwhelming the 8-year old fruit. Currant, alcohol and chocolate flavors but really, these were knocked a bit loopy by those tannins. For such an old wine (by Chilean standards), I expected more.
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9/21/2011 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 94 Points
This is still improving in my opinion. Tannins are smoothing out and the wine is near it's prime. Cassis, black fruit, leather dominate.
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9/15/2011 - hackey37 wrote: 93 Points
The colors are ruby to the edge with hints of purple and it is opaque, blackish-red down the robe. Scents are like blackberries, floral notes, olive and dark chocolate. The tast is also like blackberries, with currant, coffee, olive, and cherry and chocolate appearing later as it opened a bit. The tannins are fine and satin like and are still pronounced. The finish lingers and let this open up a bit first. Cheers Aunt Patty!
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9/10/2011 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Don Melchor Night (Rick's & Cris'): Decanted for 3 hours, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another 3+. Notes of loam, dark fruit, grapefruit and cat urine. Full-bodied, with firm, chalky tannins and flavors of red and dark fruits. Still has quite a bit of oak to integrate. Took a long while in the glass for the citrus and cat urine notes to dissipate and let the fruit come through. The furthest from ready...give this 6+ hours in the decanter if drinking now; even better to let it sleep in the cellar for a few years yet.
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8/22/2011 - Stumpy wrote: flawed
Flawed
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8/9/2011 - WDK wrote: 80 Points
Medium bodied cab with lots of oak, but what really destroys it is the overwhelming taste of pine needles.
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7/30/2011 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Same as last note. Amazing how soft the wine is when it was such a tannic beast a couple of years ago. Still very big with a green streak. Second night still going strong with more tobacco showing up.
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7/14/2011 - PurpleHaze wrote: flawed
Corked.
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6/11/2011 - johnnyo wrote: 94 Points
Amazing wine! One of the best this year. Decanted for 2 hours, full bodied with rich black fruit with sophistication. Beautiful notes of Black cherry, cassis, tobacco and earthy tar. Acidity was spot on and finish lingered for over a minute. I will remember this one.
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5/29/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Massive wine. Not much change prior to previous note in 08. Fruit is hidden amongst dominant tobacco/cedar/cigar, subtle herb, and the scent of the heating oil in your grandparent's old unit in the basement. Really softened over the course of 4+ hours in the decanter - initially its tough.
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5/20/2011 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Again to night this was very nice. They are bold wines and the tannin has mellowed and begun to integrate.
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5/9/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Drank over the course of two nights. Decanted for an hour and a half on the first night. Very strong tobacco / cigar box aroma right out of the gate. Also had some coffee scent to it as well, and some forest floor. Taste had dark fruit, maybe some blueberry, but not a lot of it. Quite a bit of acidity here, even on the second night it still hadn't worn off. I think this will last quite a while longer, but with the fruit not being very prominent now, I'm not sure that it will end up paying dividends to hold. Had with filet mignon the first night, then on its own the second night - much better with food.
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5/5/2011 - norsktorsk wrote: 90 Points
Great flavor. Still quite tannic. Lots of time to go.
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5/1/2011 - TD2Irish wrote: 92 Points
Dark red in color, sweet dark fruit, green (herbal), pepper, powdery tannis, subtle smoke, and tobacco. The sweet fruit is delivered on the front palate, nice mid palate with pepper notes and nice acidity, but the finish while a bit short for me does exhibit the powdery tannis.
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4/25/2011 - cadamson wrote: 88 Points
Pretty much same as the last couple years. I like the mellowing a bit, the flavors are a bit more integrated, nothing overpowering. A bit hallow, without a very long finish. Enjoyable, drinkable and well made, just nothing special (which tends to sum up these Melchor's).
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4/2/2011 - jtinto wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous. Decanting a must.
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3/30/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Let breathe in the bottle for two hours. Dark purple color.
Bouquet of dark plums, spice, some finely crushed rock and granite as well as a distinct petrol quality that's really nice and unique to the terroir.
The palate shows equally dark fruit but it's not over extracted at all. There is nice purity to the flavor profile. Dark masculine coal, iron and purple flowers lead to a juicy but constructed finish that is high in well well developed tannins, striking acid and alcohol that improves the weight of the juice. A really nice wine. I want to sample more of this bottling from vintage to vintage.
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3/21/2011 - tkoby11 wrote: 90 Points
Impressive for the distinctive flavors and aromas.
Color: Dark purple red core, vibrant almost, red edges
Nose: Green pepper (good kind), meaty notes - beef jerky like, plum, tar, blackberry and peppercorns. Blind I would have sworn a Syrah.
Palate: The green pepper and meat notes come through with the black fruits of plum, blackberry, spicy notes, big tannins.
Nicely evolved sine the last bottle, but too much of the green pepper for me is somewhat of a flaw, trace notes are fine but this amount does not integrate well with the other aromas and flavors.
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3/21/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 Points
A crazy big wine. Explosive black fruit, lively acidity. A great wine, still very young. Sweet tannins and acidity. Drinking great now, but will last for years.
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3/20/2011 - sreisgolf wrote: 92 Points
Drank at blind tasting. Big and full bodied. Dark glass staining, fruit, black cherry, plums. This wine needs years though. The tannins are big and forward. Can't wait for my next bottle.
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2/27/2011 - sjk7 wrote: 95 Points
Drank 03, 04 and 05 in vertical format. 2003 was best of show hands down.
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2/5/2011 - Jmartin wrote:
Great Cab.
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1/29/2011 - sgamiz wrote: 93 Points
Best showing so far for this wine - Complex taste of Blackberries, smoke and leather.
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1/15/2011 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 90 Points
Very good, just not near the 96 that Molesworth gave it...got 3 more...
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1/8/2011 - Buster Kilpatrick wrote: 92 Points
Popped & poured through Vinturi. Drank with grilled steak coated in Montreal Steak Seasoning. Very easy to drink; very hard to stop. A great steak wine.
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1/8/2011 - scooter260 wrote: 92 Points
Smoooooth. Ready to go from the moment we opened it. mouth-coating, yet not tannic at all. Drank by itself after work!
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1/4/2011 - Wink wrote: 93 Points
Haven't had a bottle of this for 18 months. Dark Purple. Nose of earth, vanilla, menthol, and blackberry. Full palate of ripe dark fruit, earth, leather, graphite, and minerals. Excellent length. Focused acidity. Surprisingly grippy tannins. Elements of both New World and Old World styles.
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1/4/2011 - GrapeApe808 wrote:
From cellar...oaky and tannic.
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12/23/2010 - mwagner7700 wrote:
No formal notes. Definitely developing the secondary flavors of tobacco, cigar box, smoke and earth. Still has youthful fruit of blueberry and plum. But the earth/eucalyptus/smoke notes are definitely more pronounced. Very Good
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12/10/2010 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
From 750 ml bottle. Not tasted blind. Very fruity nose, full of black currants and under brush. Very good tannin grip in palate, along with great midpalate coverage from ripe mountain fruit. This does not have the telltale Maipo Eucalyptus and wet loam aromas. If tasted blind, I would have had a very tough time identifying origin. Regradless, this is an excellent wine.
De botella de 750 ml. No probado a ciegas. Nariz muy frutal, llena de grosella negra y matorral de bosque. Los taninos capturan con fuerza el paladar. La cobertura de fruta madura cubre el paladar medio totalmente. Su origen no es discernible, pues carece de los aromas típicos del terruño del Maipo Alto, como el eucalipto y limo húmedo. A pesar de ello, es un vino excelente.
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11/26/2010 - jtinto wrote: 93 Points
Noticed Brett on the nose right away. An hour after decant the wine was singing.
