This week we are very pleased to offer you a selection of world famous Cabernet Sauvignon's. We start with three vintages of the iconic Don Melchor from Chile. We then move into the Napa Valley with the new releases from two of our all-time favourite producers,
Spottswoode and Philip Togni.

All the details are below and orders for all of the wines listed below can be placed by emailing Jon Ellison at jonellison@marquis-wines.com.

 

*pricing and availability subject to change without notice.
Don Melchor

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $88.00
"The 2010 Don Melchor (a homage to Don Melchor Concha y Toro who created Concha y Toro in 1883) is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc from Alto Maipo, the best terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile. 2010 was a cool vintage, balanced and fresh. It has aromas of blood and fresh meat, it feels subtle, with signs of youth in the shape of some lactic hints with good freshness, notes of black and red berries, developing some aromas of graphite and cold bonfire with time in the glass. The wine fills your mouth with its sophisticated, fine-grained tannins and has good freshness and length. The wine is quite drinkable now, but if you wait a little, the lactic touch should get more integrated and will age for a long time. I tasted 1993 and 1996 and both are drinking perfectly now: this wine has a track record. The 2010 vintage was launched in March-April 2014. Drink 2015-2025."
- The Wine Advocate #213     93 points

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon - $120.00
"The 2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a glass-coating opaque purple with an alluring bouquet of toast, tobacco, cedar, leather, mocha, and blackcurrant. Sweet, voluptuous (but not in a fruit bomb kind of way), layered, and complex already, its superb balance will ensure at least a decade of evolution and it should drink well through 2036."
- The Wine Advocate #182     95 points

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - $120.00
"The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is opaque purple in color. The nose delivers a splendid array of pain grille, smoke, pencil lead, espresso, and black currants. It makes a youthful entry on the palate with layers of black fruits, mouth-filling flavors, a plush texture, with plenty of ripe tannins to hold this big wine together. The finish is long and pure. The wine demands 8-10 years to show to full advantage and should drink well through 2032."
- The Wine Advocate #171     94+ points

* These wines are in stock now at Marquis Wine Cellars.

About
Don Melchor set the trend for ultra-premium wines in Chile from its first vintage in 1987. The enological consistency of Chile's finest Cabernet Sauvignon has been lauded in journals around the world year after year. Don Melchor is a hearty assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignons originating from distinct, yet contiguous sub-divided blocks. Some years, small quantities from the 7 hectares of Cabernet Franc are added. Over the years, slight differences have been noted in six sections of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Each contributes something special to the final blend. Nevertheless, every vine still delivers the distinctive style of this "contemporary classic". Only healthy, ripe, intact grapes are selected. Non-perfect fruit is discarded. Small, individual, stainless steel fermentation tanks are used. Each homogenous section is vinified in separate lots. Temperature and pumping are controlled continuously. Color and tannins from the skin and seeds of the Puente Alto grapes are extracted through deft maceration. Post-fermentation, skins and seeds are direct - pressed in order to retain the best possible tannin quality. A new Don Melchor vintage emerges once the decision is taken as to which Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the different blocks should form the final blend. The new vintage is put into French oak barrels from the forests of Allier, Troncais and Nevers. Around two-thirds of the cooperage is new with the rest one use. After evolving in barrels for 12 to 14 months, the wine is bottled and develops further as it ages for another year promoting the boundless complexity expected of a Don Melchor. The style, complexity and finesse of the finished wine express the perfect balance of the stony Puente Alto soil, the Andean breeze, the generous Alto Maipo Valley climate, the years the vines have taken to produce their best grapes and exacting personal attention.
Spottswoode

2013 Sauvignon Blanc - $45.00
"Bright lemon-yellow color. Vibrant nose combines pineapple, lemon, aromatic herbs, grass, anise and peppermint. At once ripe and pliant and energetic, displaying good grip to the flavors of white peach, green melon and cassis bud. Finishes dry and classic, with good length."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 14     91 points

