Chile

#1 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

96 Points Wine Spectator
From its inaugural vintage in 1987, Viña Don Melchor aspired to demonstrate that Chilean terroir can produce world-class wines. Maintaining that credo, several years ago it became a stand-alone brand, separate from its parent company, Concha y Toro. The move signaled a shift to distinguish the flagship from Concha y Toro’s primarily large-volume and lower-priced labels. Now in its 35th vintage, the exemplary Viña Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard has undoubtedly succeeded in its endeavor as a reference for excellence, both in Chile and worldwide, and its 2021 version earns Wine Spectator’s 2024 Wine of the Year honors.

97 Points Vinous
The 2021 Don Melchor is dark garnet red in the glass. The restrained nose offers pure fruity notes such as blackcurrant with hints of leaves and black tea, refined woody aromas, and gentle touches of plum and red bell pepper. In the mouth, it's intense with mild juiciness and rounded tannins. The taut palate gradually grows more profound as it develops cedar flavors at the back of the throat before the long, rewarding finish. A wine that is more suggestive than explicit as it slowly envelops you in its different layers. The added freshness brings out the clarity of the fruity flavors.

MSRP is $175 a bottle.

Organic / Biodynamic

#6 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2025!

96 points Wine Spectator
Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents to the concentrated black cherry, plum and cassis center. Everything comes together harmoniously on the finish and lingers, with present but integrated tannins. A stunner that should develop nicely in the cellar. Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2040.

When Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle purchased vineyards in Apalta in 1994, her undertaking of excellence began with a vision to create a world-class wine. Few wineries have achieved such notoriety with Carmenère as Clos Apalta, which has made the under-the-radar grape the star of its flagship wine, earning Wine of the Year honors in 2008 with its Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005. Marnier-Lapostolle’s son Charles de Bournet, in charge since 2013, and chief winemaker Andrea Leon have been honing the winery’s efforts on its Apalta estate and its mosaic of exceptional terroir with a forward-looking mindset for relentless improvement on this iconic Chilean winery’s history.

98 points Vinous
The 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carménère, with the remainder filled out by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, sourced from the eponymous Apalta Vineyard. It was aged for 24 months in oak barrels, two-thirds of which were new. This dark purple wine reveals nuanced aromas of graphite, herbs, dried plums and blackberry marmalade, complemented by mint, boldo and garrigue-like notes over a green bell pepper layer. Plush and ample on the palate, it is lifted by a mild refreshing quality that adds a rare nimbleness to its flow. This long-lasting red is a serious wine, less influenced by Michel Rolland's style than in other years, as the fresh vintage imparted a lighter, less ripe and more expressive character. Clos Apalta is one of those rare Chilean wines that reliably showcases the characteristics of each vintage while maintaining a consistent house style. That steadiness is a boon for consumers, as it allows them to appreciate the impact of different vintages, which is a significant part of the allure of high-quality wines.

100 points James Suckling
Extremely aromatic with red currants, blackcurrants, spices, iodine, paprika and subtle hints of white pepper. Fresh flowers, fresh sage, lavender and some pine needles and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that go on for minutes with refined and harmonious fruit that integrates beautifully into the wine, giving it a weightless structure that shows class and verve. Endless balance and length. It’s so balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades. A blend of 75% carmenere, 18% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. Best after 2028