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11/19/2010 - djdaqm wrote: 93 Points
Decanted prior to drinking, with about 30 minutes of aeration. Great wine in my opinion with lots of complexity and balance, but in a subtle way. On the nose it has notes of smoke and bacon to go with the dark berries. On the palate, it lingers and develops with flavors of charcoal and earth. The alcohol is well balanced in the wine, and makes it easy to drink on its own or with food. I've had several Don Melchor wines over the last few years, and really like this style.
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11/11/2010 - french16 wrote:
Very rich nose, borderline jammy. A lot of dark/blue fruits with some tar/charcoal notes.
Sweet fruit, ripe and smooth tannins. Velvety.
It tastes like a technical wine and like it should cost $15, not whatever the current price is.
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11/7/2010 - swyang wrote: 90 Points
very dark violet color, intense dark fruits, a little greenish which was actually attractive. Slightly smoky, dusty tannin, eucalyptus, soy sauce, and definitely a generous body, much more so than the '01 that I remember. Very good indeed but a bit tiresome after a couple of glasses.
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11/6/2010 - Dmw38++ wrote: 92 Points
Excellent after decanting. Deep drink.
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10/30/2010 - robertdtwo wrote: 92 Points
One hour decant, served with filet mignon and chipotle-gorgonzola sauce. Always wonderful...why haven't I been buying this every year to keep my vertical going? Bordeaux-like without the forest floor/barnyard component. I'm not a big fan of the greener vegetal notes, but this is so faint that it rounds out the terroir of this beauty.
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10/20/2010 - eSchrag wrote: 92 Points
Delicious...........as always. A great blend of Cali like fruit with more Bordeaux like terrior. This wine is always a winner. Best to decant for an hour or two before drinking. Enjoy!!!
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10/13/2010 - hackey37 wrote: 94 Points
This was decanted for 2 hours. Fading ruby at the edge and smelled like cocoa, smoke, tar and dark fruits. Tastes noted were currants, blackberries, bell pepper, eucalyptus, and cappuccino. The tannins were drying but not coarse and I think this will last another couple of years. The finish was medium to long and there was a little heat. We drank this as the last of 33 Chilean miners was brought to the surface by rescuers. Cheers Chile!
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10/2/2010 - jonb72 wrote: 90 Points
tar, leather, black currant
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9/27/2010 - jtinto wrote: 92 Points
Definitely noticed the eucalyptus on this bottle.
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9/20/2010 - nschmidt wrote: 93 Points
Served at family dinner for Doris and Hiro. Very tasty cab with Chile slant.
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9/6/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Flannery Steak Trial Run (The Lew Residence): Fragrant nose of tar, scorched earth, and very strong eucalypts nose with an edge of green pepper. Dark fruit profile, with plum and currants, and a little cassis highlight. Coarse, chewy tannins still prominent. Lengthy finish with a lava rock/scorched earth quality, toast, and coffee. Shows prominent earth flavors, with good fruit underneath, but the greenness kept this from being more enjoyable for me.
On day 2 this wine was more integrated, but still dominated by dark earthy flavors. Less green notes and little more meat and leather.
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8/29/2010 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Tannin has smoothed out and these are beginning to knit together. Better on the second day but very good on the first day too.
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8/9/2010 - cct wrote: 91 Points
deep ruby. Cassis, stony fruits, loaminess in the background. Full bodied, rich with a good balance of fruit and savory components. Dark chocolate and stony fruits with casiis and in balance. A bit rustic with good textural mouthfeel. Lithe and simultaneously rich and deep. Early peak and outstanding.
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7/31/2010 - meatman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dark fruits and cocoa on the nose. Palate was cassis, loam and a hint of mocha with some spice on the finish. Good but didn't wow me.
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7/1/2010 - ptelgenh wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this is solid. Tobacco, cedar, Eucalyptus and cassis. This is ready to go right now
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6/27/2010 - WI WineLover wrote: 93 Points
Open at least an hour before drinking...
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6/13/2010 - bigdogflow wrote: 93 Points
Last bottle of this wine. Opened for 1.5 hours before drinking. Tobacco and cocca flavors with dark berries. Medium/long finish. Wonderful wine!
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5/23/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 89 Points
WTF. Tasted from a bottle that had slow o'ed for one day. Nose of cassis, plum, tobacco, mocha, mint. On the palate, black currant, plum, mocha. Clipped finish with drying tannins. Probably the worst DM I have ever tried. Excellent. Drink or hold.
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5/21/2010 - wineismylife Does not like this wine: 85 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline - Part One (San Antonio, TX): WIML85-?
Tasted double blind. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose was a bit greenish with some added notes of berries. Fairly green on the palate as well with a bit of berries. Light to medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink now. My guess was a California Merlot.
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4/24/2010 - jtinto Likes this wine: 93 Points
On the nose there is some funk that blows off quickly. Flavors are layered with well integrated tannins and long finish. Tobacco, cedar, coffee, currants with some Chilean spice of eucalyptus. Very nice. Decant.
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4/20/2010 - hcampana wrote: 90 Points
Typical Don Melchor. Nose has telltale Maipo terroir of wet loam, black currant and fresh eucalyptus. In the palate, this seems a bit riper than usual, with lactic flavors and a flavorful finish that shows surprisingly low tannins for its age.
Típico Don Melchor. La nariz es dominada por el terruño del valle del Maipo con limo húmedo, grosella negra y eucalipto. En boca, parece más maduro que otros años, pues exhibe sabores más lácticos. El final es fructuoso y exhibe menos taninos de lo usual para este Cabernet concentrado.
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4/19/2010 - redknife wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes. Decanted for 5+hrs; mouth coating, hints of leather, eucaliptus, bacon and black fruits with a peppery finish. Smooth tannins that need to resolve. Will not open another one for 2-3 years. It will improve. (92-94)
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3/30/2010 - ours de vin wrote: 89 Points
Not much different from my last note on this bottle. Short decant of 30 minutes and it didn't seem closed at all. A little leather and menthol on the nose. The finish was short and a little vegetal but strong flavors of bing cherries and semi-sweet chocolate.
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3/21/2010 - ours de vin wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for three hours and had with porterhouse from the grill. The nose was what I expected; leather and licorice. The wine was elegant much like a wine from Margaux but the finish was a little short. Well balanced with coffee and spice on the palette.
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3/3/2010 - JohnSh wrote: 92 Points
Had the 2004, 2003 and 2002 last night. Didn't take notes, but this was a remarkably consistent and excellent trio of wines. Each weren't quite ready for prime time, even with extending decanting. Blackberries with a slight hint of mint and tar on the noses, and a concentrated, structured similar profile on the full bodied palate. Hard to pick a favourite, although the 2002 was drinking best, but the 2004 was my favourite by a nose, even though it was the most tannic right now. It's not a crime to drink these now, but they have a lot of time left in them, as they have considreable tannins and still a hint of oak. I'd score all these vintages in the 92-93 point range. Great stuff!
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1/2/2010 - tim_c wrote: 87 Points
Holiday catch up: I'm not sure I get what all of the hype was about on this wine from WS. To me, seemed much more of a lighter bodied, red fruited cab with a bit more acidity than usual. Might be a style issue since I like my cabs with a bit more tannins and a bit richer. Thankfully I only bought one.
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12/28/2009 - Duce wrote: 92 Points
holding up well. Drank with mustard crusted Rack of Lamb. Great balance, great fruit
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12/21/2009 - Wink wrote: flawed
This bottle was off.
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12/5/2009 - danibus wrote: 93 Points
There we go -- my last bottle and it finally lived up to the hype. Dark fruit, currant, some creamy oak that had a tobacco thing to it. Well structured and balanced, with polished tannins and nice acidity that gives great focus to the ripe fruit. Lots of bottle variation in these. Out of 4, one was too young, but two were just off.
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11/27/2009 - jraider wrote:
Having enjoyed other vintages of this wine (2002, 2004x3), I was very disappointed in this. Decanted for an hour. A strong cocoa note dominated the finish...perhaps this was an off bottle as I have read of bottle variation for this wine.