2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $160.00 for 750ml or $1265.00 for 3.0L (one available)
"Blended with 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The 30th anniversary bottling for this wine. Medium ruby. Captivating aromas of crystallized blackberry, boysenberry, dark chocolate, violet and minerals. Rather backward but substantial for the vintage, with brambly dark berry and mineral flavors accented by a note of olive. Already offers lovely inner-mouth perfume but the serious tongue-coating tannins call for some patience. The black cherry finish avoids greenness. This vintage included some additional cabernet franc and petit verdot from acreage planted in 2006."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 14     92 points

* These wines will arrive at Marquis Wine Cellars in three weeks time.

About 
Spotty Spottswoode is a family-owned historic vineyard and winery renowned for its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Established in 1882 by George Schonewald, the estate is distinguished by the historic Victorian home depicted on the Spottswoode label. Spottswoode was christened by Mrs. Albert Spotts, who owned the property from 1910 until its purchase in 1972 by Mary Weber Novak and her late husband, Dr. Jack Novak. The first Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1982, exactly one hundred years after the estate's founding. Today, two of Mary's daughters, Beth and Lindy, work for the family winery that each year releases four very special wines: the Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon and the recently-introduced Field Book Rhone. The Novak family is committed to producing wines that faithfully reflect their grape origins. Each Spottswoode wine is known for its refined elegance, balance, and classic structure. Dedicated stewards of their property, the Novaks have farmed organically since 1985 and have pioneered the restoration of their local watershed. The 2011 release of the estate Cabernet Sauvignon is the 30th Anniversary edition of this famed wine.
Philip Togni

2012 Tanbark Hill Cabernet Sauvignon - $75.00
"Togni's second label, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Tanbark Hill Vineyard, is relatively accessible for the vintage. Sweet dark stone fruit, herbs and bakers chocolate mingle on the nose with faint floral notes emerging with time. This wine is fresh, juicy and lively on the palate. Made in a more open and easy drinking style, this wine won't require as much time in the cellar as the Estate Cabernet but it will easily last 10 plus years."

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon - $155.00
"The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous. Layers of sweet red fruit, licorice, mint and spice notes meld together in a supple, gracious, super-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Today the 2012 comes across as understated, especially within the context of the vintage, but then again, these wines have a way of putting on weight in the bottle. Sweet tobacco, cloves and mint linger on the close."
- Vinous by Antonio Galloni, Nov 2013     94-96 points

"The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate's dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of crème de cassis, licorice, mulberries and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied and elegant, it cuts a broad swath between a great Médoc and a Napa Valley Cabernet. There is still some tannin to shed, should be at its peak in 4-5 years, and drink well for 20-25 years."
-eRobertParker.com #215     94+ points

* These wines will arrive at Marquis Wine Cellars in January of 2015.

About
Philip Togni "This is a breathtaking set of wines from Philip, Birgitta and Lisa Togni. Philip Togni hardly needs an introduction to lovers of fine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Since his epic 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon at Chappellet, Togni has crafted a series of impeccable, breathtaking wines. It is amazing to consider that Togni's wines remain so reasonably priced when an endless number of new wineries with no track record seem to pop up every day with first releases well over $100 a bottle. The winery is very much a family affair, with Birgitta and, increasingly, Lisa Togni running the show. On an earlier visit this year I tasted the 1987, a wine that remains dazzling for its purity. From time to time Togni releases a small amount of wines from their library, usually at the 10th anniversary of an important vintage. I also tasted the 2008s, sleeper wines from an under-the-radar vintage that will thrill those who have the patience to cellar them. The Cabernet Sauvignon (here referred to as the Main Label) generally includes a dollop of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The estate's Tanbark Hill is a second selection made from the barrels that don't go into the Cabernet Sauvignon. All of the wines see approximately 40% new oak from four different tonneliers."
- Antonio Galloni