Don Melchor 2021

Don Melchor is Chile's original icon wine, and after four decades it remains the benchmark for Chilean Cabernet. Every bottle comes from a single vineyard — Puente Alto, in the Alto Maipo, at the foot of the Andes — whose gravelly soils and cool mountain nights give Cabernet Sauvignon a structure and freshness that rivals the great names of Bordeaux.

The 2021 is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon with dashes of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, fermented in stainless steel and aged fifteen months in French oak, most of it new. It is a notably elegant, precise vintage. The nose sets graphite and cassis against dried rosemary, white pepper and violet; the palate is richly textured yet fresh, with a raspberry and plum core, cocoa touches and well-integrated tannins running to a long finish. Wine Spectator named the 2021 its Wine of the Year for 2024, and you can taste why — this is polish and precision in equal measure.

Superb now with a decant, it will reward a decade or more in the cellar.

How to Serve

Serve at 17–18°C in a large Bordeaux glass. Decant a young Don Melchor a good hour ahead to let the structure settle and the perfume open.

Where to Drink It

Scott's in Mayfair, where an icon Cabernet earns its place. Or Hide on Piccadilly for a cellar that treats New World greats properly.

Food Pairings

A dry-aged ribeye, simply grilled, is all it asks for. Slow-cooked short rib works beautifully too.