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11/22/2009 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Garnet color. Strong note of cat urine, along with grapefruit, tar and loam qualities. Full-bodied, with very nice balance on the palate. Flavors of tar, dark fruit and herbs with a medium+ length finish. One of tasters nailed this wine double blind.
This was decanted for three hours, then allowed to breathe in bottle for another four+. Now in the awkward stage, showing the urine & sour qualities, though the palate maintains good balance and fruit. This will be outstanding in time. Check back in around 2014/2015.
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11/18/2009 - yui wrote: 95 Points
had one 2 yrs ago and ws tight. now it's beginning to blossom.
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11/11/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 91 Points
Way too tight night one. Vinturi-ed, decanted, swirled...didn't matter.
Night two...opened up a bunch. Nose of cassis, ash and pepper. Heavy, dark fruit highlighted by plum and black cherry on the palate which, at this point, resembles an Aussie shiraz more than a cab. Loads of pepper and coffee on the back end, with decent acidity and sweet, round tannins. Quite high octane, and dominated by the pepper. Definitely needs extended decanting at this point.
40+5+5+16+17+8=91
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11/10/2009 - thirstyman wrote:
opened, poured a glass and then let the rest sit in bottle for 3 hours. At that point, the wine was ready to go. Good dark fruit profile - heavy and extracted. I thought it was a good value and ready to start drinking. It seemed like the tannins still might have a little "resolution" in their future, but I am not sure. Based on this bottle, I would not be afraid to open one up. Open it a little early in case you need to air it out in a decanter.
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10/24/2009 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 91 Points
Drank with grilled steak. It was a few days ago so excuse the limited notes. Nose was muted even after a 2 hour+ decant. Good fruit, nice integration of the oak. Nice finish. Just did not get near the mid-90s for me. 2nd of 5 bottles.
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10/14/2009 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Thought I would check up on one of these. Medium deep purple. Nose of charcoal, dark fruits, leather and olive, somewhat reticent. Good dark berry taste on the palate, reasonably well balanced, blackberry liqueur, coffee, cedar and some spice. Really nice as it sits on the mid-palate, with a decent 20+ second finish. Oak in the background. Lets see if it holds up over the hours. Update: does not hold up very well. Gets less interesting in the glass.
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10/7/2009 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Great Chilean cab.
Closed a bit on nose, new world but with some old world flavor in there.
Vegetal thing going on, nice minerality, black fruits, currants, cigarbox, still get the oak but not too bad, good finish, good balanced, full bodied, would go well with some lamb we had it with Delmonico steaks which worked out nicely. I still like the 01 Almaviva a bit better, more funk and earth.
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9/7/2009 - jamscreator wrote: 94 Points
Can't really expand on this anymore from the previous tasting about 7 weeks ago. Beeeeeeeauuuuuutifulllll!
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8/31/2009 - markjanes wrote: 87 Points
3 Blind Cabs (Reno, NV): #1 Red rim, medium + extraction, moderate + depth of color. On the nose very savory with red > dark fruits that slightly exceed new oak barrique notes and earth. There is a scorched, roasted dark cherry aspect to the fruit that comes with a distinctively herbal note. On the palate the wine has high acidity that is somewhat coarse in nature… a classic Cabernet midpalate that is firm… the wine transitions smoothly into a moderate + to high tannin finish that is of moderate ripeness… tannins are mouthcoating and slightly coarse/unintegrated. Seems to be about 14 to 14.5% alcohol. Average balance, very nice length, good intensity, moderate + complexity. Wine has good finesse, has some textural issues (I think the roughness at the end may get better with time… the roughness at the beginning I don’t think will resolve). Wine is pretty classic for Chilean Cabernet and certainly has the potential to improve over the next 2 to 4 years.
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8/30/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
From 375ml. Youthful, deep crimson color. Nose of cassis and currants, but consisting of mainly non-fruit flavors of cedar, vanilla, dark chocolate, roasted coffee and scorched earth. Palate with fine soft tannins, still quite prominent. Plenty of crushed berries, currants on and cassis on the palate, with a seamless transition into a finish of tar, coffee, cigar box, and scorched earth. Complex,balanced, and great concentration w/o being heavy, this is appears to be in the beginning of its drinking window. Next bottle in 2-3 years, should last another 10-15yrs with ease.
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8/25/2009 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. The tannin has mellowed some and it was good from the start but probably would have benefited from some time in a decanter. A little heat kept the score down.
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8/13/2009 - Squirreljam wrote:
Belated impression from a couple weeks ago. Tighter than an 03 Almaviva we had at the same time, less round in the mouth, more tannic (astringent. mostly), notes of licorice and a touch menthol. Not sure what to think, as a bottle I had in summer 08 was much better. Perhaps very low level TCA?
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7/19/2009 - jamscreator wrote: 94 Points
If I were writing this in a letter, it would read...."Dear Don Melchor, I love you." Beautifully made wine all around. Layers of dark juicy fruits with the right amount of sugar, pipe tobacco, burnt cedar, and natural leather. This wine danced on my tongue and the finish was wonderful and long. This wine should drink well for some time and as young as it is is showing wonderful potential. The next few years might make this incredible. Loving this one!!!
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7/10/2009 - Wink wrote: 95 Points
Drank with flank steak softened by overnight marinade. Didn't take notes. Overall impression: WOW! This was one of the best wines I have had this year. This is the second bottle I have consumed of a half case that has been in the cellar since release. The first bottle was too young and underwhelming. This wine is REALLY singing. Don Melchor wines beautifully blend new and old world styles. There is no flavor profile of an aging wine. It is still very youthful and focused.
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6/30/2009 - Fielding wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour. More red than purple in glass. Gorgeous nose of boysenberries and blueberries, with some menthol and bay leaf. Before the wine leaves the bottle, it fills the air with perfume. Blueberry pie on the palate, with notes of cassis, cocoa, pipe tobacco, cedar and chamomile. The taste is good and complex, but not up to the nose at this point. Long finish, but still a bit hot. I'm guessing that it will taste better in the morning, if I manage to leave any over.
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6/8/2009 - Texas Pete wrote: 94 Points
Classic. Very well-balanced, excellent finish. I like the stage this is in right now (decanted), but I will wait a year to try again as it may still improve.
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6/6/2009 - incident wrote: 92 Points
Clear, full ruby. Clean, medium plus intensity aromas of red fruits, herbs, pencil, tar rubber, smoke. Medium acid, medium tannin. Flavors match aromas with long finish of cassis, plum, red berries, herbs, smoke, pencil. Dramatic improvement since my last bottle.
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5/24/2009 - nopat wrote: 96 Points
Dark garnet to ruby at the rim. Decanter 12 hrs. Captivating nose of cedar and eucalyptus, graphite, spice, little bit of chocolate, red fruit like raspberries coated with just a dash of white pepper. Mouth coating on the attack, raspberries and brambly fruit on the attack, gorgeous acidity rushing straight down the center of the tongue, transitioning into dark powdery cocoa, like a basil/thyme herbal thing that runs right into what some would call heat but comes through clearly as eucalyptus/menthol on the back-end. Finish lasts forever. Unbelievably smooth, flawless balance. Massive presence but full of finess. This wine just clicks as classic and elegant. Speechless. Will hold for another 5-10.
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5/23/2009 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 91 Points
First of a half case. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Was very good, but didn't get to the mid 90's level for me. Nose was a bit disappointing in that it didn't hit me in the face. Hope my remaining bottles drink more like the WS score. Sorry for the lack of detailed notes...drank this a week ago.
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5/20/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Nice, cigar, spice, fruit. I liked it.
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5/8/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1/2 hour in am. Delicious chocolate notes then. Unfortunately at Pacific Time we relied on their Bordeaux glasses which reeked of chlorine, and tainted the wine. (Fortunatelywe had brought Spiegelau Pinot glasses with which we drank the Chardonnay, and Pinot Noirs.) The 90 reflects my tasting in the morning. Brought the remaining half home to finish Sunday.
