Following a visit to Chile by wine critic Matthew Luczy from the influential specialized publication Robert Parker Wine Advocate to taste the latest vintages from Chilean wineries, the Don Melchor portfolio received outstanding scores.

This marks the second time that Matthew Luczy—wine critic responsible for reviewing wines from California’s Central Coast and the South American region for Robert Parker Wine Advocate—has visited the winery. On this occasion, he met with Enrique Tirado, CEO and Technical Director of Viña Don Melchor, to taste the winery’s latest releases.

Regarding the iconic Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto, Don Melchor received 95 points for its 2023 vintage and was described by Matthew Luczy as: “An impressive follow-up to the lovely 2022, the 2023 Viñedo Puente Alto leads with a refined, cohesive bouquet of ripe red fruits, anise, dried tobacco and dried flowers, with a delicate, understated profile that takes time to come to the fore”. He also adds that: “The considerable degree of freshness on display makes this an unusually high-toned example of Don Melchor that should drink well into its second decade.”

Meanwhile, DM/01 vintage 2022, the first wine from its new limited-edition collection “The Parcel” Series, stood out with an impressive 95+ points. “It leads with a darker, more perfumed bouquet than the standard Don Melchor bottling, exuding a bit more raw and visceral character rather than the perfectly coiffed profile of the main wine. These qualities carry through to the palate, which presents the silken richness endemic to the property with a touch more upright posture and sturdiness, culminating in a similarly taut, focused, mineral-driven finish framed by abundant, filigreed tannins. I imagine this will be especially interesting to track over the next decade and beyond.”

These important accolades add to Viña Don Melchor’s long-standing history of excellence and further reinforce the Puente Alto Appellation as an exceptional Andean terroir to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon wines.