- Excellence
- September 26th, 2024
The Drinks Business highlights Viña Concha y Toro in its Chile 2024 report
The English publication highlighted the 35th vintage of Don Melchor, making it the best rated Cabernet Sauvignon in the report. The new vintage of Amelia Chardonnay dazzled as the best white wine evaluated.
The prestigious British publication The Drinks Business included the Chilean wine report “Reaching New Heights” in its September edition. Written by Master of Wine, Patrick Schmitt, the report especially highlighted Don Melchor with 97 points, which not only makes it the best rated Cabernet Sauvignon, but also reaffirms the excellence and oenological quality of this great Cabernet Sauvignon from the Puente Alto appellation.
“Don Melchor is an outstanding, long-established red, which has perhaps become gradually more expensive, but has also improved, ensuring that it is now one of the world’s great Cabernet blends. The 2021 vintage is wonderful, with density and power, but also with a bright touch, ensuring vibrant character on the palate”, the Master of Wine described the 2021 vintage of Don Melchor.
It is worth noting that with the 2021 vintage, Don Melchor celebrates its 35th anniversary. This vintage is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot, reflecting all the energy and finesse of its terroir in the renowned Puente Alto appellation.
Amelia Chardonnay 2023 received an extraordinary 96 points, dazzling as the best white wine evaluated in the report.
The media also highlighted the figure of Marcelo Papa, Technical Director of Concha y Toro, as one of the references in the region, who commented to the media: “One of the particularities of the area is the phenomenon of camanchaca, which means cloudiness, with clouds coming from the ocean during the night. So, when you wake up, it’s cloudy, like in London, but by midday the clouds retreat towards the ocean. By the afternoon we have blue skies. This is ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as they don’t like too much sun exposure. It is enough to ripen the fruit, but not so much that it burns the natural acidity”.
Patrick Schmitt, described Amelia Chardonnay 2023 as: “Is this the best Chardonnay from Chile? It’s my favourite from this year’s tasting, and I scored it a little higher than the 2022 vintage that appeared in last year’s tasting, so it’s improving. What makes it so good? Fruit with notes of peach and lemon, along with a saline freshness that lingers long after swallowing, are hallmarks of the chalky soils of cool, coastal Limarí, Amelia’s area of origin”.
This great recognition of Amelia’s place of origin in the acclaimed D.O. Limarí and its new vintage, the 2023, reinforces the quality and extraordinary oenological consistency that the brand has demonstrated in recent years, consolidating its position as one of the most critically acclaimed Chardonnays in the world.