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4/18/2009 - hifiwine wrote: 94 Points
it just gets better and better
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4/13/2009 - Javs wrote: 94 Points
Oustanding wine with multiple levels of elements and nuances in action. Just needs a few years to soften in the bottle.
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4/6/2009 - jivey wrote: 87 Points
Diassapointing with age, nice on release.
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3/29/2009 - Alan and Gayle wrote: 93 Points
An excellent wine, paired well with Filet Mignon.
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3/19/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 94 Points
Pitch Dark in color, with blackberry, currant, scorched earth, tobacco, coffee, and leather exploding from the glass. Full bodied with big soft tannins. The long plush finish keeps pumping out dark fruit. - JD94
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3/8/2009 - Fielding wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. Youthful purple in the glass. Nose of raspberry and eucalyptus. Extremely complex on the palate, with blue fruits, tobacco, bay leaf and cardamom. Long finish. Still very primary and tannic, this will likely reach great heights.
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3/6/2009 - mimik wrote: 91 Points
Dark colour with a nice floral nose, scents of sweet fruit(cassis, and some blackberry), methol/camphor and mint and hints of coffee all well interwoven. The palate is linear, well defined if not a little muted with blackberry, cedar and cassis flavours. The finish is medium length with some sediment thrown in the glass. I believe it may be in a dumb phase as even thought it was structured, it was not a wow wine. It got better over the next 2 hours in my glass so a decant may be been the required course of action. 91-92 for now. Keep cellaring.
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2/28/2009 - Patches wrote: 94 Points
Very young and tight. What a classy wine. It's very elegant yet also hedonistic. The aromas constantly evolve. Nice nose of tobacco, smoke, basil & sage, vanilla, cassis, cooked plum, rose pettles, forrest floor, swamp and cedar. Great structure with lots of not overly ripe fruit to back it up. Spicy on the palate. Nice cinamin, eucalyptus, pepper, chocolate,and black fruit. Great now, but should really evolve with more age. Give this wine 3 hours to decant.
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2/22/2009 - FieldingYost wrote: 91 Points
Black currant, red licorice, fig, earth, cedar on a dark and jammy, but also slightly floral, nose. Plenty of black fruit here, layered and fairly refined, although open-knit and ripe. Blackberry, plum, black currant, and there is a touch of toasted oak on the finish, which is medium to long, and has bittersweet chocolate and black licorice. Despite the obvious new world leanings, there is old world structure and discipline here.
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1/25/2009 - LeechDogg wrote: 91 Points
Best bottle yet, too bad it was the last. Dark fruit, integrated tannins.
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1/15/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 88 Points
coffee, blueberry and basil nose. nice fruity mouth with balance. easy to drink.
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1/12/2009 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Great aromas, cassis, plume, mocha, kirsch, tobacco, and minit. Silkly on the palate with blank currant, plum, blackberry, tobacco, mocha. Long finish with sweet but dry tannins. Drinking well now, probably has some more upside. Outstanding. Great Value. Drink or Hold.
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1/2/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 91 Points
Dark red, dark ruby edges. Big notes of tobacco and tar. Fruit of blackberry and currants are being blocked out initially by the strong initial aromas. Palate was iron, some pepper and black currant. Some black tea flavors, well tamed tannins, noticeable and drying w/o food. Need food, steak or grilled lamb!. Definitely unique!
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12/29/2008 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
First night: iron and bright. Astringent on side of tongue but that is not a bad thing here. Fruity as well. Very fragrant upon opening, that good luscious cab bouquet.
2nd night: Much better. The sharp edges smoothed out and my tongue doesn't feel like it's being attacked with needles. Tannins evolved and softened yet there is a real nice drying feel in the finish.
Now last sip on 1/5/08 as it rested in corked bottle, this wine has completely transformed into a very good wine. Before it was bright and lots of cherry; now it has softened and calmed down. I also taste that Chilean alcohol heat and structure now. The alcohol is not the burning shellac type, rather, I can detect only on exhale. Convinced this wine requires lots of open bottle time if consumed now. Lay off this for 3-6 years for next one. And tannins very fine grained, almost a silt like sediment left in glass left out overnight.
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12/28/2008 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Much, much better than from 5 months ago. Medium bodied. Medium-Dark purple, great nose of tar, black fruit, socks. A bit shallow mid palate, but great dark and red fruits, with cinnamon and clove, and a decent finish. Very good for the release price. Oak seems in the background, and minor tannins on the finish. Update: Lost quite a bit on day 2.
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12/26/2008 - Rick-again wrote:
Like arthrovine we openned and decanted about 1 hr prior to a boned in ribeye for Christmas dinner. Not a note taking event but I can report this wine is open for business and will certainly get better for a few years and last for a long time. bright purple color , wonderful nose and well integrated tannins to go with the layers of fruit, cherries , herbs and chocolate 92pt
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12/23/2008 - MWes wrote: 91 Points
This is a great bottle of wine. I think arthrovine did a great job of discribing this wine. I am glad to have a bottle left in my cellar. I will try to wait until 2010 to open it.
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12/20/2008 - vinaigre wrote: 94 Points
Montreal Offline: End of Year 95+ tasting 2008 (Restaurent le Bleu Raisin): Ruby red. Nice nose of earth, rhubarb, raspberries, oak and toast. Nice body and texture with a huge amount of integrated tannins and a LONG finish.
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12/14/2008 - arthrovine wrote: 95 Points
Opened and decanted for 1 hour prior to serving with bone-in rib eyes and garlic-mashed at well-known steakhouse. Nose was dark chocolate, cigar, cedar, dark fruit with a bit of heat that mellowed at the last glass. Initial mouth feel was very nice, with tannins coating the palate but not overpowering the dark fruit, tobacco, and cedar notes. Mid-palate also showed tobacco, smoke, dark fruit. Long finish. Tannins present, but not over-powering. Great wine with a fattier cut like the rib-eye. Will not drink another for at least 3 years. Fantastic bottle.
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11/30/2008 - cobystilp wrote: 91 Points
Opened and decanted at my 40th bday party with the Rungs and Smiths. It was very tight upon opening but opened nicely within 30 mins. I wish I had another bottle or two of this one. No detailed notes as Andy really drank the bottle.
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11/21/2008 - gdm1 wrote:
Opened another and my 96 rating stands... I too, am looking forward to drinking more of these, but will hold out for the special occassions.
Still feel the 2003 was Don's best bottle... with only 3 left, I wish I had another case.
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11/20/2008 - jc510 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted while comparing Riedels Extreme Vinum and Sommelier Bordeaux stem ware. Knock out nose, well balanced, dark fruit, chocolate, mild complexity, with a hint of vanilla. Excellent medium long fruity finish. Looking forward to enjoying again.
The Riedel Sommelier stem definitely revealed the wines qualities better.
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10/21/2008 - jbshows wrote: 94 Points
Coffee and chocolate and simply delicious. This is still a fabulous deal for $50-ish.
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10/19/2008 - Zinister wrote: 93 Points
Sadly I don't have good notes on this bottle, however I do recall great chocolate, cedar box and some rich dark fruit flavors.
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10/12/2008 - shapida wrote:
Decanted 4+ hours. This was MUCH betterthan last bottle we had about a year ago. Nose has some cedar and dark fruits, almost Bordeaux-like. On the palate, chocolate, black fruits, licorice and tobacco. Still very tannic and completely mouth coating. Drinking well but has a long life ahead. I enjoyed this one a lot.
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9/30/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
earth, strawberry nose, good balance touch of complexity finish with chocolate and coffee
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9/30/2008 - ths wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, well structured wine, probably not at its peak however.
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9/9/2008 - losvinhos wrote:
12 AMIGOS - 12 VINHOS (Aguzzo): Excelente
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9/9/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Took a chance and popped and poured this one. While not completely open it is drinking well.
