Bob McDonald

9.0

See previous notes from April 2024. To be critical a little too much oak influence for my palate. The palate is rich and enjoyable overall. To state the obvious the Napa Valley does wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon. A surprisingly short drinking window given by James Molesworth thru to 2027. — 4 days ago

Justin Kline

9.2

Lots of fruit. Cherries and Apples. — 6 years ago

GMW

9.3

Magnum for NYE dinner. Great depth and concentration. Still quite youthful. Cherry profile, superb balance and long finish. Held its own against Pahlmeyer and Forman reds. — 7 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The first Don Melchor from my storage and it’s very good but still early. I won’t open another for at least 5 years or more. The nose on first open showed ruby dark currants. As it opened up in the two hour decant, it’s nose changed and showed some earthy funkiness with a fair amount of mushroom. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, overly baked strawberries, blueberries, black cherry cola, dark dry soils, dry crushed rocks, dry stems, soft leather, lead pencil shavings, dry stones, mushrooms, darker Asian spices, mint, dry herbs, anise, tarry notes, black tea, lilacs and fresh & dry dark florals. The body is full, round, lush & elegant. The tannins are round & beautiful, but only 50% resolved. The palate matches the nose very closely. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, overly baked strawberries, blueberries, black cherry cola, dark chocolate & mocha, dark dry soils, dry crushed rocks, dry stems, soft leather, lead pencil shavings, tobacco with ash, dry stones, darker Asian spices, mint, dry herbs, anise, tarry notes, black tea, lilacs and fresh & dry dark florals. The acidity is round & beautiful. The length, balance, structure and tension are extremely solid. The finish is still big, full, round, richly elegant and lasts minutes. Photos of; their beautiful Estate, harvested fruit, a library cellar that I think we’d all like to raid and their barrel room with tasting area. Producer history and notes...Concha y Toro was founded by Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro and his wife, Emiliana Subercaseaux, in 1883. They are the largest producer of wines from Latin America and are headquartered in Santiago, Chile. They own 8,720 hectares spread throughout Chile's major wine regions of; Maipo, Maule, Rapel, Colchagua, Curico, and Casablanca. He started the winery with grape varieties that he brought from Bordeaux. The grapes he brought were; Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Merlot, and Carmenère. Concha y Toro started exporting wine in March of 1933 to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In 1950, the winery began to acquire more vineyards. They also began the process of adapting its wine to new markets and meeting a higher demand. In 1971, Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle became Chairman of the Board and succeeded in expanding the company. In 1987, they partnered with the U.S. importer Banfi Vintners. This partnership advanced sales and were able to incorporate more advanced technology in all stages of their production. They also started using small French oak barriques that further advanced the quality of their wines. In 2011, Concha y Toro bought the California portfolio of wines from Brown-Forman. The portfolio included these properties; Fetzer, Bonterra, Five River Wines, Bel Arbor Wines, Jekel Vinyards, Coldwater Creek, Sanctuary Wines Little Black Dress Wines. They are now a huge company with nearly a billion dollars in revenues annually. Don Melchor was Chile’s first iconic wine and has received with few exceptions consistent 90+ Parker scores since 1995. Most in the mid 90 range. This 04 is an excellent example of what they can produce in Chile. If I put this in a blind tasting, many would guess Bordeaux and some Napa Cabernet. — 7 years ago

Douglas Braun

9.0

This is the 2022 Vintage - out of a 375ml - have a soft spot for this Winery when Brice Jones owned it he had the most amazing Chardonnay symposium with speakers from around the world - Now it’s owned by Brown Forman ( big distributor) Made in the same style lees contact - toasted bread , toasted nuts , honey , butterscotch, medium bodied , med acidity , — a year ago

JKT

9.0

Excellent Cali Cab previously Cved but no record! Still in tail end of primary stage with good fruit and Napa earth and concentration. Good length. Will bring to HH to compare with several days old Forman. — 6 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.5

The Amizetta property is a steep and rocky 40 acre parcel with southern facing slopes at an elevation of 1,000’ situated between Pritchard Hill and Howell Mountain in the Conn Valley region of Napa Valley. The vineyards are farmed by Jim Barbour. Edward Clark is the winemaker, with Chuck Wagner and Rick Forman consulting. After seeing the aerial view of the vineyard I had to taste this... the terracing is impressive. It needs needs about 30-45 minutes to open up and fully show off its lush and opulent style, which features crème de cassis, currant, blackberry, mocha, vanilla, and charcoal, with some faint herbaceousness. If this doesn’t already scream crowd-pleaser, then the round and silky mouthfeel will certainly seal the deal. — 7 years ago

Mike Evans

9.2

Nice pure blackberry and cassis fruit with just a dash of brown sugar. While it has plenty of fruit, it has a savoriness and fine tannin that keep it from being cloying and bring it good balance. Very enjoyable without food, but it really shines with a grilled, dry-aged Flannery ribeye. It is the kind of balanced Napa Cabernets that takes me back to wines like early 1990s Etude and Forman. — 5 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.3

Pre-Larkmead bottling. Didn’t have the telltale Cab nose of the Arrowood or Forman, and not sure I would have pegged it as Cabernet if tasted blind. That said, this was a beautiful wine. Soft fruit, great balance, and in a word, elegant. Nice surprise. And no, @Bill Bender that is not The Skipper on the label. — 6 years ago

Aaron Means

9.3

Wound up tight. Very young. Reminds me of Forman Cabernet. Black/red berry fruit, tobacco leaf, herb/dust. Shorter finish but complex and balanced. No heat detected. — 7 years ago