($22, Excelsior Wine and Spirits): Cabernet is king in the Maipo Valley and especially Puente Alto region, which explains why some of Chile’s finest Cabernet-based wines carry this appellation. For example, Don Melchor, the iconic — and expensive ($100+) — wine from Concha y Toro, one of the country’s leading producers, hails from Puente Alto.  But Concha y Toro makes other impressive, yet more affordable Cabernets, such as this one, from this prized region.  The Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon conveys the New World’s ripe fruit elements as well as the earthy, savory notes found in Old World wines, giving it an intriguing ying and yang balance.  Suave tannins allow you to enjoy it now with a steak.  Its price makes it all the more remarkable.
92 Michael Apstein Dec 30, 2014