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9/8/2008 - sgamiz wrote: 93 Points
This is getting better
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9/7/2008 - iamandyc wrote: 93 Points
Really nice with real punch. Lots of body, structure and chocolate. Lots of years ahead on this one.
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9/2/2008 - meatman wrote: 92 Points
Upon opening it was all coffee and toast on the palate. Decanted for 2 hours. Expressive nose of red and dark fruits with some cedar. Palate had the same red and dark fruit profile with the coffee and toast more in the background. Nice spicy finish. Day 2...More of a dark fruit profile on the nose now with earth/loam and a hint of cedar. Palate was darker as well with a good mixture of spice and toast. Still young.
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8/21/2008 - cadamson wrote: 85 Points
Right now, I just do not get the hype. Decent nose (typical cab nose, though the 'boost' from cab franc does not come out). But simple on the palate. Somewhat closed, so maybe more time could help. Almost bitter, though some decent dark fruit and chocolate. Expected more, and have liked previous vintages (though again not to the level of the professional reviews).
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7/27/2008 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Same as before.
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7/23/2008 - Squirreljam wrote: 94 Points
Really nice bottle, drinking very well; the 18 months since the last of these have been kind. Decanted for 30 mins first then poured - from the get-go, an expressive, rich nose with earth/loam, raspberry and maybe cedar. On the palate, great red fruits (raspberry, cherry, etc) with more chocolate and earth, very bright acidity that lingers into the long finish. Tannins there but not objectionable; in fact, I wouldn't want less tannin - great balance.
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7/7/2008 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 95 Points
Had immediately after the DM 2002. In comparison, it is much darker, you can barely see through it. There is no sediment left in the bottle. It is also much tighter on the nose. It finally opened up after decanting for 2 hours. There're many more notes of fruit than secondary notes on this one. Black currant, cassis, oak, bitter chocolate, coffee. On the palate it is full and persisten. Its tannins have not yet subsided, as in it's older sibling. There are some great bitter notes and its acidity is even more evident. It's still very young but with a bright future ahead. Great assemblage, nicely extracted, impecable integration, outstanding structure. What a lovely wine this is.
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7/5/2008 - David S wrote:
stll a little tight - not sure I agree with all of the glowing reviews
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6/28/2008 - nschmidt wrote: 94 Points
Drank with the Cooperberg's at Orbis.After a 2 hour decant, delicious, smooth with a little of the loam taste. I loved it. Glad I have 5 more.
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6/17/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Again, big wine that needs time to open up.
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5/18/2008 - the godfather wrote: 85 Points
just have not had a chilean wine blow me away and this continues the streak
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5/17/2008 - Wineasaurus Rex wrote: 95 Points
Simply Awesome. But be aware, even after decanting and allowing to glass aerate, this wine was still tight and not quite ready to go. Prime will be at least another 2-5 years away. Gorgeous color, balance, and texture that one would expect from this wine. No specific notes, just fond memories.
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5/15/2008 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vinho muito bem feito, equilibrado, elegante, complexo, ótima acidez e longa persistência. Ponto não tão favorável foi a concentração de sabor em frutas muito maduras, o que o torna muito marcante.
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5/13/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 94 Points
After grand tour experience with 05's had to revisit this one. This was much more like it. Tannins and acidity have settled nicely and the typical chilean loam and dark chocolate notes take over. Supple in the mouth with very nice dark fruit flavors and a mocha tinged long finish. The loam taste is so distinct.
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5/11/2008 - drycab wrote:
Identical notes.
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5/11/2008 - drycab wrote: 91 Points
Popped and let stand open for about 1 1/2 hours. Nose like a nice bordeaux with a very tarry palate to match. Not as fruity as I remember, but very full and absorbing with a long finish.
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5/7/2008 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
South American Wines (Rios de Sudamerica): Nose has rich, roasted fruit and herbs. Palate is similar to the 2001, but not as showy or integrated -- more low key. Nice crisp, well flavored finish.
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5/6/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 88 Points
nise nose with red fruits, herbs, sweet red licorice. good balance with a fruit fowardness, bit one dimentional good qpr
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5/2/2008 - SoCal wrote: 90 Points
Not bad needs 4 hours of decanting to truly show its power. A bit one dimensional at this time though. Tar, loam, black berries, green bell pepper and spice.
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4/30/2008 - AtlantaBill wrote: 88 Points
Aroma of blackberries and cedar. Flavor of tobacco and dark fruit, blackberries and stone. Nice acid with solid tannins.
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4/28/2008 - Grinder wrote: 94 Points
Just beautiful. Very dark and full-bodied. Plentiful tar, mineral, black fruit and hints of cedar and vanilla. Long and complex finish. Lots going on in this wine. Very good value.
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4/10/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Had the 2004 the night before and while it is smoother today I think the 03 will be better in the long run. 92+
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4/8/2008 - cmr wrote: 90 Points
Finally the first of the last 4 vintages I've tried that I liked. Nice earthy aromas and flavors with berry fruit rounding it out nicely. Excellent body and structure. For the price and the reputation though a disappointment overall still as the other bottles, not a fruit bomb as I wasn't looking for one but just not there with the hype, have tried quite a few other wines that deliver more at this price point.
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3/21/2008 - profiler54 wrote: 94 Points
Deep and dense color . Coca Cola, leather, dusty- earthy with hint of resinous cedar nose. Huge wine, black cherries, black currants and dark chocolate on the palate. Tannins seem to get tougher the longer the bottle was open. Too young to drink now in my opinion.. I would wait another 3-5 years at least before trying again .. This wine has the stuffing but didn't seem to have reached it's full potential ..
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2/17/2008 - ews3 wrote: 88 Points
no tasting note, but disappointing for the reputation
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2/5/2008 - shiraz guy wrote: 92 Points
Danibus is right on. This was disappointing given all the scores, attention, etc. I thought it was a bit "flat" and unexciting (and I say that compared to other really good wines). In it's own league it's very good. However, I was expecting much more. Easy to drink and nice, but not excellent.
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2/3/2008 - danibus wrote: 91 Points
Berries and cassis on the nose. Mouthful of dark fruit, chocolate, plum, and menthol. Huge and extracted. Nice acidity and healthy tannins. Plenty tasty, but primary right now and a bit one-dimensional given all the hype. Excellent, sure, but not at the level I'd expected. Enough quality material, however, that it may improve and develop more complexities over time. 91+
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2/2/2008 - LeechDogg wrote: 86 Points
Shoe polish dominates. Hopefully just bad bottle.
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1/27/2008 - mwagner7700 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, drank over the following 2. Served with prime filet mignon and roasted fingerling potatos. This started singing after about 2 hours time, and was really opening up towards the end. Very complex with notes of tobacco, black cherry, cassis, loam, cedar and a touch of mint (maybe eucalyptus). Tannins are still very strong... I'll let my remaining 3 sleep a while and try another one in a year. 93-95 points.
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1/25/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 94 Points
After an hour and a half in the decanter, this wine was fantastic. Some tobacco with a bit of dark chocolate and slight cherry scents with an excellent mix of currant and dark berries and an amazingly soft tannin structure that provides an incredible mouthfeel for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Spectator made this the #4 wine of 2006 and it totally deserves that rank. Unfortunately, this was our last 03 and we'll have to move on to the 04's, which may be just as good.
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1/21/2008 - bigjy989 wrote: 93 Points
Not as power-ful as the '01. Same flavor profile.
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1/12/2008 - gregsp wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, but tight. I think this needs more bottle time.
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1/3/2008 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Tannins have smoothed out some and while very good it is still a little disjointed over just a one hour period. Quite a bit saved for day two. A little smoother on 2nd day and very enjoyable (92pts) but these will continue to improve. Enjoy now with a vigorous decant or hold.
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1/1/2008 - ths wrote: 93 Points
Opened up after about an hour, showing a nice cedar and spice nose. Leather, licorice and lots of black cherry on the pallate. Rich and smooth, good tannins and balance. Maybe just a little tight still, think some more age will improve this.
