Montes Alpha M 2018
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James
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The nose is perfumed and complex with outstanding aromas of ripe red and black fruits over subtle notes of crème de cassis, tobacco, and leather. Spice aromas of red and black pepper mingle with cinnamon and dark chocolate notes. In palate is smooth but structured, with silky tannins.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Ideal pairings include red meat, lamb, or cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black fruit, dried herbs, spices and earthy undertones. Hints of bark and cedar, too. Full body with firm tannins that are fleshy in texture and provide excellent structure. Layered with a fruity core. Savory and succulent finish. This needs time to come together and mellow a bit, but very serious.
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Decanter
With the 1996 vintage of Montes Alpha M, Aurelio Montes jolted the high-end Chilean wine scene into life. 2018 was another superb year for this Cabernet Sauvignon, which is topped off with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot to achieve a sophisticated expression of blackberry, cherry, blackcurrant, graphite and oak alongside good structure, fine, juicy tannins and a finish of blackcurrant jam.
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Wine Spectator
Refined and powerful, with juicy richness to the raspberry tart, red plum and red currant flavors that are backed by vibrant acidity and tannins. The creamy finish is fine-textured, lingering with mineral and spice.
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Wine Enthusiast
Can't miss Chilean aromas of herbal black fruits and juniper are backed by cedary oak, a hint of eucalyptus, tobacco and earthy warmth. Dry tannins dominate a gravelly palate that needs more time to soften. Flavors of charred oak, chocolate and herbal berry fruits see dryness prevail on a long and potent finish. Drink 2023–2035.
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Wine &
Spirits
With the release of the first Montes Alpha wine back in 1988, Montes became one of the first premium wineries of Chile. Their premise, a clear belief that Chile had an untapped potential as a producer of quality wines, made them a benchmark for other wineries to follow. Its original four partners' total involvement and the continuous help of the angels that decorate their labels was key to their success. Two decades later, Montes is the fifth most important winery of Chile where Aurelio Montes continues leading the winemaking area with the same passion as the first day. Hard work and total focus on quality has led Montes to be one of the most successful and respected quality-driven wineries in Chile as they continue pioneering and breaking new grounds in wine.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.