According to winemaker Enrique Tirado, who has been in charge of Don Melchor since 1997, this new vintage is similar to the previous one, the brilliant 2021, although perhaps a bit more succulent. And we think he is right. This year it is 93% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, and the rest is equal percentages of merlot and petit verdot, all from the Tocornal Vineyard, with older vineyards planted in the late 1970s in this classic area of the Maipo Andes. The fruits and herbal notes are exuberant in this wine, and the nose is lovely and fresh. The palate offers lively acidity, the flavors of ripe red fruits envelop the palate, and the tannins are very fine and sharp. A 2021, broader, less penetrating in texture, but equally charming.

"Fresh yet rich and concentrated" is how Enrique Tirado accurately describes the 2022 Don Melchor, the latest in an impressive run of releases of this Puente Alto icon. Youthful, focused and well structured, it's a seamless cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot, showing delightful purity and elegance, top notes of cedarwood and graphite, layered tannins and a core of cassis, vanilla spice and black cherry.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor originates from a vineyard planted in the heart of the Puente Alto region in 1979. This is renowned Cabernet Sauvignon terroir, characterized by the perfect balance of temperatures and poor gravel soils. The 2022 was aged in French oak barrels, with 78% of them being new. Garnet-hued with a purplish sheen, it offers complex aromas of currant, blackberry, ash, mint and a subtle floral tone that can be attributed to the cold vintage. Dry, rich and moderately juicy, the precisely calibrated tannins of Maipo Valley and the clear fruit impart the palate with intensity and agility. This is a more nuanced and energetic edition of Don Melchor, closing with a fairly compact finish. (JH)