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1/1/2008 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 93 Points
This has been very consistent, but suggest at least 30min decanting. After it opens up it contains smoke, leather and bacon on the tongue. good value in cab.
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12/27/2007 - bnorrish wrote: 88 Points
Nice as nice as other bottles.
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12/23/2007 - BobBachus wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours.. Great nose and good fruit, long finish, bit still quite tannic. On the second day the fruit still held up but the tannins had not softened as much as expected. I'm not going to touch another bottle for 3 years.
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12/16/2007 - gdm1 wrote: 96 Points
After experiencing a flawed bottle of this vintage I decided to pop open another one to make sure I didn't get a bad case. Thankfully, it was only the one which was flawed. This wine is spectacular. I truly enjoy this wine everytime. The rest I will save for a special occassion as this is a wine for wine lovers. I'm sure as this wine ages it will be even better.
Decanted the wine through a filtered funnel and let sit for about 1 - 2 hours, this opened up the aromas and flavors. Very smooth, powerful wine; is best paired with filet mignon or a good spanish dish. Its a favorite among many...and is worth finding.
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12/15/2007 - gdm1 wrote: flawed
Corked... bad bottle :(
Hopefully the other 7 I have don't taste this bad...
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11/22/2007 - Evil Homer wrote: 91 Points
Nice dark colour. Bread, cassis and chocolate on the nose. Beautifully integrated tannins and long finish. Well done.
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11/12/2007 - hudamang wrote: 88 Points
Dark chocolate, dark berries, but a nasty metallic-ness. Tasted blind and lease favorite of 4 wines. Did WS really give this 96 points? Tasted alone, it might be a good wine but if you compare this to some others, it is not that good. 2nd dissapointing bottle. I just don't get this wine.
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10/28/2007 - skm95t wrote: 92 Points
Very nice effort, and wonderful wine to pair with a flavorful steak and good friends. The story here is the mouthfeel, texture, and taste of the wine. Honestly, I would probally rate this wine an 87-89 based on the aromas, beyond the dark fruit profile, I really started to pick up on some green bell pepper (which is not my favorite). However, on the palate the wine made a great recovery(probably a 93-94), with concentrated fruit flavors, a nice balance of acidity and structure, and most of all a creamyness that was outstanding. The wine also seams pretty young right now and I think it has better days ahead of it.
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10/27/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 92 Points
I agree with skm95t that this is a little young now, but has nice potential.
The first thing I got from the nose was cloves, then dark fruits.
Tasting notes: great mouthfeel, quite a bit of tannin, some dark chocolate in the long finish. Paired beautifully with charcoal-grilled strip steak!
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10/26/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Wine Spectator Wine Experience; 10/26/2007-10/27/2007 (New York): Tasting, WS#4. Bold black fruit that brings together ripeness, intensity and some barnyard (from the small amount of Cab Franc?). Bold and structured with good spice on finish.
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10/26/2007 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
WS NYWE Top Ten tasting (Marriott Marquis): Medium purple color. Forward sharp nose of red raspberry and spice - notes of lignified stems. Big bold ripe black fruit on a sturdy tannin/acid frame. Puckering, but not giving up all that much at this point.
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10/26/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
2006 WS Top Ten Tasting (NYC): Ranked #4. $47. Represented on the dais by winemaster Enrique Tirado, who noted that his goal is to make Don Melchor a “concentrated and expressive wine with finesse and balance.” The 282-acre vineyard is divided into small parcels and farmed by hand. It has stony soil and temperatures that fall dramatically at night. In 2003, they had spectacular weather. The blend is 95% Cab Sauvignon and 5% Cab Franc. This was an enjoyable cab, with blackberry, mint and cassis notes, supple tannins and decent length and depth. HS said it was “Lively blend of cab sauvignon and vineyard. A New World wine with Old World antecedents.” BS noted its “cedary tobacco and coffee flavors. Distinctively Chilean with a loamy minerality.” Enjoyable now, but should also age well for another 5-7 years.
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10/24/2007 - The Wine Guy wrote: 93 Points
Ripe, full of cherry, currant, smooth finish, integreated tanins, wonderful wine.Drank with some friends always a room pleaser. I will hold the last two bottles.
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10/22/2007 - blazer wrote: 90 Points
This is a great example of a Chilean cab. Chocolate, and jammy dark fruit without being a fruit bomb. Will be even better in a few years.
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9/25/2007 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
Don Melchor vertical 1995-2004 (Monterrey, Mexico): Darkest purple of all wines tasted tonight. This is the ripest of all Don Melchors tasted tonight and, as expected, exhibits riper aromas of caramel and melted butter, dark fruits and a creamy, lactic aroma. Full to medium bodied, tannic and offering a drier finish than others.
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9/21/2007 - Palm Valley Cellars wrote:
Very tight right now.
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9/18/2007 - J-Sho wrote:
Honestly drank this early this summer and remember little. I think I gave it 90-92. Remember thinking that it drank well but maybe I wasn't exposed enough to chilean wines to truly appreciate what I should be looking for. I'll have to get another bottle.
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9/14/2007 - gnihei wrote: 94 Points
Everyone enjoyed! Smooth and easy to drink. Notice more enhanced bouquet this time.
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9/14/2007 - gnihei wrote: 94 Points
Nice! Getting better with time.
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8/28/2007 - The Wine Guy wrote: 94 Points
It never has disapointed, full of cherry, currant, integreated tanins a friend suggested this could even be drank at the end of the evening with some dark chocolate or desert. wonderful wine. let it open up for more enjoyment.
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8/13/2007 - Danielusmc0331 wrote: 90 Points
Had half the mag one day, and the rest the following day. Really has to open up.
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7/31/2007 - wineocd wrote:
Massive wine that has all the stuff to be really good, but still needs a few more years to come together.
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7/24/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 94 Points
This bottle of wine was a very interesting experience. The first night we took it out of the cellar, opened it and poured a couple of glasses which we let sit while it came up to room temperature. Even after sitting for about an hour, the wine was still all over the place. We enjoyed a glass each and then stuck the cork back in the bottle and left it on the counter. The next night we went back and tried it again and it was completely different. Everything was wonderfully integrated, balanced and smooth with nice fruit mixed with dark chocolate on the nose and a great finish.
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7/21/2007 - jonb72 wrote: 94 Points
outstanding, big, lots of dark berries. I'm sure it will even get better the next few years
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7/8/2007 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 95 Points
AMBROSIA.
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7/3/2007 - gnihei wrote: 92 Points
Drank this along side a 04 Lewis Merlot. The Lewis was great and may have influenced my rating on this wine.
While good, it was not as good as the first time I tasted this wine back in December. Lacks a nice nose.
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6/27/2007 - ColinR wrote: 93 Points
Deep crimson-purple; intense black currants, blackberries, wet stones; dark berry, medium-full body, good balance, good structure, firm ripe tannins, long finish.
Decanted 4 hrs. Rich and structured Cab. Sauv. that developed complexity throughout the evening. This will improve over the next 5-10 yrs. Excellent with medium-rare striploin.
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6/24/2007 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 93 Points
Consistently good. Glad I still have a case left.
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6/24/2007 - cscharnagle wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed very much.
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6/19/2007 - Todd French wrote: 93 Points
A very complex and interesting wine, changing over the course of 5 hours being open. I would have wished for a better nose on this wine, but the body and flavor profile are amazing - intense dark fruits, slightly charred, seasoned meats, green pepper (that goes away after airing), and a spectacular finish that goes on for about a minute and disappears in a whisper.
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6/14/2007 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Again thick and rich with some tar flavor. On the first night after 8 hours of air it was enjoyable but tannic. Night two - the tannis are still there but much softer. Very nice.
