WTN: An ageing Don Melchor.

Concha y Toro Don Melchor Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley 1995 – Alc. 13.5% - (€ 32 for 1998)

This bottle got lost in my cellar but I came across it tonight as I was looking for something to accompany prime steak.

C: Quite deep garnet.
N: Excellent with a complex mix of discretely ripe red fruit, particularly plum, hints of tobacco and a grassy edge which gave it a welcome lift. Very little of the famous mint aroma, however, except as a background element in the palette of aromas; I prefer it this way.
P: Slightly disappointing after the nose. Round and rich with a velvety touch but suffering from a soft centre and a lack of grip and structure; quite complex and long with some aromas which, though quite attractive, seem to show decline; for example a dustiness which bring back memories of the old lace curtains at the homes of my Victorian great-aunts. The barrique ageing is by now perfectly integrated. Germaine said that she found the wine slightly veiled but very enjoyable in a style pleasing to most people.
I think that this would have been firmer and better, for me, two or three years ago. But I did still enjoy it. Let me rate it 15.5+/20 now.

Of course, at this age, a good left bank Bordeaux would just be getting into its stride.

Here is a reminder of my rating scale –

20/20 = Perfection, perhaps a handful in a lifetime
19 & 19.5/20 = Great wine, perhaps a handful in a decade.
18 & 18.5/20 = Exceptionally fine, lucky if a handful in one year.
17 & 17.5/20 = Really excellent.
16 & 16.5/20 = Very good; happy to offer these to friends.
15 & 15.5/20 = Good wines which we are happy to drink and would buy at < € 18, say.
14 & 14.5/20 = Worth drinking and would buy at < € 6, say.
13 & 13.5/20 = Boring wines but drinkable at cafés and restaurants if nothing else.
12 & 12.5/20 = Worse than boring and barely drinkable.
< 12/20 = Don’t bother.
Wines from my own cellar tend to cluster around the 15s and 16s.

Fascinating notes, Tim. But, I can't help wondering how much better (or perhaps just different) a 2005 Don Melchor will be in 2018 ... Chile has come such a long way in the past 10-15 years. Their understanding of vineyard and cellar techniques has advanced so, so much added to which with the resources that CyT has, they can afford to reserve some of their best, low-yielding grapes (which I would vouch would be much better now than then) for their top cuvées including Don Melchor.
As to the comparison with Bordeaux - like for like on price, I wonder - I'll leave others who know Bordeaux better to comment on this.

Perhaps I give too negative an impression. Though flawed in the way I indicate, it was certainly a lot more complex and interesting than the most Chileans which come my way, which are technically sound but a touch boring - see my note on CyT Sauvignon blanc. As to comparison with Bordeaux, I recently found Château Poujeaux 94 (approx. € 20 for a recent vintage) more vigorous and enjoyable drinking.

Thanks for this note Tim. I am rather surprised this did not show better, perhaps a reflection of the (vintage) year??