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6/9/2007 - dave smigielski wrote: 91 Points
Decanted two bottle of this for several hours and this wine was fantastic, I took the other bottle home and finished it off 24 hours later Really a wonderful wine.
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6/6/2007 - drycab wrote: 95 Points
Taken and drank at my favorite restaurant, however just opened and poured. VERY smoky for about an hour and I really think we did the wine a disservice by not decanting it. Upon the final pour, the smokiness subsided and the wine showed massive black fruit and was absolutely great. Don't get me wrong, it evolved a lot in the first hour, but that last glass was a different animal. Definately splash decant it now for at least an hour before drinking. You'll be rewarded!!
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6/2/2007 - beachnic wrote: 93 Points
Much better than last time. I am really surprised at how much better this is. Rich, deep fruit with excellent acidity and a very smooth finish. The nose has a Châteauneuf-du-Pape quality to it. I should have saved this for a more special occasion. 93+Pts this time.
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5/29/2007 - AzorianMatador wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 5 hrs, consumed with Brazilian Pichana and Asperagus. Part of a little 03 around the world with some friends (03 Pintas, 03Talbot, 03 Turnbull, 03 DM).
This was the 2nd best overall wine of the night right behind the Turnbull, but for me it was the most profound. A lot of structre, as one would expect, but plenty of black fruit, road tar and tobacco--amazing. Very full in the mouth with good acidity and a long 60+ second finish. The lofty achohol was not noticable.
I would love to try this in 20 years but my stock will never last that long; get it if you can find it.
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5/25/2007 - AtlantaBill wrote: 83 Points
Dark garnet color. Herbaceous aroma of eucalyptus and cedar. Flavor of tobacco and earth. Almost no fruit. Tight, forceful tannins. 2 hours in decanter before tasting. Long finish
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5/5/2007 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
Púrpura. Aromas intensos, potentes e exuberantes de framboesa, cassis, tostado, fruta madura, envolta por eucalipto e baunilha. Taninos muito numerosos, firmes ainda, com acidez média e final muito longo. Grande concentração e potencial. Bastante diferente do Maximiano da mesma safra, provado recentemente, apresentando mais fruta e estrutura. 92+pts O/E.
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5/5/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote:
Closed up tight. Day two showed great promise, but I am not touching one of these for at least a year. Great potential. No score, but could live up to the WS 96 in time. Hold.
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5/1/2007 - hcampana wrote: 88 Points
Drank at home with steaks.
The nose was quintessentially Chilean with a dominant loamy note that was complemented by a eucalyptus/ minty note. The latter note has been proclaimed dead by many )among them James Molesworth from Wine Spectatar), but I still find it. I was expecting good things in the palate, but was dissapointed. The density is there, as is a nice texture, but this is lacking in the mid palate and in fruit purity. Aside from an atractive scorched earth note, this wine falls short on the fruit.
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4/27/2007 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
Dark inky purple color. Nose of blackberries, cherries, smoke, earth and mocha. Flavors of cherries, raspberries, mocha, and light tobbacco. Medium to full bodied wine with excellent mouthfeel and a long finish. This is so much better than the 02 vintage that was much more tarry and dirty in comparison to this highly focused wine. What a pleasure to drink this bottle among friends.
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3/19/2007 - The Wine Guy wrote: 93 Points
I love this wine, full of surprices with hints of tar, licorice, cherry, berry, structure throughout the long finish. If I could only hold em instead of enjoying them today. Decanting improves
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3/17/2007 - N2Vin wrote: 91 Points
Best Melchor I've had. It's young with heady fruit up front, more prominent than the tar and ketone smell I have objected to in past vintages. Tannins are firm but under control making it drinkable now. More oak and vanilla with raspberry and currant on the palate. Finishes long and warm.
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3/12/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 95 Points
Much better than the 2001 at the same stage of development. Aromas of kirsch, cassis, plum, & mocha. Silky feel in the mouth with dark berry flavors and dark currants. Long finish with dry tannins. Drinking beautifully now and has the structure to age well.
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2/28/2007 - JeffcB wrote:
Bottle had dropped tons of sediment and tasted like dirt, with some green mint or euaclyptus also showing out of whack. 2 hours decanting didn't change.
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2/17/2007 - DFC wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed this wine, but was a little disappointed based on somewhat high expectations. Definite cassis, herbal, and cocoa notes. Hope this one improves with age.
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2/11/2007 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Opened this a day in advance because of previous tastings but poured a glass to try and it was very good. The tannins were much more resolved that the last bottle and it was very enjoyable with just a little bit of air. Day 2 and a little left for Day 3 were both very good as well.
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2/4/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple - with cocoa, chocolate and dark red berry dominating the palate. Still very young, needs to be decanted at least 3+ hours to open up.
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1/31/2007 - phantphant wrote: 85 Points
I was hoping for and expecting so much more. I tasted it with a Quilceda Creek Red Wine and was finding it vastly inferior. Decent, but nothing to write home about.
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1/29/2007 - hifiwine wrote: 92 Points
a little young
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1/18/2007 - MWes wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. On the nose, red fruit, spice, tobacco and leather. Still somewhat tight, but I think will be incredible in 5 years. I think it has the potential to go for 10-20 years. Glad I have more.
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1/16/2007 - AzorianMatador wrote: 92 Points
Opened, decanted, drank; initial impression--tasted like a good cali-cab, very little on the nose. After an hour the Chilean characteristics began to show through; black fruit driven with hints of tobacco, mint and white pepper. The wine has enough tannin and acidity to keep the alchohol under wraps while the wine evolves over the next 10 years or so. Good QPR by todays standards.
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1/10/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Strong dark fruit flavors with some mint or spice notes. Heavily tannic with not enough fruit to support it. I fell I opened this one way too early and will not open the other for at least 3 or 4 years.
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1/7/2007 - hcampana wrote: 92 Points
Opened to compare with the 2003 Catena Alta Malbec. On the ruby side of the spectrum, showing the tell tale bull's blood color of Don Melchor. Upon opening, he nose is overly earthy and the euaclyptus notes too overwhelming. Full to medium bodied, mono dimensional and with slightly coarser tannin. This is not nearly as attractive as the Catena. I am getting disspointed from this Wine Spectator 96 points.
DAY 2. Wow, this wine has improved! It retains the wet earth and menthol notes, but they are more in the background now, giving way to laser like black currant and smoke. Full to medium body and persistent tannin that has a distinctively dusty quality. This wine could lose some tannin to become more pleasant. This is much better than last night. It is shier, not as extroverted as the lusciously fruity Catena, but may be the most interesting wine in 5 years.
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12/31/2006 - aof wrote: 96 Points
Wow!..decanted..after 1 hour, inky deep red-purple (stained my wife's lips), muted nose but a hint of menthol, easy palate entry, full body, pure, smooth and focused. Tannins are mouthcoating but not at all harsh. Primary dark fruits. Long, long finish. This went VERY well with a meal, but no doubt will be outstanding in a few more years. Won't touch another bottle for a year..
Its now 6hrs after decanting; lovely cigar-limestone nose, blackcurrants coming through on the palate and a delicious finish. Love it. I'm upgrading to 96 points
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12/19/2006 - tegan_ca wrote:
w/pan seared ribeye. Decanted and waited 30 min; should have waited 2 hours. Best at 3 hours, was still changing through 4. This is the bar for pure expression of cab sauv. Not ready to drink the rest, serve '00 for Cab night
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12/18/2006 - beachnic wrote: 89 Points
88-89pts?..Dissapointed with this showing. I knew it was not getting GREAT reviews but they were averaging out in the 92-93 range so I decided to take a chance. This lacks the fruit and depth to score it much higher. Nowhere near a $70 wine which is the current price. Very Nice nose that reminds me of a bordeaux..Some mint some Beringer like oak and a fading of the fruit into acidity. In simple terms, This is more earth & oak and acid and less fruit than I would have hoped for. Although I could enjoy it after a few hours of air (mainly from the nose) I would not buy again. Wine Spectator screwed the pooch on his one.
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12/17/2006 - twolfson wrote: 93 Points
Drank better than the 95 Beringer Private Reserve that was also on the table. Decanted about 3 hours before drinking. Nice minty/menthol notes. Tannins significant but not distracting. Went well with my lamb and my wife's Kobe beef.
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12/14/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Subdued nose. Somewhat herbaceous, and a light rubber element. In the mouth, again, rather herbal, and quite spicy. Nice.
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12/12/2006 - Squirreljam wrote: 93 Points
Bright red color, stained my decanter. Rich nose, silky mouthfeel. Well balanced with cassis, cranberry, earth and chocolate with a touch of herb/mint in there. Nice length, fine tannins. For $35, you can't go wrong.
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12/8/2006 - LeechDogg wrote: 90 Points
Extreme cassis. More earth than fruit. Not quite what was expected, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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11/26/2006 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Decanted for 4 hours and then poured back in the bottle and recorked for about two hours before being served double blind at the November Blind Drunks tasting. I was slightly concerned about this bottle as it was obviously exposed to some heat, judging by the wine found under the capsule and stained up the side of the cork. Deep garnet color. Ripe dark fruit, mint and eucalyptus notes. Chewy tannins, with dark fruit and oak flavors. Long finish. Drinking very well, despite the obvious heat that this particular bottle was exposed to.
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11/24/2006 - TripDaddy wrote: 93 Points
Second Bottle I have had now. Still a tasty bottle of wine. Easy to drink. good structure. Nice mix of black and red fruits. Blue berries on the nose and pure cassis on the palate. Nice wine. 96 pts? no. Woty? no. But a deal for sub 50 bucks. yes!
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11/17/2006 - pitt71 wrote: 93 Points
Decided to pop a bottle since this did not win wine of the year. Deep purple in the glass. Decanted 1 hour. Nose of cocoa, oak and currant. Slightly tannic. Opened up more over another hour and half to reveal black cherry and hints of mint. May not be the WOTY but I am glad I speculated on 6 @ $38. Outstanding and will improve with time.
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11/11/2006 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Drank at an offline. Definitely needs decanting time of an hour or so before it shows it's true colors. Aromas of roasted nuts and coffee and palate of chocolate, more roasted coffee. mocha and a long finish. Some drying tannins that will go away with time.
Try and refrain from opening for at least 2 years.
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10/29/2006 - losvinhos wrote: 92 Points
Purpura escuro. Saltam aromas bastante intensos de fruta madura, cereja preta, chocolate e tabaco. Na boca é sedoso com numerosos taninos doces, acidez razoável e um persistente e agradável final. Marca o meio de boca com a medeira apresentando café e tabaco, fruta madura bem concentrada, algo verdeal ao fundo (menta,eucalipto). Nota-se claramente que ainda está novo e que puxa pra o "novo mundo" mas com elegância. Acredito que evolua bem dada à concentração de fruta, boa estrutura e acidez presente. Difícil falar da longevidade. Um vinho com certeza muito bem feito e marcado pela intensidade. Fundo de taça trazendo novamente o tabaco doce. Excelente. 92+
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10/28/2006 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
De modo geral, a impressão anterior se mantém. Comparados com os outros Don Melchor que já tomei, esse é o mais 'novo mundo'. Muita fruta madura, levemente adocicado, acidez boa mas não alta. Difícil prever se irá ganhar complexidade e integrar o álcool. Para meu gosto pessoal, só melhoraria se a 'doçura' desse lugar a algo mais austero e complexo, mas por enquanto não acredito nisso. A qualidade, porém, é inegável -- e deve agradar quem gosta do estilo. Abrir o próximo só em 2009. 92+pts. O.
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10/6/2006 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
Decantado por 30 min, devolvido à garrafa (onde ficou por 1 hora) e então decantado novamente no restaurante por mais 1 hora. Intenso perfume saltou do decanter logo que o líquido foi vertido. Muito marcante, então, o misto de aromas indicativos do longo estágio em barrica (14 meses – carvalho francês) e de fruta madura, somado ao álcool, bastante presente. Com o tempo, a sensação de madeira diminuiu de intensidade, mas sempre se destacando, às vezes quase encobrindo a fruta. Sedoso, taninos muito numerosos e macios, boa acidez, tabaco, chocolate, licor de cereja e fruta mais madura do que eu particularmente gostaria. Não se deu bem com a comida (pappardelle ao ragù de coelho e, depois, codorna recheada com cogumelos e legumes). Ao menos por ora, não é problema de má harmonização, mas do perfil do vinho, que não se mostra muito receptivo à comida. Final muito longo e fundo de copo agradável. Melhora muito se provado sozinho. Muito jovem, reunindo ótimas condições para evoluir, embora um pouco mais de acidez não fizesse mal. A avaliação mais justa seria pontuá-lo com um genérico 91-94 pts (aliás, qualquer nota dentro desse parâmetro me parece aceitável, dependendo do critério utilizado). Por ora, 91+, com potencial para bater nos 94pts. O.
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10/1/2006 - hudamang wrote: 92 Points
Opened and decanted for about 30 minutes. Has smell of dark chocolate, mocha, and a very unique chalky, smokey smell to it. On the palate, the wine shows dark rasberries and the same mocha and chalk that I smelled. It has a nice sweetness to it and the finish is medium/long. I might have opened this bottle too soon to fully enjoy it but it's a nice wine. It doesn't strike me as an extraordinary wine but this is very nice wine. I think I'll let it decant a lil longer while I make my Asian Shortribs...
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9/30/2006 - markswine wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and poured. Should have decanted a while. Very young, dark inky stuff. Lots of mint and chocolate with some obvious tannins in the finish. Not touching the other 2 bottles I have for a couple years. Will keep drinking the 2000's for a while in place of this one.
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9/6/2006 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
I regret not buying more How I lost weight and doubled my libido
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8/21/2006 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Needs alot of air. Opened at 11am and served at 6pm but sips throughout the day show that this is much more approachable than the 2001. My guess is it will eventually shut down (like the 01) but for now it is very good. Day 2 - has really opened up. This is a very nice wine. 95 today.
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8/19/2006 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Aerated and decanted one hour before consuming (left in the decanter as consumed over 2.5 hour period). Nice concentrated fruit and complexity. Medium to full bodied (seemed to gain weight over 2.5 hr period). Black Cherry, blackberry notes. Noticed some nice vegetal notes later on (in a good way) and faint chocolate on the nose early on (this subsided). Sweet tannins. This will improve with a couple years, but its definitely accessible now. Glad I have another bottle. Great QPR at 37.99. This was served with filet topped with panko and maytag blue, with shallot, garlic, red wine and beef broth reduction.
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8/11/2006 - TripDaddy wrote: 94 Points
Drazi - I agree with your notes almost to the letter. Surprisingly good. Honestly, better than I expected by a margin. MUCH better than the 2001 - no brett or barnyard. Lacks a bit of grip and a touch of depth that it needed to get up to 96 pts IMHO, but worth every penny. WOTY??? Maybe
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8/5/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hr’s. Good nose of dark currants with some cherry at the core and hints of tar that follow through nicely on the palate with additional notes of leather and mocha along with a persistent mineral quality and a mint flavor component. Light acidity on the consistent palate with fine, solid tannins, reasonable depth and a polished edge all leading to a lingering finish. Terrific Cabernet value that continued to open up after 2+ hr’s decant time.
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5/11/2006 - losvinhos wrote: 93 Points
Don Melchor - Vertical (La Brasserie Erik Jacquin - SP): Percebe-se que está fechado. No nariz tem ameixa, tostado, café. Na boca realmente amarrado, mas com muita concentração de fruta, boa acidez e madeira não integrada. Acredito que vai ser um vinhão pela acidez e fruta que tem. Coloração púrpura/violácea bem escura. 93+
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